In this insightful episode of Beyond the Ledger, I sit down with Sandra Fendley, Executive Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, whose career journey proves that leadership is built on integrity, consistency, and investing in people.
Sandra shares how a non-traditional start to her career — returning to college after already being married with children — led to a remarkable path through the energy industry, including leadership roles at major organizations and helping build accounting operations from the ground up.
But what truly stands out about Sandra isn’t just her technical expertise — it’s her deep commitment to mentoring, developing teams, and creating environments where people thrive.
If you’re wondering how to build a meaningful career, lead teams effectively, or grow into executive leadership without chasing titles, this conversation breaks it all down with honesty, wisdom, and real-world experience.
🎧 Whether you’re an accounting professional, finance leader, people manager, or early in your career, you’ll walk away with practical leadership lessons you can apply immediately.
👉 Topics include:
• Why doing high-quality work consistently still matters
• How investing in people builds stronger teams
• The leadership lesson behind having hard conversations
• Why chasing titles and pay raises can backfire
• Building an accounting function from the ground up
• The power of curiosity in career growth
• Why staying curious creates long-term career success
🎯 Key Quote:
“Chasing money will never satisfy you. Find a place where you enjoy the people you work with and the work you do.”
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Why Leadership Is About Investing in People
01:10 – Sandra’s Non-Traditional Start in Accounting
03:30 – Discovering Accounting Later in Life
06:10 – Building a Career Through Reputation and Relationships
09:40 – Lessons from 15 Years at TXU
12:30 – Moving Into Highly Technical Accounting Roles
15:20 – The Importance of Mentoring and Teaching Teams
18:30 – Why Leaders Must Have Hard Conversations
21:10 – Building an Accounting Function From Scratch
23:45 – Why Chasing Titles Isn’t the Answer
25:40 – The Power of Curiosity in Career Growth
Subscribe for more leadership conversations that go far beyond the numbers.
👉 Listen the full episode here:
Apple
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stop-chasing-titles-build-a-career-that-matters-from-a-cao/id1843448325?i=1000754649991
Spotify
Connect with us:
Sandra Fendley on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-fendley-2744a813/
Vaquero Midstream on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/vaquero-midstream/
Vaquero Midstream Website
Troy Ashby on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyashby/
Troy Knows Talent Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/troyknowstalent/
Troy Knows Talent Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/troyknowstalent/
