Kelly Steckelberg has had a whirlwind CFO career. She helped take Zoom public in 2019. And then less than a year later, she was guiding the company through the pandemic, when it ultimately became a breakout star of that era. Today, she is taking all those learnings and applying them as CFO of a buzzy new internet darling—Canva.
The Australian-based design platform was valued at $42 billion in August. There have been talks about taking the company public, and Steckelberg’s hiring in November 2024 fueled rumors even more.
Steckelberg spoke with CFO Brew about Canva's finance strategies.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What did your time at Zoom teach you that you’re applying to your role at Canva?
I learned a great deal at Zoom, but as far as parallels with Canva, the biggest takeaway was the power of product-led growth and the importance of building for scale before you need it. During the pandemic, demand skyrocketed almost overnight, and the only way we were able to keep up was because we had already invested in engineering, product, and sales capacity. That discipline made all the difference.At Canva, we are already at incredible scale, but I think constantly about where we need to invest to ensure we continue to meet the needs of our customers and drive long-term growth. It is all about being thoughtful with resources, prioritizing long-term sustainability, and making sure we have the foundation in place to flex up or down when needed.
What’s different about working at Canva than your previous roles?
One of the biggest differences is that Canva was born global. At other companies I have worked at, the center of gravity was almost always the US. Canva was founded in Perth, Australia, and has grown into 10 offices worldwide, with Sydney as HQ. As a tech company not founded in Silicon Valley, it has always been important to lead and operate with a global-first mindset. That creates a different dynamic and requires being intentional about building inclusively with my team and peers across time zones and cultures.
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Do you have a unique KPI that Canva keeps track of?
We have a metric that we call “close the loop.” This measures how quickly we fix customer issues. Every time a user shares feedback and we act on it, we close the loop. It reflects our commitment to turning insights into real improvements and ensuring our community sees the impact of their voice.
How are you thinking about the possibility of Canva going public? How would you prepare for that? What advice do you have for other CFOs who might be thinking about that?
I think about going public as part of a longer journey and not just about a single moment.The key is to build the right foundation long before you ever step onto the public stage. That means applying sustainable growth strategies, putting the right processes and controls in place, building the right team, and creating a culture of financial rigor and discipline around accountability.At Canva, we aspire to be a generational company, so the timing will be about when it best supports that mission. In the meantime, we are focused on running the business with public company standards and rhythms, because that foundation will make us stronger.For other CFOs, my advice is to think about the IPO as an important milestone, and celebrate that, but remember that it is more a graduation than an exit. The company is stepping onto a bigger stage and the expectations and stakes are higher. Be sure that the entire company is ready for that debut and how you will collectively work together to sustain excellence for the long term.
What would your job be if you weren’t a CFO?
If I wasn’t a CFO, I would be doing something completely different like running a florist or bakery, but I’m not super creative, so luckily I ended up where I did!