The Business Record has named Erin Kuhl, chief financial officer and chief of staff at Krause Group, as the 2024 Deloitte CFO of the Year.

The award serves to honor an individual for outstanding performance in their role as a corporate financial steward.

Shannon Cofield, president at MercyOne Des Moines Foundation; Renee Hardman, president and founder of Hardman Consulting; and Tessie Johnson, office managing partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, nominated Kuhl for the award.

“What I appreciate most about Erin is her comprehensive and strategic financial acumen, her thoughtfulness to details and her genuine interest in adding value to whomever she serves,” Hardman wrote in a letter nominating Kuhl. “Sometimes we get caught up thinking CFOs are all about the numbers; while important, Erin realizes that it is really all about the people. Without people and resources, there is no organization.”

Kuhl has worked with Krause Group since 2019, first serving as chief financial officer of Kum & Go before becoming chief financial officer of Krause Group in 2021 and chief of staff in 2023. Before joining Krause Group, Kuhl worked in various roles for Athene between 2010-2019, including vice president controller and treasurer, director of financial reporting, manager of accounting policy and transaction support, and project accounting consultant. She also previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Kuhl’s community involvement includes serving as a board member of the finance committee and executive committee for Oakridge Neighborhood since 2020; a board member of the executive committee for MercyOne Foundation since 2019; and in various roles with United Way of Central Iowa since 2017. She has also previously been involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa, the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute, Winefest Des Moines and DSM Financial Executives Women. She was also a member of the 2020 Business Record Forty Under 40 class.

Kuhl will receive the 2024 Deloitte CFO of the Year Award during the Business Record’s annual Economic Forecast on Jan. 24 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. Tickets to the event are available here.

Past honorees:

• 2023 – Steve Boal – Accumold
• 2022 – Michael Skokan – Hy-Vee
• 2021 – Karla Jones-Weber – Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines
• 2020 – Tammi Guldenpfennig – Kemin Inc.
• 2019 – Joe Ceryanec – Meredith Corp.
• 2018 – Kirk Irwin – Greater Des Moines Partnership
• 2017 – Diane Bridgewater – LCS
• 2016 – David Brown – Wellmark
• 2015 – Jim Weber – Hubbell Realty Co.
• 2014 – Terry Lillis – Principal Financial Group Inc.
• 2013 – Doug Gulling – West Bancorporation