Putting the calm in CFO, with Tom Seymour Mead, SIGNAL

In this episode, Alice is joined by Tom Seymour Mead, CFO at SIGNAL, for a practical conversation on what it takes to run a high-performing finance function in private markets. Tom shares how his experience across institutional and leaner environments has shaped his view of “what good looks like”, why communication is the foundation of trust and influence, and how calmness under pressure becomes a real professional advantage.

They dig into decision-making with imperfect data, what actually creates pressure in a CFO role (and what does not), and how to build teams and operating models that scale as a firm grows.

Episode highlights

• Why “institutional grade” controls matter, and how to pursue that standard without losing speed and pragmatism.
• What makes a strong CFO beyond technical excellence: being a trusted adviser with a rounded commercial view.
• How decision-making changes with experience and why faster does not mean careless.
• The reality of imperfect data: how to make calls at 75% today vs 90% tomorrow, and why transparency matters.
• Where pressure really sits for CFOs: live, P&L-impacting decisions (cash, FX, transactions), not backwards-looking accounting.
• A simple routine for staying grounded during intense periods: carving out 15 minutes to triage what is non-negotiable, what can be delegated, and what can wait.
• Building trust and influence through over-communication, showing your workings, and bringing people into the “why”.
• How to develop a finance team in both growth phases (scalability, efficiencies) and slower phases (broader exposure, role rotation).
• Tom’s longest leadership lesson: remaining calm under pressure, and focusing on solutions first, debriefing the “why” later.
• Advice for next-gen leaders: step away from the detail to create capacity for higher-level work, and invest early in a strong network.