🎧 Listen to the podcast: https://feipodcast.fireside.fm/175
What separates leaders who are respected from those who are chosen? According to Patti Humble, former Chief Accounting Officer at UPS, the answer is simple – and uncomfortable: you have to ask.
In this special edition of the FEI Podcast, host Heather Cole, Executive Coach and Business Analytics Advisor at Lodestar Solutions, Inc., sits down with Patti Humble – former UPS Chief Accounting Officer, board member of the Institute of Management Accountants, and Golden Seeds angel investor – for a candid conversation about career-defining moments, leadership courage, and what it really takes to influence outcomes at the highest levels.
This episode is the second in a special FEI Podcast series spotlighting past speakers from FEI’s ICONS: Leaders in Finance, helping build momentum for the 2026 event.
Key Takeaways from the Conversation
- Why careers are “jungle gyms, not ladders” – and how that mindset accelerates growth
- The pivotal moment Patti walked into her leader’s office and asked for the promotion
- How finance leaders earn strategic influence by moving beyond black-and-white answers
- What successful transformation leadership requires: hearts, minds, and momentum
- Why intentional networking reduces friction and speeds up better decision-making
- Patti’s next chapter: board service and investing in women-led startups through Golden Seeds
If you’ve ever assumed that doing excellent work would be enough to get noticed, this conversation offers a better playbook. As Patti puts it: don’t ask, don’t get.
🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://feipodcast.fireside.fm/175
Learn more about FEI’s ICONS: Leaders in Finance and what’s ahead for 2026:
👉 https://www.financialexecutives.org/icons2026