Articles by Russ Banham

Having helped Costco Wholesale raise Series A funding in 1985, former investment banker Richard Galanti was asked to become the CFO of the discount big box retailer, which...

Like other retail CFOs, Scott Settersten at Ulta Beauty had never come across a more formidable foe than Covid-19. The difference is that Ulta Beauty survived to tell the tale, its entire fleet of 1,254 stores intact and reopened for business. A different fate befell many other large retailers, including...

In mid-March, retail cosmetics shop Ulta Beauty closed all 1,254 stores and CFO Scott Settersten and his 200-person finance team, like much of the country, became remote workers overnight. Settersten characterizes it as...

When is a Black Swan really a Lame Duck in disguise? The question seems pertinent following the news reporting on COVID-19, the pathogen associated with the coronavirus outbreak. For weeks...