#28 – The Non-CFO, CFO: Executive Leadership, Acquisitions, and Serving 350 Million Users as Fandom’s CFO | Ed Lu

Ventured Growth with Hercules Capital

The gaming and platform industries are dynamic sectors at the intersection of technology and entertainment, constantly evolving to meet the demands of a global audience. In 2022, the revenue from the worldwide gaming market was approximately $347 billion.
Ed Lu, a seasoned executive with 23 years of financial and operational experience, has played a pivotal role in this landscape, dedicating thirteen years as the CFO at online gaming and platform companies. Ed is the current Chief Financial Officer at Fandom, the world’s largest gaming and entertainment community platform.
In this episode, Hercules Capital's Lesya Kulchenko and Ed Lu discuss Ed’s CFO experience within gaming and platform companies, top advice for new founders and aspiring CFOs in today’s business landscape, choosing between building, buying, and partnering, the key factors for successful acquisitions, when to pursue bargain opportunities, and much more.
Topics Include:

• Ed’s top priorities as a CFO in today’s business landscape
• Essential advice for emerging founders and aspiring CFOs
• Core values that led Ed to leadership
• The advice Ed gratefully avoided
• Choosing between building, buying, and partnering
• Key factors for successful acquisitions
• When companies should pursue bargain opportunities
• Factors outside of work that shape Ed as the “non-CFO CFO”
• And other topics…

----------
Ed Lu is a seasoned executive with 23 years of financial and operational experience and thirteen years as CFO at online gaming and platform companies. He is the current Chief Financial Officer at Fandom, the world’s largest gaming and entertainment community platform. During his tenure, Fandom has grown revenue by more than 3x, acquired three companies, and doubled its employee base to 500.
Before joining Fandom, Ed served as the CFO for Outpost Games and Machine Zone. His tenure at Machine Zone involved raising over $800 million in combined financings, overseeing revenue growth from $8 million to $1.7 billion, and scaling the company from 30 to 1000+ employees. In his free time, he also enjoys serving as a strategic advisor for other digital gaming companies.
Resources Mentioned:
“Top 10 Start-Up Tips for Founders,” by Ed Lu: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6998677341623267328/