Susan Walker, CFO
Top Financial Executive Captures Coveted Honor for Essential Role in Data Protection Leader’s Continued Growth
Digital Guardian has announced that the Boston Business Journal (BBJ) has named its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Susan Walker, 2021 CFO of the Year in the Midsize Private Companies category.
Honoring the best in local finance, the BBJ’s CFO of the Year Awards program recognizes 10 chief financial officers whose work and commitment has helped make a difference in their companies, organizations, and communities. This year’s awards, like last year’s, are especially meaningful as these business executives have helped steer their organizations through the coronavirus pandemic and unprecedented financial challenges.
Since joining Digital Guardian in 2019, Walker has transformed the company’s financial infrastructure, including helping to migrate its customer base from perpetual licensing to a SaaS subscription model. In addition, she was instrumental in guiding the company’s smooth transition to remote work, and in streamlining reporting and other critical business processes. Notably, Walker also helped develop an innovative mid-market program that delivers prescriptive data protection to a historically underserved customer base. Launched in April, the industry’s first DLP-as-a-service solution for mid-market enterprises has already generated a robust slate of closed deals and a growing revenue pipeline.
“Accomplished and accountable, Susan combines financial creativity with fiscal rigor to help drive corporate – and customer – success,” said Mordecai (Mo) Rosen, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Guardian. “During the early days of the pandemic, she spearheaded a COVID-19-adjusted corporate plan that prioritized financial independence to help preserve both cash and jobs. Her vision and leadership propelled Digital Guardian to record employee retention and to one of the best years in company history. Along with everyone else at Digital Guardian, I am thrilled she is being recognized with this prestigious and well-deserved honor.”
Charged with leading Digital Guardian’s HR department and fostering its corporate culture, Walker has helped boost employee retention to an all-time high. As a result, the company has earned impressive accolades, including being named a Top Place to Work in Massachusetts by The Boston Globe and a Top Place to Work in the USA by Energage.
“I am excited to celebrate my two-year anniversary at Digital Guardian with this wonderful honor,” said Walker. “The recognition reflects the collective efforts of an incredible leadership team that has positioned Digital Guardian as the leading provider companies go to for protecting their critical data and IP – from the endpoint to the cloud. As we transition to the post- COVID-19 era, I am energized to continue collaborating with Mo and the executive team in helping Digital Guardian reach even higher heights in 2021 and beyond.”
“We are thrilled to celebrate our 13th year of honoring local CFOs and their accomplishments,” said BBJ Market President and Publisher Carolyn M. Jones. “Strong financial stewardship and strategic leadership have never been as important as the past year and a half, and we look forward to honoring and recognizing the importance of the role of the CFO.”