When Deanna Gillett was named one of the Kansas City Business Journal's CFOs of the Year, her first reaction wasn't about the title. It was about who put her name forward.
"Being nominated by someone from the Kansas City business community is a great honor in and of itself," Gillett said. "It's affirmation that Wachter is contributing to the growth of the great businesses in this metro, and confirmation that my hard work over the years is paying off, not just for the company, but hopefully for the business community as well."
It's a fitting reflection point for a CFO who treats finance as more than a back-office function. For Gillett, the numbers are never just numbers. They're a story, a strategy, and a responsibility to the people around her.
Ask Gillett what shaped her leadership style most, and she doesn't point to a boardroom win. She points to the early days of COVID-19, when her accounting team scattered to their homes and had to figure out how to stay connected.
"We became more of a cohesive team, even though we weren't physically together," she said. "Communication became more important. We had more team meetings, and active listening became critical, not just for finance, but across the senior leadership team, to make sure we were making the right decisions each step of the way."
That period, she said, forced a level of transparency that paid off well beyond the pandemic itself, honest updates that kept teams grounded and focused. The result was a leadership team that came out closer and more resilient, a dynamic she's carried into how Wachter manages growth since.
Wachter's growth hasn't slowed, and Gillett is candid about what it takes to fund that growth responsibly: reinvesting profits back into the company rather than pulling them out, and keeping a healthy cash cushion.
"I always joke about squirreling away money for a rainy day," she said. "Developing strong relationships with your business partners through full transparency means that when you need additional capital, they're there to support you."
That same discipline shapes how she thinks about innovation, including AI. "It could be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing with it," she said. "We're building policy and training people on what they can, and shouldn't, do with it." The goal is to automate internal processes and surface trends earlier through data analytics, growing in size and scale while maintaining the current workforce and keeping spending limits and margins in check.
If there's one thing Gillett wishes more business leaders understood about finance, it's this: profit doesn’t equal cash flow.
"Accounting typically records revenue on the books before an invoice even goes out the door," she said. "That invoice still needs to be issued quickly, as the work is completed, to actually receive the cash. You can have all the revenue and profit in the world on paper, but I still need cash to come in the door to operate the business."
Gillett's approach to managing people evolved through experience, not instinct. "I've found that true success comes from coaching, listening closely, and building trust," she said. "Teach them to fish instead of giving them a fish, and empower them." It shows in her team's tenure, which now averages more than ten years.
That philosophy traces back to her own mentor, Ed Page, the managing partner at the accounting firm where she worked early in her career before joining Wachter. "He always stressed collaboration, hard work, dedication, and perseverance," Gillett said. "At the time, I thought he was a tough cookie to work for. Looking back now, I truly appreciate everything he did for my career."
Gillett works in an industry, physical security, and a function, finance, that remain largely male-dominated at the top, even as her own accounting team at Wachter is heavily female. Her advice to women coming up in their careers: don't let perfection be your downfall, play to your strengths, seek out mentors who will advocate for your promotion, and be that mentor for others. Raise your hand for high visibility projects, and set firm boundaries to protect your work-life balance.
That last one, she admits, with a laugh, is the one she struggles with most. "Wachter has always felt like family to me. My work-life balance kind of blurs. But family is definitely important, and it's something I'd tell anyone earlier in their career to protect."
For all the metrics she tracks, Gillett measures her own success a little differently. "My husband has always told me I'm truly blessed, because if you truly enjoy what you do, then it does not feel like work so much," she said. "It's never a dull moment at Wachter, and that's what makes it exciting. I truly enjoy what I do, and the day just goes by."
It's that combination of financial discipline and genuine investment in people that the Kansas City Business Journal recognized this year, and the same combination Gillett credits for helping Wachter grow while staying grounded and focused.
Congratulations to Deanna Gillett on being named a 2026 Kansas City Business Journal CFO of the Year.
Pictured: Deanna Gillett with Wachter CEO, Brian Sloan