Matt Hodgson on Mastering Stakeholder Communications

Matt Hodgson, CPA, CGA, along with a number of other financial leaders, will be speaking at CPA Ontario’s Innovation Leadership Accelerator, which kicks off in January 2026. You can learn more about the program.

For start-ups and scale–ups, communicating can be one of the most important – and intimidating – aspects of the job. Whether you're pitching an idea, delivering financials or navigating uncertainty, the way you communicate can make or break your momentum.

At the recent Elevate Festival in Toronto on October 9, Matt Hodgson, CPA, CGA delivered a session on how to effectively communicate with stakeholders. The session was a sneak-peak version of the lecture that he will be delivering for CPA Ontario’s Innovation Leadership Accelerator, kicking off in January 2026. The accelerator is designed to empower CPAs with the knowledge, exposure and experience they need to become future financial leaders of organizations that are driving innovation.

In addition to fundamentals like operations, finance and strategy, participants are led through sessions that cover how to raise capital, scale-up strategy, AI, and so much more. The interactive and intimate setting and access to some of the country’s most innovative thinkers make this a truly one-of-a-kind program.

“When I was coming up in my career, something like this would have been super valuable,” Matt says.

Matt, who began his career at EY, joined the online video-selling platform Vidyard in its very early days as the Chief Financial Officer. He has been with the company for over a decade, seeing it from the seed stage to a thriving company with over 300 employees, acting as its Chief Accounting Officer.

The CXO Responsibility

Matt says that knowing the expectations of the recipient is just as important as what is communicated.

Employees, customers, shareholders, and potential investors or lenders - want to hear from someone at the top – whether that be the CEO, the Founder, or anyone in the C-suite, or what Matt dubs ‘CXO’, or Chief X Officer. Leadership in these positions often have the most holistic view of the company and are who outside parties tend to trust the most.

Ultimately, the stakeholders want to hear from leadership at the highest level – it is their responsibility to provide visibility, clarity and direction. And they have to communicate the good and the bad, and often multiple times, he explains.

Tailoring the Message

Matt says it is crucial to know your audience – that while the message may be the same, depending on who you are speaking to, the delivery may need to be adjusted based on what they are more likely to respond to. Ultimately, the objective that you are trying to reach dictates how you communicate.

Regardless of the communication format, Matt points out two crucial things that need to be a part of every presentation.

You always have to be prepared for at least two questions [about your company]: ‘How’s it going’ and ‘Where is it going’. You have to be able to clearly communicate the current situation and where you aim to take the situation.

Things to Remember

Matt reminds us that you don’t need to communicate everything with everyone, and that you can be selective and intentional with what you share. He suggests balancing number-heavy decks with qualitative information and avoiding overloading with excessive charts as much as possible.

He recalls a helpful quote that a fellow CFO shared with him that helps shape his communication style.

When you are presenting a deck, first tell them what you are going to tell them. Then, tell them. Lastly, tell them what you just told them.

Overall, he says the most important aspect of communication is preparation. Knowing what you want to communicate, what action (if any) you are requesting from your audience, and speaking succinctly and clearly will increase your chances of getting your message across effectively – which is the ultimate goal.

Matt will dive deeper into these strategics with an extended version of this lecture as part of CPA Ontario’s Innovation Leadership Accelerator, kicking off in January 2026. You can learn more about the program, including the full list of speakers and past alumni stories.