This is the year the Baby Boomers start hitting retirement age, a milestone that has created concerns that corporations could lose large numbers of key executives with years of institutional experience and expertise. The profiles of this year's 40 Under 40 executives suggest that at least in their finance departments, companies can rely on a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm among younger executives. This list is inspirational, rather than definitive, and reflects suggestions from our subscribers and from treasury and finance professionals. The selection takes into account not only the executives' titles, the companies where they've worked and their responsibilities, but the contributions they have made. As always, our hats are off to these high achievers.
 

Stephanie Ade
37
Senior director, financial reporting & technical accounting
Jabil Circuit
Ade joined the $16 billion electronic product manufacturer in 2008 from PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she was an audit senior manager. Ade has worked closely with other units at Jabil on acquisitions, financings and the implementation of new accounting standards. She has a B.S. in business administration from Rider University.

 
Matthew Audette
37
CFO & EVP
E*Trade Financial
As E*Trade's corporate controller, Audette participated in the $2.3 billion online brokerage's 2009 recapitalization, and soon after he was promoted to CFO in late 2010, he led its $435 million debt refinancing. Before he became controller in 2005, he was controller and CFO of E*Trade Bank. Audette, who has a B.S. in accounting from Virginia Tech, started his career at KPMG. 
 

Jeffrey Brown
38
Senior EVP, finance & corporate planning
Ally Financial
Brown oversees finance, treasury and corporate strategy for the automotive financial services company with $179 billion in assets, formerly GMAC Financial. He joined GMAC in 2009 as corporate treasurer from Bank of America, where he also was treasurer. He has a B.S. in economics from Clemson and an executive M.B.A. from Queens University.