Something happened to Isabelle Winkles on the way to becoming an astrophysicist. That “something” was exposure to business and economics in an elective course at MIT. “The depth of concepts like micro- and macroeconomics, supply and demand and how businesses grow and operate” captivated Winkles.
It would be easy to say, “The rest is history,” and Winkles now finds herself as CFO of Braze, a customer engagement platform that she helped take public in 2021. But it takes a lot of purposeful skills-building and adaptability to forge any CFO career—including Winkles’.
In the interview below, Winkles relates the decisive choices during her career and what she learned along the way, including the lessons she absorbed working under Ruth Porat, one of the top CFOs of our time.
What interested you in a career in finance?
From a young age, I was captivated by the challenge of dissecting and understanding complex systems. This passion led me to attend MIT with the dream of becoming an astrophysicist; I was genuinely convinced I would uncover the origins of the universe!
To fulfill MIT’s humanities requirement for my degree, I chose to study economics, thinking it was closest to mathematics. I was captivated. That newfound interest inspired me to pursue a career in finance, and my first internship at Bank of America in real estate lending solidified my path.
It was a transformative experience that introduced me to the language of financial statements and the compelling story they tell. I knew then that I had found my calling, combining analytical rigor and curiosity with the real-world application of economic principles.
What was your first professional position?
After graduating with a chemistry degree and an economics minor, I joined Morgan Stanley in investment banking, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and capital restructuring for regulated electric utilities. It was an exciting time in the market, and the role provided a great foundation in corporate finance and capital structure analysis.
Over the years, my career evolved through opportunistic and intentional pivots, each aimed at building a comprehensive toolkit for my ultimate goal: becoming a CFO. The experiences deepened my appreciation for finance as an analytical discipline and a strategic driver of business success.
All of this set the path for my roles in the office of the CFO at Morgan Stanley and Cognizant. Eventually, I achieved the role of CFO at Braze, where I continue to explore the challenges and opportunities of leading in the financial space.
Which mentorships and experiences prepared you for the role of finance chief?
Early at Morgan Stanley, I worked under Ruth Porat [former CFO of Morgan Stanley and Google] and learned invaluable lessons about delegation, time management and balancing personal commitments with professional demands.
Observing how [Ruth] intentionally allocated her time while managing the complexities of a global financial institution left a lasting impression on me. She also demonstrated how leaders could integrate their personal values with professional responsibilities, a perspective I carry with me.
My career path across multiple facets of finance—investment banking, equity research, FP&A and treasury—was also instrumental in building the toolkit I rely on today. I sought opportunities to strengthen the core pillars of the CFO role, such as investor relations and corporate finance.
What advice would you give to young professionals with unconventional backgrounds who aspire to leadership roles in finance?
My advice is to embrace your unique perspective while strategically building the skillsets necessary for [future] leadership roles. My journey began outside traditional finance pathways, and I had to learn the technical aspects of finance on the job.
Early on, I realized that success in finance doesn’t require fitting a predefined mold but instead demands curiosity, adaptability and a willingness to pursue opportunities that expand your expertise. Seek roles that allow you to build complementary skills, even if they seem outside the conventional path.
Equally important is maintaining a mindset of conviction and openness. Your path may not be a straight line, and that’s OK. Working across functions within Morgan Stanley gave me a “jungle gym” career—horizontal moves that built a broad foundation. I also advise finding mentors and leaders who inspire you.
Finally, be willing to pivot when an “aha moment” presents itself. Ultimately, finance leadership is less about where you start and more about the intentional choices made.
You started at Braze during a pivotal time. What are some of the lessons that you learned during and just after the Braze IPO?
When I joined Braze in January 2020, the company was focused on getting IPO-ready. The preparation process taught me a lot. I learned the importance of building a robust foundation in people, processes and systems.
The IPO process and living life as a public company require rigor and precision that don’t allow shortcuts. We assembled a high-caliber team, including technical accountants and other professionals with public company experience, to ensure we met compliance standards and streamlined the reporting processes.
Another critical lesson was understanding the infrastructure needs to transition from private to public company life. Once public, the stakes are higher, and the tolerance for errors is minimal. Public company life operates on a strict quarterly rhythm, necessitating systems that work seamlessly to deliver accurate and timely results.
We invested heavily in closing our books faster, enhancing forecasting capabilities and our ability to run scenario analyses. That prepared us for the IPO and set the stage for Braze to operate in a fast-moving environment.
