People

Richard Rolka

Chief Financial Officer

Richard  leads Vivaldi’s global operations, finance, and administration, where he has been central to shaping the firm’s One Vivaldi strategy and scaling its offerings worldwide. He is known for integrating numbers with strategy - balancing financial discipline with growth ambition, and operationalizing bold ideas into execution and value.

Richard personally led the building and deployment of an enterprise AI platform with 100+ agents to streamline delivery, finance, HR, and marketing workflows. That hands-on innovation now informs his work advising organizations on how to scale with speed, discipline, and creativity in an AI-driven landscape.

In addition to his finance and operational leadership, Richard has also overseen global sales and marketing, building a demand generation engine that drove Vivaldi’s growth across multiple markets. His ability to connect strategy, operations, and go-to-market execution has helped position the firm for long-term success.

A problem-solver and change agent, Richard combines the rigor required to manage global finance, administration and risk with the empathy and pragmatism needed to guide teams through change. A believer in servant leadership, he focuses on creating value for both clients and colleagues by leading with accountability, clarity, and purpose.

Over the course of his career, Richard has held senior roles in public accounting, global consulting, and startups, with expertise spanning finance, strategy, marketing, technology, and organizational change. Across every role, he has instilled a financial approach paired with a growth mindset to help businesses perform better.

Originally from Wolbrom, Poland, Richard now lives in Trumbull, Connecticut, with his wife, Ania, his son, John, and his daughters, Kayla and Ellie.

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Richard Rolka

Likes to talk about

  • Being a parent to kids growing up with social media
  • AI, AI, AI
  • Soccer (and kickball!)

Is reading or listening to

  • "The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business" by Patrick Lencioni
  • "Reshuffle: Who Wins When AI Restacks the Knowledge Economy" by Sangeet Paul Choudary
  • "Me, My Customer, and AI: The New Rules of Entrepreneurship" by Henrik Werdelin and Nicholas Thorne

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Richard’s leadership philosophy?

Richard is a servant leader who combines empathy with accountability. He builds high-performing global teams by simplifying complexity, instilling clarity, and fostering a culture of growth and innovation. His philosophy: lead by doing, create systems that empower others, and ensure every function contributes to the bigger purpose.

How can someone reach Richard directly?

Richard can be reached through Vivaldi’s New York headquarters or via his professional LinkedIn profile. He is open to conversations with executives, innovators, and leaders interested in brand strategy, innovation, AI adoption, and organizational transformation.

How does Vivaldi connect brand strategy and marketing to business growth and profitability?

Vivaldi links brand and marketing directly to economic value by treating them as growth drivers, not cost centers. The firm builds demand engines and market strategies that turn brand and innovation into measurable revenue, profitability, and long-term enterprise value.