Stephen Obrien

Background

About Stephen Obrien

Senior Finance Leader and Chartered Accountant with 15+ years of international experience driving strategic, scalable, and compliant financial operations — primarily within the fast-paced tech industry. Currently serving as International Financial Controller for Pure Storage, I lead financial compliance across 30+ jurisdictions and oversee US GAAP close operations for all international entities. I also serve as a Board member for over 20 legal entities within the Pure Storage group. My background includes expertise in financial governance, strategy development, statutory compliance and operational excellence, refined through senior roles at industry leaders including Google. I have successfully built and led cross-functional teams, operationalized second-line assurance functions, streamlined operational processes for efficiency and governance purposes, and implemented global reporting frameworks to ensure transparency and resilience. I bring an efficiency mindset to finance, combining technical knowledge with pragmatic execution to improve systems, streamline processes, and deliver continuous improvement. A strong communicator and collaborative leader, I’m passionate about aligning finance with business partners to ensure strategic goals are met. Core Competencies- Strategic Financial Leadership - International Compliance & Governance (30+ countries)- US GAAP / IFRS close, including building Reporting Frameworks - Risk Management & Controls - Cross-functional Team Leadership - Strategic Planning - Process Optimization & Automation - Stakeholder Engagement & Communication