Leadership Spotlight: Blueprinting Successful Transformation: Insights from BlackLine and Johnson & Johnson

Michael Polaha, SVP, Finance Solutions and Technology at BlackLine
Bridgette Link, VP Finance Solutions & Technology at Johnson & Johnson

Leadership Spotlight: Blueprinting Successful Transformation: Insights from BlackLine and Johnson & Johnson

New research shows that nearly 40% of CFOs do not entirely trust the accuracy of their organization’s financial data. This poses a risk for strategic decision-making at a time when global business leaders are confronted with a range of challenges.

Join leaders from BlackLine and Johnson & Johnson as they share experiences and learnings gained from steering organizations through digital initiatives. You’ll explore strategies Finance & Accounting can deploy to improve organizational readiness and deliver rapid time to value while limiting risk, adopting leading practices, and unlocking competitive advantage.

Speakers

Michael Polaha

As SVP Finance Solutions & Technology, Mike has in-depth finance process knowledge, experience implementing enabling technologies, and excels at mobilizing and sustaining governance models to facilitate global design and ensure data, process, and product alignment. He is skilled at executing finance transformation initiatives in complex organizational structures and in collecting, disseminating, and translating worldwide data into accurate, actionable information to guide business decision-making. Mike is recognized thought leader and speaker on the topic of finance transformation and enabling technologies.

Prior to BlackLine, Mike spent 17 years at Johnson & Johnson, starting off as a project manager, elevating to controller, and later senior finance director before he became SVP finance. Mike earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance and an MBA with a concentration in accounting from Lehigh University. He was also involved with men’s basketball at Lehigh and served as captain of the basketball team for three years. He is a certified management accountant (CMA) from the Institute of Management Accountants, a certified cash manager (CCM), and a certified project management professional (PMP). Mike also serves on the Finance Technology Subcommittee at Financial Executives International (FEI).

Bridgette Link

Bridgette Link is the Vice President, Finance Solutions & Technology, where she will lead a global team responsible for evolving our SigniFi vision and roadmap, expanding our digital capabilities and creating a more agile, end-to-end, Global Finance Organization.

Most recently, Bridgette served as Vice President for Enterprise Financial Reporting transformation and was responsible for the Account-to-Report area driving transformation for CCER, SigniFi Compliance, legal and statutory reporting and simplifying the LE/MRC structure. Bridgette was also accountable for leading the functional design of the new SAP ERP ecosystem for the financial sub ledger deployment and partnering with the TranSCend team for the supply chain deployment.

Prior to joining J&J, Bridgette was the General Manager for the Finance Business Intelligence Group at Microsoft Corporation where she was responsible for managing legal entity/statutory reporting, budgeting, planning and forecasting, and revenue applications. Additionally, she managed the SAP ERP deployment and managing system integration for acquisitions and divestitures. Bridgette was also the leader of the Microsoft Finance Organization’s digital transformation utilizing emerging technologies. In addition to working at Microsoft, Bridgette has extensive experience with AT&T, American Express and Deloitte.

Bridgette has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Hampton University and is a graduate of the Executive Development programs both at Harvard University & Texas A&M University.