Catherine Hoovel: AI, Empathetic Leadership, and Designing a Purpose-Driven Next Chapter
Former McDonald’s Chief Accounting Officer Catherine Hoovel discusses career strategy, AI’s impact on finance talent, empathetic leadership, and how senior-level financial leaders can intentionally design life after the C-suite.
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Show Notes
In this special Icons edition of the FEI Podcast, Heather Cole interviews Catherine Hoovel, former SVP, Chief Accounting Officer, and Controller of McDonald’s Corporation. Hoovel shares insights from her nearly 30-year career, including how articulating long-term aspirations reshaped her leadership trajectory, why AI is redefining entry-level finance roles, and how financial leaders must rethink talent development in an automated world. She also provides a practical framework for retirement and transition planning – centered on continued growth, meaningful work, and paying it forward.
This episode is part of FEI’s special Icons series promoting the 2026 ICONS: Leaders in Finance event on March 25, 2026 at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, CA. Learn more and register here:
https://www.financialexecutives.org/icons2026
Special Guest: Catherine Hoovel.