How finance leaders are made: Denise Feece’s journey to CFO & co-founder

"There isn't anything you can think of that you can't do with Prophix." – Denise Feece, CFO & COO, Sequel Wire & Cable

Finance leaders often find themselves at the intersection of balancing data management with big decision-making. Now more than ever, finance leaders are leveraging next-gen finance technology to move their business forward. For Denise Feece, CFO, COO, and co-founder of Sequel Wire and Cable, navigating these complexities is now second nature. After almost 15 years of using Prophix, her story is a testament to how next-gen finance tools can transform an organization… and a career.

Denise puts it best, “The flexibility and the relationship that Prophix has with its customers is not available anywhere else that I'm aware of in the market.”

Her words set the tone for a deep dive into how Prophix One has transformed her ability to produce results, overcome challenges, and carve a path to the career of her dreams.

About Sequel Wire & Cable

Sequel Wire & Cable, a startup organization in Argos, Indiana, manufactures copper wire for appliances and motor vehicles. In the competitive manufacturing industry, building a company from the ground up isn’t easy. It requires innovative thinking paired with laser-focused execution.

Denise isn’t just a finance leader—she’s a visionary. As Sequel’s CFO & COO, she balances strategic financial management with operational oversight.

Denise has used Prophix since 2008, throughout various companies, and she’s a long-time advocate. Why? With Prophix as her partner, she’s reliably produced timely results leading to confident, future-focused decisions. Denise has completely revamped the finance function in numerous roles within several organizations.

Unique challenges as a startup

For startups, building a structured business from the ground up—with effective processes—doesn’t happen overnight. It’s one thing to have a great idea, but it takes a visionary to execute with precision.

Denise Feece: "As a startup organization, we had a lot of challenges. In a startup, you have to define everything you do. Our finance team wasn’t big—it was just me and one other person. I also had operational responsibilities as COO."

Limited resources and operational complexity made access to reliable, efficient tools a must-have. Denise brought her past experience with Prophix to Sequel, and they quickly adopted it into their organization for repeatable, real-time access to data. Denise’s proactivity bridged data gaps, equipping her team to make informed decisions from the jump.

DF: “Having used Prophix in my previous role, I knew I needed it for access to data in an easy, quick, repeatable way, to provide relevant information for our business while starting up.”

What sets Denise apart as a finance leader is her readiness on day one. Next-gen finance leaders take swift, informed action. They don’t sit around waiting for change, they harness modern technology to propel their business forward.

Realizing the full potential of Prophix

Denise first started with Prophix in 2008 amidst a turbulent financial climate. She jumped right in, learned quickly, and leveraged it to navigate the challenges of a small, scrappy finance team.

DF: “I first started using Prophix in 2008, with a company who already had it, but they weren’t using its full capabilities… My staff of four was cut to one overnight during the housing crisis. I needed to figure out how to do the same amount of work with 25% of the staff. Prophix helped me out tremendously during that time.”

Over time, Denise expanded her use of Prophix One beyond traditional FP&A. The flexibility was key, not only in navigating trying times and layoffs, but in allowing her to create new models that she would carry through future roles in different organizations. Each career move reaffirmed her trust in Prophix One as the best solution to streamline operations, reduce inefficiencies, and look ahead to future possibilities.

DF: “As I left that organization and went to three subsequent organizations, the question always came up: ‘This company doesn't have a tool. Which tool should I pick?’ I did some comparisons, but always came back to Prophix because of its flexibility and what I could accomplish with it.”

Denise demonstrates how a strong leader maximizes the potential of their tools, turning obstacles into opportunities and setting themselves apart as pioneers in finance.

How Prophix has helped finance leaders be more effective

From typical financial reporting to detailed shipping reports, Denise easily solves complex problems with Prophix One.

DF: “We use Prophix One for a variety of things, including financial reporting, budget preparation, forecasting, cash flow statements and analysis. But we've extended it a lot into other operational areas.”

Prophix One’s adaptability allows Denise to explore innovative use cases, not only making her role more manageable, but also more impactful.

DF: “One of the unique things that we're doing is a daily shipping report. Our ERP doesn't give good visibility into what's ready to ship, so I created a model in Prophix One that regenerates every day. It feeds directly to our shipping staff; they know when an order needs to go out the door.”

By connecting shipping data, financial reporting, and operational systems, she’s set a standard for efficiency and transparency, benefiting the whole organization.

Data integrations with Prophix One

Whether it’s an accounting, ERP, CRM, and HRIS system, Prophix One integrates all financial data into one unified platform. Sequel integrates Rubicon with Prophix One, a manufacturing-specific ERP, facilitated through an ODBC connection. It’s smooth, streamlined, and gives the team access to real-time data across departments.

Sequel’s data integration provides an easy flow of data to their users, empowering them to make informed decisions.

How Prophix has made life easier

Before Prophix, Denise’s team managed their complex forecasting and reporting processes with manual, error-prone spreadsheets. She doesn’t miss those days.

DF: “Life before Prophix is a lot like Excel hell. We had an extensive Excel-based forecasting system, and it was just wrought with errors and mistakes. Broken links and lookups, it was consolidation havoc.”

With Prophix One, those spreadsheet headaches are gone.

DF: “[With Prophix One], we’ve eliminated all those pain points. Now we have consistency, automation, efficiency, and flexibility. Prophix One was able to eliminate our need to rely on Excel so heavily.”

Automating manual tasks frees Denise to focus on high-value work. No longer bogged down in tactics, and with more time on her hands, she’s able to be a strategic advisor for the organization.

Accomplishments with Prophix One at your side

For Denise, Prophix One has helped pave the way for her career, equipping her to give reliable results and grow as a leader.

DF: "Prophix One has helped me with so many things over my career. Overall, it’s provided me with an ability to do a large variety of things across various datasets within one tool.”

Prophix One is ultra-flexible, allowing for tailored financial processes all the way from budgeting and planning to reporting and analytics, while cutting out inefficiencies. With this flexibility, Denise gives timely insights and strategic, data-driven recommendations, boosting her visibility and earning her recognition in the organization.

DF: “Prophix One has had a huge impact on my ability to produce information, reliable and timely results, and in many cases have an answer before the question is even asked. This has gotten me recognition with others, who’ve then recommended me for promotions or other opportunities.”

With Prophix One in her toolbelt, Denise’s career has soared to where she is today – a successful, highly respected CFO, COO, and co-founder of a startup, with even more on the horizon.

Skyrocket your finance career with Prophix One™

For Denise Feece, Prophix One is a game-changer. It’s allowed her to push the limits of a traditional finance role, break the status quo, and move beyond data entry and validation to be a strategic partner to the business. From overcoming the 2008 financial crisis to skyrocketing her career, Prophix continues to be Denise’s trusted partner.

Are you ready to empower your team, simplify your processes, and skyrocket your career? If you’re a visionary like Denise, it’s time to take the next step.