Mike Polaha

Judge
DISC Type : Dc

SR VP, Global Managing Director - Financial Close Solutions at BlackLine

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Overview

Mike Polaha is a Senior Vice President and Global Managing Director at BlackLine, specializing in digital finance transformation. With a career spanning over 30 years, including a significant tenure at Johnson & Johnson, he is a recognized thought leader in leveraging technology and data to enhance finance operations. He holds both a Bachelors and an MBA from Lehigh University.

Outside of his corporate roles, Mike has a background in competitive sports, having been the captain of the mens basketball team at Lehigh University for three years. This experience shaped his passion for teamwork and leadership, which he applies to his professional life.

He is the only player in Lehigh University history to score over 1, 400 points while also achieving more than 400 rebounds and 400 assists.

Personality Overview

Fast But Wary

Quality Focused

Demanding

They do not care very much about building rapport or relationships.  They are less concerned about the product and more about its potential impact. They respond better to strong and respectful interactions.

Topics They Care About

Digital Finance Transformation
He is a recognized thought leader and frequent speaker on using digital technology to revolutionize corporate finance strategy and processes.
AI in Accounting
He has contributed to articles on the critical relationship between AI and enterprise data quality, and advocates for building AI-ready finance teams.
Data-Driven Decision Making
He emphasizes ensuring data is accurate and 'fit for purpose' to prevent 'citizen data scientists' from informing bad decisions quicker.

Media Appearances

Meet the SVP Finance Interview Series with Mike Polaha. Featured in BlackLine Blog

See Now

Work History

1-2024
SR VP, Global Managing Director - Financial Close Solutions at BlackLine
10-2021 - 11-2024
SR VP of Finance Solutions and Technology at BlackLine
5-2019 - 11-2024
Senior Vice President, Finance Solutions and Technology at Johnson & Johnson
6-2016 - 5-2019
Vice President, Finance Business Architect at Johnson & Johnson
5-2015 - 5-2016
Enterprise Finance Solution Integration Leader at Johnson & Johnson

Education

1987 - 1989
MBA from Lehigh University
1983 - 1987
Bachelor's degree from Lehigh University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 31 Location : Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : SR VP, Global Managing Director - Financial Close Solutions at BlackLine
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Insights For Selling To Mike

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Make sure that you circle back fast on any action items, it wins their trust
  • Hold your ground without indulging in one-upmanship
  • Help them weigh the risks by sharing objective proof points without becoming too analytical

DONT's

  • Do not back off when challenged, respond with a confident, objective answer instead
  • Do not hesitate from asking counter questions, just avoid challenging their authority
  • Don’t take too much time in sending them information if they ask for any

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Mike is

  • Conviction around the impact matters the most to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Mike

  • If they decide not to use your product, they will say no clearly.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Mike move?

  • If convinced, they can reach decisions quite fast.
  • Can Mike take some risk or not?

  • They do not shy away from taking risks, but can be quite binary about them.

You And Mike

Personality Compatibility


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