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I recently spoke with Guita Sharifi, the CFO of Lifelong Learning Administration, part of the Learn4Life network of public schools. Sharifi is a highly accomplished CFO, having won numerous awards for her financial leadership, including recently being honored by the Orange County Business Journal who recently nominated Guita for its Lifetime Achievement Award. She has dedicated her career to the non-profit sector, serving as CFO to some of Orange Countys most important human service organizations.

Sharifi is unique among CFOs. She was born in Iran and escaped one week before the 1979 revolution. She also holds a PhD and is a licensed IRS Enrolled Agent, and is one of the most active networkers I have ever met!

Jack McCullough: Your journey to the C-Suite is fascinating. Can you share some of your early life experiences?

Guita Sharifi: I was Born in Iran and fortunate to have been culturally diverse. I speak four languages and have attended schools on three continents. In my youth, I attended Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland, one of the oldest and most prestigious boarding schools in the world known as the School of Kings. In 1979, due to Irans unrest, my family and I fled right before the revolution, planning to stay in London until things stabilized. Unfortunately, things got worse, and I had to enroll at American Community School in Wimbledon, England. After two years, we returned when the transitional government was in its preliminary stages. I enrolled in a private school but transferred to public school when the government closed international schools .

Due to the ongoing instability, I immigrated to the US and attended university. After graduating, I moved to California and launched my career with a global advertising agency, FCB. I later married and had four children and started part-time tax representation. When I was ready to return to work full-time, I discovered a finance role with a non-profit. I was initially unsure if this was the right fit for me as I enjoyed the corporate world. Still, I became increasingly engaged with the cause, serving children & youth with mental health problems through integrated services. 20 years later, I am still dedicated to the non-profit sector!

McCullough: Why did you choose finance as a career?

Sharifi: Because of my background, I thrive in ambiguity and chaos, empowering me to act quickly and decisively. Finance can be a rewarding career with growth opportunities and exciting challenges.

McCullough: All successful leaders have had mentors who made a lasting impact on their careers. Can you share one who did so for you?

Sharifi: Professor Wayne Strom was my Presidential Key Executive MBA professor at Pepperdine University. He helped me to be more self-aware and become a better leader. Professor Strom always believed, "It is not necessary to react. I have stickers on my workstation to constantly be reminded of that phrase!

McCullough: What do you enjoy most about being a chief financial officer?

Sharifi: I enjoy being the right hand to my CEO and president, enabling growth and managing uncertainty.

McCullough: You have served as CFO to many leading philanthropic organizations. Tell us about your current role.

Sharifi: Having been CFO for the past 20 years mostly in healthcare, I transitioned about four years ago to my current role in an education industry, at Lifelong Learning Administration Corp (LLAC) a supporting organization for Learn 4 Life network of public schools, Flex high school and Stanza International Academy.

LLAC as a supporting organization offers a comprehensive suite of administrative and educational services so that educators can focus on their students. We serve schools across the country with our unique blend of support and expertise to deliver high quality K-12 education.

McCullough: What are your biggest ongoing challenges today?

Sharifi: Economic uncertainty is a big challenge for any CFO, especially for a non-profit. I am also faced with federal and California State budget uncertainty as it impacts funding for education. I also report to and attend meetings for 28 different boards of directors.

But, as I mentioned, I thrive in chaos and ambiguity!

McCullough: What are some of the most important and not obvious metrics that you track, financial or otherwise?

Sharifi: In the education industry we track Average Daily Attendance of students as it directly correlates with revenue.

McCullough: You have won numerous awards for your work as a financial leader, including recently being nominated for a lifetime achievement award by the Orange County Business Journal. What are some traits that make for a Rockstar CFO?

Sharifi: CFOs who enable growth, adhere to strict ethical standards, work collaboratively and have a high emotional IQ are often the most successful.

McCullough: If you could have a conversation with your 20-year-old self, what advice would you give?

Sharifi: Start your career in a big five as an intern to gain understanding of the field of finance and find your passion. Though if I could go back even further my dream was working for United Nation.

McCullough: I follow you on social media and have developed great admiration for your social activism. What can you share with us about current causes you support?

Sharifi: In the past 20 years I have served on numerous charitable boards. However, in the past five months, I have been deeply involved in humanitarian causes impacting my home country of Iran, primarily the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. According to Human Rights Watch and United Nations the current regime has committed unspeakable atrocities, including executing more than five hundred deliberate chemical attacks aimed at schoolgirls across Iran, and the arrest and torture of more than 20,000 peaceful protestors. I have been engaged in social media and connected with legislative bodies to bring awareness to the international community to end unhumanitarian conduct and to support the revolution. I have also joined several volunteer groups such as Kharazmi Group that support to Rebuild Iran. We collaborate with experts inside Iran and volunteer globally to ensure Iran becomes an economic powerhouse.

I am the founder and president of the CFO Leadership Council, a global organization dedicated to empowering senior financial executives through innovative professional development programs and peer networking.

I am also the author of two best-selling books. In 2019 I published Secrets of Rockstar CFOs which is based upon conversations with dozens of elite CFOs, from Silicon Valley startups to Fortune 50 Multinationals. I followed this up in 2021 with "The Psychopathic CEO, an Executive Survival Guide" which was written for executives who may work for a leader with this personality disorder.

Prior to founding the CFO Leadership Council, I served as a CFO to 26 different companies, primarily early-stage technology. I live in Massachusetts with my wife and two teenage sons.

Continued here:
Meet Guita Sharifi, The CFO With A Fascinating Journey From Iran To The C-Suite - Forbes

Afif Naimi, one of the former leaders of Iran's persecuted Baha'i community, was arrested by security forces on Saturday.

Baha'i activists say Naimi was spending a holiday with his family and relatives in a resort in Karaj in the outskirts of Tehran, when more than ten security agents entered and arrested him.

The arrest of the Baha'i citizen comes less than four months after his release on bail.

He suffers from heart disease and passed out many times during his previous detention.

This former director of Iran's Baha'i community known as "Yaran" was sentenced to seven years in prison and a fine of fifty billion rials (100,000 USD) by the Karaj Revolutionary Court in February last year. His sentence is now being appealed.

Two other Bahai community leaders Fariba Kamalabadi, 60, and Mahvash Sabet Shahriari, 70, were handed new 10-year sentences in December after having served 10 years previously on charges of threatening national security.

The 1979 constitution of the Islamic Republic recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has on several occasions called the Baha'i faith a cult and in a religious fatwa in 2018 forbade contact, including business dealings, with followers of the faith.

Baha'is, who number around 300,000 in Iran, say their rights are systematically violated and they are often harassed, forced to leave their homes and businesses, and are deprived of government jobs and university education.

Continue reading here:
Iran Arrests Another Bahai Community Leader -

(May 1, 2023 / JNS) Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is scheduled to travel to Brussels on Tuesday to meet with his E.U. counterpart Josep Borrell and other high-ranking officials.

The visit will focus primarily on shoring up European backing for stopping the Iranian nuclear program and the Iranian terror threat, according to Cohens office.

The top Israeli diplomat will also emphasize Israels support for E.U. humanitarian aid to the Palestinian Authority, so long as those funds are not redirected to terrorist groups or used to incite violence against the Jewish state.

In March, Cohen sharply criticized Borrell for equating Palestinian terror attacks with operations undertaken by the Israel Defense Forces.

The rebuke came after Borrell wrote in an article on the commentary site Project Syndicate that violence on the part of Israeli settlers in the West Bank is increasingly threatening Palestinian lives and livelihoodsalmost always with impunity. Moreover, Israeli military operations frequently cause civilian Palestinian deaths, often without effective accountability; illegal settlements are expanding on occupied land; and the delicate status quo concerning Holy Sites is eroding.

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Cohen also told Borrell that the European Union should refrain from interfering in internal political issuesa reference to the ongoing battle over judicial reform in Israel.

Cohen is also slated to meet with E.U. Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas.

Last week, Cohen met in Madrid with his Spanish counterpart Jos Manuel Albares, with the Iranian threat topping the agenda.

Europe and the entire world must face Iran with a united and aggressive front in order to prevent a nuclear Iran. The way to do this is by initiating economic and political sanctions together with a credible military threat. Spain will soon assume its role as president of the European Union, and in my talks I will ask that the Iranian issue have a greater weight in European discussions and decisions, said Cohen ahead of the tte--tte.

Link:
Cohen to press Israels positions on Iran during Brussels trip - JNS.org

TEHRAN - On Monday, Iranian industrial specialists tested an airplane engine with great success which was made of domestically-made parts.

In honor of International Workers Day, President Ebrahim Raisi visited the Iranian energy and infrastructure company MAPNA.

The power component and engine management system of the airplane were put to the test during the visit by the specialists of MAPNA, renowned as the largest Iranian contractor for steam, gas, combined cycle, and renewable power plants.

The reverse engineering process was used by the domestic experts at MAPNA to completely develop and produce the engine and its control system.

The president also went to a display of technical advances in a number of industries, including water industry, oil and gas production, train transportation, aircraft engines, and the production of renewable and thermal energy.

The president also saw the exhibitions high-tech F-class Iranian gas turbine and the domestic MAP 24 locomotive.

Raisi also went to the MAP24 locomotive, a product made by the MAPNA Groups experts.

During his visit, the president emphasized the need of satisfying the countrys locomotive needs with a focus on local manufacture, as well as utilizing the capability of this companys locomotive training center.

Raisi then toured the electric vehicle drive system, which included buses, passenger cars, and freight vehicles developed and manufactured by MAPNA Group.

Read more from the original source:
Iran successfully tests aircraft engine made by Iranian parts - Tehran Times

26 April 2023

Ayatollah Abbasali Soleimani died in hospital after being shot in the northern town of Babolsar

A senior Iranian Shia Muslim cleric and member of the powerful Assembly of Experts has been killed in a gun attack in northern Iran, state media report.

Ayatollah Abbasali Soleimani died in hospital after being shot at a bank in Babolsar, in Mazandaran province.

Its governor said the attacker, who has been arrested, was a bank security guard and that the motive was unclear.

Ayatollah Soleimani was one of 88 clerics on the Assembly of Experts, which appoints the Supreme Leader.

The elected body also monitors his performance and can - theoretically - remove him if he is deemed incapable of fulfilling his duties.

He also previously served as the personal representative of the current Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the restive south-eastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, stepping down in 2019 after 17 years in the role.

BBC Persian's Parham Ghobadi says he was a hardliner who called for gender segregation in all public spaces in the Islamic Republic, including workplaces.

Ayatollah Soleimani, who was in his mid-70s, was visiting a branch of Bank Belli in Babolsar on personal business at about 10:30 (07:00 GMT) on Wednesday when he was shot.

CCTV footage published by the Tasnim news agency appeared to show the cleric, dressed in a traditional dark robe and white turban, sitting on a chair inside the bank.

A middle-aged man wearing a blue and white uniform and carrying what looks like a submachine gun is then seen walking up to him from behind before firing a series of shots into his back.

The man is then disarmed by two other men, one of whom is wearing a green uniform.

The governor of Mazandaran, Mahmoud Hosseinipour Nouri, said the attacker was a local man who was one of several armed guards employed by a security contractor to protect the bank.

"So far, the motive of the assailant for the act is rather unclear," he told state TV.

He said the police's investigation into the shooting was continuing, but that "our information and documents indicate that this was not a security or terrorist act".

An initial report by Hawzahnews, the official website of Iran's Shia seminaries, cited a witness as saying that the attacker was a man who grabbed a bank guard's gun and opened fire, rather than a guard.

Last April, two clerics were killed and a third was injured in a knife attack at a Shia shrine in the north-eastern city of Mashhad.

An ethnic Uzbek man was hanged in June after being found guilty of carrying out the stabbings, for which police did not reveal the motive.

See more here:
Iran: Senior Shia cleric on Assembly of Experts shot dead at bank - BBC