CFO 4.0 - The Future of Finance

Send us your thoughtsJoining Hannah Munro on this week’s episode of the CFO 4.0 Podcast is Rajesh Gupta, CFO of OakNorth Bank! With a wealth of experience building and leading finance teams, Rajesh talks to Hannah about the challenges he’s faced when trying to grow a finance team in a volatile environment and a highly regulated industry.Also covered in this episode:How OakNorth does strategic planning wellBalancing the need for growth and talent in a start-upThe importance of hiring people who think differentlyWhat diversity in all its forms can bring to a finance teamRajesh’s top tips for new CFOsLinks mentioned in this episode:Connect with Rajesh Gupta on LinkedIn Explore OakNorth Bank’s website Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

Send us your thoughtsJoin Hannah Munro on the most recent Financial Transformation Live session as she shares practical tips and frameworks to think about before you tackle your next Financial Transformation project!The 5 areas Hannah dives into are:Have you understood the problem?Have you selected the right solution?Have you identified what good will look like?Have you engaged the team well?Have you resourced it properly?Links for this episode:Learn More about Financial TransformationFollow us on LinkedIn for our Live Sessions Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

Send us your thoughtsIn the latest episode of CFO 4.0, Hannah Munro talks to Mark Gandy, creator of the Financial Operating System and Host of the CFO Bookshelf podcast. A finance pioneer, Mark has worked in several finance positions during his career including Corporate Controller, VP of Finance, and CFO. Together Hannah and Mark talk about their shared interest in reading and discuss their book recommendations for finance this Summer. Also covered on this episode:Hannah & Mark’s favourite genre of booksWhy people in finance should embrace their creative sideMark’s top book recommendations for finance What books should CFOs be reading on their next beach holiday  What you can learn from narrative non-fiction booksLinks referenced in this episode:Mark Gandy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markagandy/ CFO Bookshelf: https://cfobookshelf.com/category/podcast/ Book mentioned in this episode:Barbarians at the gate - Bryan Burrough and John HelyarCrime & Punishment - Fyodor DostoevskyUncle Tom’s Cabin - Harriet Beecher StoweDrive – Daniel H. PinkA whole new mind – Daniel H. PinkReversing the slide – James SheinEndurance – Brian SandersThe great game of business - Bo Burlingham and Jack StackThe effective executive - Peter DruckerCEO: Building a $400 Million Company from the Ground Up – Sandra Kurtzig Open – Andre AgassiThe Wisdom of Finance - Mihir A. DesaiThe secret life of groceries - Benjamin LorrBoys in the boat - Benjamin LorrThe Warehouse – Rob HartGhost in the wires – Kevin MitnickWhy – Simon Sinek Atomic Habits – James ClearNudge – Richard ThalerOne minute manager - Ken Blanchard and Spencer JohnsonNoise – Cass R. Sunstein, Daniel Kahneman, and Olivier SibonyDeep work – Cal NewportSo good they can’t ignore you – Cal NewportAll change – the project leaders secret handbook - Eddie ObengThe living leader – Penny Ferguson  Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

Send us your thoughtsIn the latest episode of CFO 4.0, Hannah Munro talks to David Foreman, self-proclaimed 'worst accountant ever'. After dabbling in finance and investment banking, David realised his passion lay in helping founders build their businesses from the ground up and founded Praetura Group, specialists in lending and equity solutions for start-ups & SMEs. David runs the VCs group of Praetura Ventures.Also covered in this episode:What are VCs looking for in a CFO?What is currently happening in the world of VC funding?What are VCs looking for in a seed/series A company?Signs of a healthy CFO and founder relationshipWhy “No” now doesn’t mean “No” foreverHow to find the right VC for your organisationWhat in a finance function would make David walk away?Links referenced in this episode:Praetura Ventures: https://www.praeturaventures.com/ Praetura Ventures LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/praeturaventures/ David’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-foreman-praetura/  Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

Send us your thoughtsStartup CFO to COO – Funding, Scaling, and Recruiting in a startup world! In the latest episode of CFO 4.0, Hannah Munro talks to Sabrina Castiglione, Chief Operating Officer at Pento.She comes from a slightly unusual background for a CFO having studied chemistry at university, working in financial services for a number of years, and then got into the world of startups as a CFO at Tassie. During this session we cover: Hannah and Sabrina explore the differing needs of a business as it shifts from Seed to Series A and beyondWhat does life as a startup CFO look like?Making the shift to COO?What is the current landscape for funding?How has the economic climate changed what investors are looking for?People vs roles – what does recruitment in a startup look like? Links referenced in this episode:Pento https://www.pento.io/Sabrina’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scastiglione/ Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

Send us your thoughtsIn the latest episode of CFO 4.0, Hannah Munro talks to Darren Woods, CFO at Freedom Fibre about building the ideal finance team.Darren has a degree in Finance and Accounting in Portsmouth, over 20 years of experience working in finance including multiple CFO roles as well as a stint as a consultant helping other companies develop teams.Also covered on this episode:Darren’s passion for people and team developmentDoes finance invest enough in different skills?What are the potential skill gaps in finance teams?Finding the right balance of personalities and skills when recruiting in financeHow do you approach the assessment of skills and personal development to build the team that you want?Links referenced in this episode:Freedom Fibre: https://www.freedomfibre.com/Freedom Fibre LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freedomfibre/Darren’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-woods-4508a26/ Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

Send us your thoughtsIn the latest episode of CFO 4.0, Hannah Munro talks with Jon Gruda, who is the Assistant Professor of organisational behaviour at Maynooth University.Jon has a joint PhD in Management and Psychology and is currently researching the role of leadership; the relationship leaders have with their followers and what that means in regards to the changes in management. Also covered in this episode:Building and developing the right relationship between a leader and followerHow to set yourself up for success as a leader before you even start the roleWhat does a good relationship look like?The differences between a leader and a mentorWhat characteristics make a strong leader? Links referenced in this episode:National culture comparison by country: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/Leadership values by country: https://globeproject.com/results#countryJon Gruda’s university profile page: https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/people/jon-grudaJon’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jongruda/  Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

Send us your thoughtsWe all know that year-end is the time of year that most finance teams dread but surely we shouldn’t have to work late, avoid taking holidays or feel stressed out about it, it happens every year! So, we have a challenge for you - how about we make next year’s year-end the least stressful to date? Whilst it's fresh in your mind, join us on the newest FTL session as we unpick the factors that stress us out at year-end and put forward strategies to deal with them.Links for this episode:Learn More about Financial TransformationFollow us on LinkedIn for our Live Sessions Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

Send us your thoughtsIn the latest episode of CFO 4.0, Hannah Munro talks with Michael Ryan, the Founder and Managing Partner of Finance Transformation UK.  Michael is an independent transformation consultant who previously has worked for several large corporates including Argos and Whitbread and we discuss what it takes to do Financial Transformation well.  Also covered in this episode: Michael discusses his 25-year history with Financial Transformation The opinions on what is the secret sauce to success in terms of adoption What are the big mistakes found in transformation projects? The difference between Project Management and Program ManagementThe top tips for someone who wants to embark on a financial transformation projectLinks referenced in this episode: Michael’s Linkedin  Most recent issue of Finance Transformation Magazine  Finance Transformation Website  Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

Send us your thoughtsThe Redefined CFO - Sage's Latest Research - The latest and aptly named CFO 4.0 Report from Sage brings you the results from the latest study of global CFOs on how the role has developed. After the success of our joint panel at Accountex, we've invited Richard Moorin (Head of Finance, Sage) and Mark Jackson (VP of Medium, Sage) to discuss the findings on the podcast. This time the tables have turned and Mark takes over hosting the show whilst Richard and Hannah discuss the outputs. Topics covered in this week's episode include:The three personas that the Redefined CFOThe increasing importance of ESG and value-led financeSome interesting and unusual stats that came outIf you would like to learn more, listen to the podcast or download the report yourself, click here. Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!