Episode 10
From accounting to operations, how Brad Silicani became COO of Anrok
Episode summary
On this episode of Controllers Classified, host Erik Zhou sits down with Brad Silicani, COO of Anrok, to talk about his journey from Big Four accounting to leading operations at a fast-growing tech company.
The discussion begins by covering Brad’s transition from audit to client side, and highlights the myriad of roles he held at Dropbox. In his time there he was Controller, tasked with landing a sound revenue recognition method, Head of Tax, focused on developing the right international tax structure prior to IPO, and Treasurer, responsible for managing $2B in cash in a changing interest rate environment. In covering all this, Brad shares how these experiences set him up for success in his current role as COO at Anrok, highlighting why a background in accounting and finance makes him the operations leader he is today.
And of course, no modern finance conversation would be complete without tackling the AI revolution. Erik and Brad dig into how automation and AI are reshaping accounting, tax, and treasury functions—not just making processes smoother but fundamentally redefining the role of finance leaders. Whether you're a CFO- OR COO-in-the-making, or just someone who loves hearing behind-the-scenes war stories from hyper-growth companies, this episode delivers sharp insights and great conversation.
Show notes
The journey into accounting [00:50]
Early career and experience at E&Y [02:04]
Joining Dropbox: revenue recognition methods [05:03]
Scaling Dropbox: tax challenges [06:54]
Transition to Treasurer and preparing for IPO at Dropbox [20:12]
Becoming COO at Anrock [21:49]
The evolution of financial software [25:55]
Finance leaders are are fun too [36:14]
Guest bio
Brad Silicani, COO, Anrok
Brad is currently the COO of Anrok. He got his BS and Masters in Accounting from USC, and began his career at E&Y. He’s held a myriad of roles across finance and operations in his career.