Jim Berry

As senior vice president and CFO, Jim serves as a key senior leader in the areas of finance, accounting, investments, compliance, risk management, technology, and property & facilities, and oversees the work of the staff members who support these functions.

As a member of CFT’s executive leadership team, Jim supports operational decision-making, strategic planning and evaluation and works closely with the Board of Trustees and committees, including finance & audit, investments, and more.

In collaboration with CFT’s president and CEO, Jim is responsible for planning, developing, organizing, implementing, directing, and evaluating the organization’s fiscal and administrative function and performance. He and his teams provide timely analysis of budgets, financial reports, and financial trends to assist the Board of Trustees and CEO in strategy development and decision-making. He also works to align financial management with operational goals and results tied to performance.

Jim is a seasoned financial executive who brings deep and diverse experience to this important role at CFT including business development, strategic planning, financial planning and control, change management, and risk management. He has spent more than three decades working in finance, administration, IT and strategy in the real estate, restaurant and hospitality, media, and staffing industries.

Prior to joining CFT, Jim was the CFO for global real estate developer Harwood International, well-known locally for transforming the Uptown Dallas neighborhood. While at Harwood International, Jim was responsible for planning, managing, and controlling all financial-related activities for the company and participating in business development efforts. Prior to Harwood International, Jim was CFO of Snelling and Vasari LLC and held leadership roles of increasing responsibility at Belo Corporation, Burger King, and McDonald’s.

A Certified Public Accountant, Jim began his career in the assurance practices of global accountancies PricewaterhouseCoopers and Grant Thornton.

Jim holds a bachelor’s in commerce from Washington & Lee University and a Master of Business Administration from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.

Jim is a proud life-long resident of Dallas.