Welcome to Behind Numbers
the podcast where business and finance leaders reveal what’s not visible from the outside.
Hosted by Alessandro Cozzi – a finance and M&A executive with over 20 years of global experience, Partner at Conexus recruiting and founder & CEO of Hello I – the show dives deep into the pivotal career moments, challenges, and leadership lessons that have shaped today’s most influential CFOs, CEOs, and corporate decision-makers.
Discover how they lead transformation, build teams, embrace AI, and drive the numbers that define success in today’s fast-changing world.
Stop Asking ‘What If It Fails?’ — A Global CFO’s Mindset Shift
What separates good leaders from great ones? In this episode of Behind Numbers, we explore, with Jenny Fuss – CFO at Crowley, a powerful mindset shift that changes how leaders think about risk, failure, and decision-making. “Your energy flows where your focus goes.” “Everything is figure-outable.” “Stop asking: What if it fails?”
Behind the $3B Empire: Why a CEO Started Back in the Dish Pit
In this episode of Behind Numbers, I sit down with Andrew Smith, Founder of Savory Fund, to unpack the unconventional choices behind building one of the most successful hospitality investment platforms in the U.S. After years in tech, Andrew made a counterintuitive move: he went back to the dish pit. Not for optics, and not […]
The Founder’s Journey Is a Decade of Rejection — Until One Day You Win
In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Saroop Bharwani, founder and CEO of Senso AI, to unpack what the founder journey really looks like behind the hype — constant rejection, daily failure, and the resilience required to keep building anyway. Saroop describes entrepreneurship as a decade-long journey of rejection, where […]
He Became a Tech Executive Without a College Degree – Here’s How He Did It
In the latest episode of Behind Numbers, I sat down with Zak Ali, General Manager of U.S. at Finder, to unpack an unconventional leadership journey – one built without a college degree, but with discipline, focus, and relentless learning. Zak shares a powerful mental model about attention and mindset – the idea that what you […]
From 9/11 to Autonomous Defense Robots
In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Tim Bean, an engineer and founder whose unconventional career journey led him into the world of autonomous defense technology and AI-driven systems — not through a lifelong plan, but through pivotal moments and real-world opportunity. The conversation begins with 9/11, a defining global […]
If You Want to Be an Executive, Hear This
In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Frank, one of the rare leaders who has operated at the very top of both the consulting and corporate worlds. Frank opens with a powerful truth: culture is the most important factor in your career. Intelligence and talent alone don’t guarantee success—being in […]
The CFO who turned every ‘No’ into Fuel
In this episode of Behind Numbers, we go far beyond titles and résumés to explore the story of a leader who built her career with conviction, resilience, and an unshakeable sense of direction. I’m joined by Joy Mbanugo, CFO of CXAI, a publicly traded SaaS company using AI to transform how we experience workspaces. Joy’s […]
The $10 Trillion wealth transfer opportunity
In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with X, a leader whose career spans from being employee #2 at a startup to driving billion-dollar M&A deals at a FinTech unicorn and leading transformation at a Fortune 100 company. Today, as Co-Founder & COO of Bridge, X is tackling one of the […]
From doubts to Silicon Valley, CEO, and Mentor – behind every pivot with Tara Spalding
In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Tara Spalding, a dynamic leader whose journey spans from Silicon Valley startups to the boardrooms of Utah’s most innovative companies. Today, she’s the Strategic Relationship Advisor at Nusano, helping shape the future of isotope manufacturing — a field poised to transform energy and […]
From Setbacks to Success Lamont Johnson’s Journey to Google
From navigating layoffs during the 2008 crash to leading financial transformation at Google, Lamont Johnson’s journey is a story of resilience, empathy, and reinvention. In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi dives into how Lamont built his career through uncertainty, embraced change, and transformed finance into a driver of innovation and human connection. […]
