Supporting Parents Is a Business Strategy: A CFO’s Perspective on Retention, Trust, and Long-Term Growth

Workplace flexibility has shifted from a culture debate to a retention lever—especially as more professionals are becoming parents later, right when they’re stepping into mid-management and executive-track roles. Childcare and caregiving logistics don’t just strain families; they strain talent pipelines, and the companies that treat parenting as a “personal issue” are often the same ones wondering why their best people keep leaving. In industries like construction, where long-term demand is tied to population growth and workforce continuity, the stakes are even higher. The question isn’t whether employees value support—it’s whether businesses can afford not to build it into how they operate.

So, what does it look like to treat support for parents as a business strategy—one rooted in trust, performance, and long-term workforce planning rather than one-size-fits-all perks?

That’s the focus of this episode of Beyond the Ledger, hosted by Troy Ashby, featuring Jessica Greiner, Chief Financial Officer at Talley Riggins Construction Group. Their conversation moves from Jessica’s unconventional path into finance leadership (and what she learned building investor relations from the ground up) to what talent attraction looks like now, why “flexibility” only works when it’s paired with accountability, and how parenting reshapes leadership perspective. Along the way, they dig into generational expectations at work, how employees can advocate for themselves without burning trust, and what future leaders should do early to stand out.

What You’ll Learn…

• Why Supporting Parents Matters to Business
• Jessica’s Career Path into Finance Leadership
• Building Investor Relations from the Ground Up
• Transitioning into the CFO Role
• Attracting & Retaining Talent in Today’s Market
• Flexibility, Trust & Performance
• Parenting, Leadership & Perspective
• Generational Differences in the Workplace
• Advocating for Yourself at Work
• Advice for Future CFOs & Leaders

Jessica Greiner is a finance leader, executive voice, and working parent navigating the realities of today’s blended workforce. She believes we’re at a critical inflection point where career growth, middle management pressure, and family responsibilities collide — and that flexible work needs to be rethought as a real operating strategy, not a perk chosen once a month.

Jessica has built a high-profile corporate career while raising four children, including triplet sons and a daughter. She’s led organizations through major strategy and management changes, shepherding public credibility and investor confidence — including helping raise a company’s trading multiple following its first-ever Investor Day. In 2024, she was named CFO of DFW’s fastest-growing middle-market company, stepping into a role that demands both conviction and accountability.

One of her greatest professional challenges has been building consensus around bold strategies — and then standing behind those decisions publicly. Outside of work, Jessica is California-born, Alaska-raised, Hawaii-tested, Texas-rooted, and a lifelong sports fan.

Article written by MarketScale.