Senior Vice President, Principal Accounting Officer & Chief Financial Officer, Dynavax
Search every verified Kelly Macdonald interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Kelly Macdonald, Senior Vice President, Principal Accounting Officer, and Chief Financial Officer at Dynavax Technologies, discussed her role and the company’s evolution in a September 2024 podcast. Macdonald said she has been working to position the finance organization as a “strategic asset” to the company, aligning capital allocation with Dynavax’s strategic initiatives and long-term growth. She noted that she joined Dynavax in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, describing the decision to work for a vaccine company and relocate from Boston to the Bay Area as a chance to align with a mission she believed in. Macdonald stated that she inherited a “very streamlined and even skeletal” team after a restructuring and acknowledged that the team was initially uncertain about a new leader from outside the region. Macdonald also shared perspectives on the evolving role of CFOs, describing them as expected to be strategic thinkers and subject matter experts across corporate finance and operations. She emphasized the importance of work-life balance, stating that 80-hour work weeks are not sustainable throughout a career and that being intentional about priorities is key. Macdonald added that she practices mentoring both formally and informally, and she described the Dynavax team as one that empowers each other and solves problems beyond finance.
“Finance and Accounting were viewed as a strategic asset for the company as opposed to you know maybe a cost center or overhead or something like that. One of the biggest challenges is to sit with that constituency and learn about the biology and the clinical and Regulatory and Technical risk that's with any given clini...”
“The CFO is expected to cover a lot of ground and be able to think not only technically from a very competent perspective but also strategically. Today's CFOs are expected to be very professionally competent in subject matter experts not only in accounting but across all Corporate Finance Concepts as well as operations....”
“Going to work for a vaccine company during the middle of a global pandemic was not for the faint of heart. It was a big decision and for me and my family it was also a cross country move. Ultimately, just a chance to work with this group of people in this company that had a mission that I really aligned with and really...”
“The finance organization is truly a strategic asset to the company when built properly and when leveraged strategically. For Dynavax, having a view on capital allocation that matches up with the company's strategic initiatives and priorities and long-term growth is critical for success at driving value.”
A massive part of CFO success is being in a company whose values and mission you deeply resonate with. That is the case with ...
A massive part of CFO success is being in a company whose values and mission you deeply resonate with. That is the case with ...
A massive part of CFO success is being in a company whose values and mission you deeply resonate with. That is the case with ...
A massive part of CFO success is being in a company whose values and mission you deeply resonate with. That is the case with ...
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