Ellen Wood Talks Ethical Leadership with Bizwomen
vcfo co-founder and CEO Ellen Wood was featured in Bizwomen, where she spoke with contributing writer Cindy Barth about why she walks away from business that conflicts with the firm’s values. The interview comes during vcfo’s 30th year and follows the firm being named one of six winners of the 2026 Torch Awards for Ethics by BBB Heart of Texas.
Ellen launched vcfo in 1996 with a model that gives small and midsize businesses access to experienced fractional CFO support. For three decades, she has made a point of defining the firm’s ethical boundaries well before a client relationship or a difficult decision puts them to the test.
“From Day One, I’ve felt it was important to be very specific about what was right and what was wrong,” said Ellen. “I believed then, and believe today, that it’s important to know where you stand and not wiggle around on it.”
Topics Ellen covers in the interview include:
- Establishing ethical boundaries before they’re tested
- Empowering employees to walk away from problematic clients
- Taking responsibility when things go wrong
- Navigating the new confidentiality challenges created by AI
