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Fredrick Pandian is Chief Financial and Administration Officer for Ballet Hispánico, a non-profit organization that explores Hispanic culture through dance programs and community engagement. Pandian previously worked for Publicolor, a youth-focused nonprofit, as a controller and IT manager.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Describe your job for someone who doesn’t work in finance?
My job is to support the mission and vision of the organization by managing its financial strategy and performance. I work closely with the leadership team and other departments to ensure that the organization’s resources are being used effectively and efficiently to achieve its goals.
How has being a CFO changed over the past 5–10 years, both for you, and in general?
I think both for me and in general, the CFO role now requires people to become more strategic, and more forward-thinking. In my early years as CFO, there was a big focus on compliance. Now, it is expected that a CFO will act like a business partner. We are expected to keep up with technological advancements. There is so much data to pull from these days; it’s not just basic budgeting or planning anymore. It’s figuring out how to use the data available to forecast for the future.
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Did you have a passion for music and dance prior to arriving at Ballet Hispanico? If so, where did it come from?
I’m an immigrant from India who came to America at the age of 13. I was in mid-level English, but the speed of the language and everything was completely too fast in the ESL program from grades eight to 10. The rap group, Wu Tang Clan, was out and I knew everyone was listening to this music and I was like “Alright, figure out what this culture is.” I was on Elmont, Long Island, saving my $1.40 lunch, bought a tape and was just listening over and over until I was entering a poetry contest and my English became more fluent. This is what connected me to people and being able to fall in love with music.
What’s your advice for future CFOs?
Listen to your co-workers, colleagues, and supervisors. If they are telling you something isn’t working, you have the power to change processes. If someone wants to be a future CFO, they need to prioritize teamwork and engage regularly with their company and their team.—LR