Janice Lambert
Chief Financial Officer
AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION
Janice Lambert is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the American Council on Education (ACE), where she leads the organization’s financial strategies and functions.
Her career spans more than 25 years as a CFO, leading financial and administrative operations within the public, nonprofit, and private sectors. Prior to joining ACE in 2023, Ms. Lambert served as the CFO at the Smithsonian Institution, Internal Revenue Service, Office of the Director of National Intelligence; Deputy CFO at the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Budget Director of the Department of Treasury. She also spent several years in the private sector as the CFO for IDEMIA National Security Solutions and CALIBRE Systems, and consulting for government contract companies.
Ms. Lambert received her BS degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, and a MPA from George Washington University.
Learn more about the Washington, DC CFO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
My CFO experience spans the federal, nonprofit and private sectors. I enjoy working for mission-centric organizations. I spent most of my career in the Federal Government, where my career took off and became the CFO at several large federal agencies to include the IRS. I also spent several years as a CFO at private and nonprofit organizations.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
Identify strategies and options that support mission priorities and efficiencies, but do so in a manner that doesn't compromise regulatory or ethical rules and practices.
With disruption being a key theme of recent years, where do you see the CFO role going in the next 1-2 years?
The role of the CFO is rapidly changing due to digital disruption and transformation. A CFO can no longer simply rely on crunching numbers via excel for monitoring and forecasting the company's financing, investing, and operating activities. Further, operating as a highly effective CFO will require a more business-wide leadership role and the adaptability to keep up with the pace of digital disruption.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a CFO?
- Understand your financial performance, challenges, and compliance issues.
- Build vital relationships, including peers within and outside of the organization.
- Develop a long-term vision and plan.
- Understand the business culture.
Tell us 3 fun facts about yourself.
- I enjoy cooking.
- I'm a proud mother who enjoys spending weekends watching my high school daughter play lacrosse.
- I'm a former champion equestrian.
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