Quote of the Day: From ‘Rockstar’ CFO to Mowing Lawns | 04.12.10

Posted on by Caleb Newquist

“Before the fraud broke, people would ask me what I did before I retired and I’d say I was founder and former CFO of HealthSouth. But today when people ask me what I did before I retired I kind of look away and say I was an accountant and hope they don’t ask me any other questions.”

~ Aaron Beam, former CFO of HealthSouth and current lawn-care business owner, at the University of Texas-Dallas Fraud Summit, earlier this month.

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The Kansas City Chiefs Figured It Was About Time They Hired a CFO

You figure someone has to determine whether or not the Hunt Family should vote to lock the players out next year.

The Kansas City Chiefs have hired Dan Crumb as their chief financial officer, the team reported Friday.


Plus, dude is a CPA so we like the move. The real question is, are the Chefs for real?

Crumb has a bachelor’s in finance from the University of New Orleans and an MBA from Tulane University. He is a certified public accountant and a member of the American Institution of Certified Public Accountants.

The Chiefs did not have a CFO before Crumb’s appointment. Crumb’s hiring comes two days after the Chiefs announced that Denny Thum had stepped down as president and that Chairman Clark Hunt had taken the title of CEO.

“Dan has a proven track record of success as a financial officer, and his leadership and experience make him a key addition to our business operations,” Hunt said in a release.

Kansas City Chiefs add a new CFO to executive roster [Kansas City Business Journal]

Has Florida CFO Alex Sink Watched Scarface Too Many Times?

It’s been a while since we shared some cost saving ingenuity from Florida’s CFO–cum-Gubernatorial candidate, Alex Sink. However, this time we learn how she managed to spend some of those savings.

According to the Politics blog of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, CFO Sink’s Department of Financial Services has “purchased 182 assault rifles – costing $255,000, according to Sink’s office – in the last two years.” When you Google “assault rifle” one of the first links takes you to this.


A spokesman for the wannabe Guv made it plain for those GOP haters (who are all of a sudden against guns?) trying to block Sink from purchasing more BFGs:

The rifles are necessary to protect fraud investigators who deal with “dangerous people,” said spokesman Kevin Cate – arsonists, sophisticated car insurance fraudsters, money launderers. If Republican legislators are taking a shot at Sink with the assault-weapon purchasing ban, “that’s a shot at officer security,” Cate said.

Sink said: “I rely on my law enforcement people to evaluate what the risks are and what they need. I’m going to do everything possible to protect them.”

Look. We’ve got no doubt that some white-collar criminals are dangerous but this seems a tad ridiculous.

On the other hand, since it is South Florida and basically anything can happen (including 10 – 26% returns on arbitraging groceries) perhaps this type of firepower is necessary.