Chat CFO
Chat CFO gives you insight from the people behind the numbers. Finance leaders who’ve had to make tough calls, rethink their role, and learn by doing.
You’ll hear directly from the CFOs, COOs, and CEOs behind some of the most meaningful business decisions in recent years. Listen to honest conversations from leaders about what worked, what didn't, and what it really takes to lead when it matters most.
The Chat CFO podcast will help you to learn:
- How modern CFOs are adapting to AI, regulation, and risk
- Why culture, sustainability, and global growth sit firmly in the finance seat
- The impact of the personal decisions and turning points that shaped lasting careers
If you’re a CFO, a future CEO, or a finance leader who’s thinking bigger, Chat CFO gives you the thinking, the scars, and the clarity to move forward with purpose.
Bold Moves. Big Impact.
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Chat CFO is a STOIX podcast, produced in partnership with Unity Advisory.
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Episodes
29 episodes
The CFO to CEO Shift Nobody Tells You About
Simon Loveridge stepped into the CEO seat at Rafter Group, a PE-backed self-storage business operating across five European markets, after joining as CFO. The insight at the heart of his transition: as CFO, you're judged on being right. As CEO,...
How This CFO Sold LoveFilm to Amazon
Jim Buckle has spent 25 years building a CFO career that defies the obvious path. He started at KPMG, moved to the BBC, then Dell, ran a startup that collapsed in six months, turned around Property Finder, and eventually sold LoveFilm to Amazon...
3 Things No One Tells You About a PE Exit as CFO
Exit readiness is not a six-week project. Dominic Wilkinson, CFO of Team Sport, the UK's largest indoor go-karting brand, shares what it actually takes to be PE-backed and exit-ready at the same time, why due diligence rewards the data-driven, ...
What Makes a Great PE-Backed CFO? 2 Veterans Answer
Everybody wants to be a CFO. Almost nobody is prepared for what the job actually demands.Alex Gersh has led a Nasdaq IPO at Sportradar, the merger of Betfair and Paddy Power, and the £2.7 billion sale of Evelyn Partners to NatWes...
What Private Equity Actually Expects From Its CFO
Victoria Bell has led finance functions through growth, turnaround, and exit across some of Europe's most demanding private equity environments. She is direct about the role in a way that most people in it are not.In this episode, Victor...
How to Exit Without A Playbook | Stephen Loftus, CEO of Wattbike
If there is no playbook, how confident are you in running the business while preparing to sell it at the same time? Trade sales are often described as a process. In reality, they are a test of judgement. Leaders are expected to keep...
AI born beats AI retrofitted
What does it take to build a business where AI enhances human expertise?In this episode, Pippa Dussuyer and Dean Farthing of Unity Advisory discuss how they helped build a firm designed to grow with AI from day one.For most busine...
Is ERP Dead? | with Gareth Bennett & John Ashworth
Why do ERP programmes feel so painful, even when they are meant to make things better?In this episode of Chat CFO, we sit down with Gareth Bennett, Finance Transformation Lead at News UK, and John Ashworth, Finance Transformatio...
CFO of a national sport. What's it really like? | Nimesh Kataria, CFO at the ECB
What does it really mean to be the CFO of a national sport, where decisions are public and trade offs are unavoidable?In this episode of Chat CFO, we sit down with Nimesh Kataria, CFO at the England and Wales Cricket Board, to talk abou...
How I took a $25M brand through an impossible IPO with Mark Buckley
In this episode of Chat CFO, we sit down with Mark Buckley, former CEO of Perfect Moment, to talk through what it takes to get a business listed on the New York Stock Exchange.Mark shares the full story behind taking a loss-making, priv...
Capital discipline vs growth ambition, the daily fight of a fintech CFO | Benyam Hagos, CFO at Form3
In this episode of Chat CFO, Benyam Hagos, CFO at Form3, explains how a CFO in a FinTech needs to think and act more like a commercial partner than a traditional finance lead. He talks about shaping the story of the business for in...
From start-up CFO to £100m finance function and a 9-figure exit | Insights from Tom Platford
In this episode of Chat CFO, Tom Platford, fractional CFO to early-stage startups, shares his journey on scaling SuperAwesome from Series A to exit, and what he learned along the way.Tom reflects on the toughest moments of his journey, ...
The untold truth about hiring in the age of AI | Jenny Collins, Head of Talent at Faraday Partners
What happens when someone who scaled technical hiring at Google starts rethinking what good leadership looks like in private equity?In this episode of Chat CFO, Jenny Collins, Head of Talent at Faraday Partners and former Google and PE ...
The secrets of surviving leadership chaos with Shonagh Primrose, COO at Wylde Market
What happens when a bold COO questions how conscious consumerism really works?In this episode, Shonagh Primrose, Chief Operating Officer at Wylde Market, rips apart the rules of growth and reveals how to build a purpose-led platform wit...
Redefining the Route to CFO with Katie Brewis
What does it really take to lead finance in one of the world’s most fast-paced and complex tech companies without following the traditional path?In this episode, Katie Brewis, Strategy & Commercial Finance Director at Google, shares...
From Piano Lessons to CFO: Vineta's No-BS Route to the Top Job - Lessons from Vineta Bajaj
Vineta Bajaj didn’t follow a traditional path to the top – and she’s not shy about saying so.Now Group CFO at Rohlik Group, Vineta shares the unfiltered story behind her rise, from teaching piano and side-trading during uni, to leading ...
Leadership, exit strategy & building high-impact teams - Lessons from Stephan Burow
What does it really take to lead a private equity-backed business through growth, exit, and transformation while staying true to your leadership style?In this episode, Stephan Burow, CFO at Lintbells, shares his journey from Unilever to...
🎙️ From Coca-Cola to AI: How Finance Leaders Can Harness Data for Growth
AI is transforming finance—but how do you cut through the noise and turn data into real impact?In this episode, Rosanne Werner, CEO of XcelerateIQ, shares her journey from Deloitte to driving data-led transformation at Coca-Cola Europac...
🎙️ If Glastonbury and Amazon had a Baby! Lessons from Dominique Highfield
How does a CFO successfully balance career and motherhood? 🤘 Dominique Highfield of Bloom & Wild shares her insights.From building strong support systems to embracing sel...
🚀 From Café to E-Commerce Powerhouse: Lessons from Grind Coffee’s Dan Sherfield 🌍
What a fantastic episode this was! Dan Sherfield, former Head of Finance for Psycle and current CFO of Grind | Certified B Corp, takes us behind the scenes of his nine-year journey transforming a local café chain into an e-commerce...
From Jellybean-wrapping to Corporate Finance: Mary Corrie
We had a lot of fun recording this episode with Mary C., former Managing Director and former Chief Financial Officer at JustPark! With over a decade of diverse financial experience, M...
From Sports to C-Suite: Building Resilience and Leadership with Mark Foster
Well, this is a unique journey—swapping an outstanding sports career for chartered accountancy. 🏉In this episode, we sit down with Mark Foster, former SVP of LIV Golf, and a...
Law, Finance & Sustainability: Aurore Gil's Inspiring Journey
Law, Finance & Sustainability: Aurore Gil's Inspiring Journey 📖Studied law and finance, then earned her stripes at business school in Paris, and built a remarkable 14-year career in M&A at UBS - all while starting a family.<...
The Journey of a Commercial CFO: Mickey Kalifa's Insights
Growing up in South East London in the 70s and experiencing overt racism and hatred having been born in Bombay and moving to the UK aged 2.........A chip on his shoulder, or a flame to get to the top of Finance? 🔥Getting lucky. ...
Taking Chances: Success, Failure, and the Art of Hiring with Alex Gersh
We’re very excited to welcome Alex Gersh, most recently, Chief Financial Officer at Paysafe (NYSE: PSFE), ex-CFO PaddyPowerBetfair (now Flutter Entertainment) and before, CFO at Sportradar Group to the latest episode of The STOIX Podcast! With ...
