Introduction: 00:48

• Introducing Vanessa Gage, General Counsel and Interim CFO at Cedar.
• Bringing a legal perspective to budget cycles and strategy planning.

Moving from Deputy General Counsel to Interim GC at Opendoor: 3:03

• Stepping into a role that isn’t quite the way you expected it to be.
• Finding the strength to take on an opportunity that surpasses your experience.

Advice for lawyers stepping into interim positions: 5:49

• Acknowledging the difficulty of stepping into an interim role. 
• Valuing the importance of asking for the tools you need.
• Dropping “interim” from your title so you can succeed and grow. 

Catapulting into a GC role at Cedar and taking on the responsibility of Interim CFO: 11:07

• Raising your hand when it’s time to pitch in and fill the gap.
• Getting a new perspective on your company by leading a second team.
• Finding ways to do more than just keep the lights on.
• Hiring the right people to keep operations running smoothly.

Advice for GCs who find themselves taking on additional interim roles: 17:17

• Staying the course while tackling the projects that just can’t wait.
• Accepting the inevitable attrition after an executive departure.
• Getting through transition periods by building trust in leadership.
• Knowing when “good enough” is the best course of action.

Pushing the business forward without tying your successor’s hands: 21:40

• Breaking down tasks to see what is urgent and what can wait.
• Accepting counsel as a lawyer who is used to counseling others.
• Receiving executive buy-in from as many of your peers as you can.

Preparing to step back from your interim role: 27:12

• Revisiting the contributions people have within the room. 
• Acknowledging the growing voice of lawyers in making business decisions industry-wide.

What you are proud of and book recommendations: 31:25

• Working with a team that leans in and steps up.
• Taking joy in reading stories that are as far from reality as possible.