Episodes

https://open.spotify.com/episode/55cBmmBgaKb7MGUsUgPtNT In this GrowCFO Show episode, Kevin Appleby sits down with Jeremy Earnshaw, GrowCFO Mentor, to unpack one of the most painful but instructive topics in corporate life. Rather than celebrating a headline-grabbing success, Jeremy walks through a deal that went badly wrong—financially, culturally, and strategically. The episode emphasizes why leaders often learn far more from failures than from smooth, textbook transactions, and why understan...

https://open.spotify.com/episode/29EE2Ec32RWQKNVvVj2U8d In this episode of The GrowCFO Show, host Kevin Appleby, together with Michael Pytel, Technology Leader & Director at VASS, underscores why AI is now a board-level issue for finance leaders: decisions made today about platforms, data, and governance will shape an organization’s risk profile and competitive position for years to come. They frame AI not as a shiny add‑on but as an infrastructure-and-controls question that sits squarely in th...

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0tIFk3EkP63wzKxWBPJUeD In episode 279, Kevin Appleby and GrowCFO mentor Susana Serrano‑Davey explore a critical question for modern finance leaders: whether the rapid rise of AI is enhancing or eroding the strategic role of the CFO. They frame AI as both an incredibly powerful assistant and a potential threat to originality, judgment, and confidence if used uncritically. Throughout the conversation, they examine how tools like ChatGPT and other AI solutions are ...

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0OACVC3ORVz0myWlYqkdz1 Stepping into a first CFO role is rarely a smooth promotion from finance manager to “bigger calculator.” In this GrowCFO episode, host Kevin Appleby speaks with Ian Goodkind, Chief Financial Officer at Smarsh, about the often‑overlooked capabilities that determine whether a new CFO becomes a true strategic leader or struggles with imposter syndrome. The conversation underscores how the modern CFO role has shifted from pure financial stewar...

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6VmtDMkbdfGLsDqQacuPGi This episode of The GrowCFO Show brings together David Tuck, Founder of Mayday and CFO Tech Stack, and Kate Hayward, Managing Director UK at Xero, to challenge one of the biggest assumptions in mid-market finance: that fast-growing businesses must eventually abandon Xero for a larger ERP. Drawing on real-world data from the State of the Stack report and the CFO Tech Stack community, they demonstrate how finance teams are successfully scali...

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5viwKl2fFV1BFDZGyag2rN In episode 276 of the GrowCFO Show, host Kevin Appleby is joined by Howard Francioni, Lead Auditor at Akton Boundrie Group, to explore why information security has become a core responsibility for today’s CFO. The conversation frames cyber risk not just as an IT problem but as a strategic, financial, and reputational threat that CFOs must own. Using high‑profile breaches such as Jaguar Land Rover and others, Kevin and Howard illustrate how...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_IZQTzJDcg https://open.spotify.com/episode/54mrNA8HZaZWRvpS5wniw5 In this episode, host Kevin Appleby is joined by Gavin McGahey, CTO and Co‑Founder of AccountsIQ, to explore one of the most pressing questions facing finance leaders today: how to choose between shiny “AI‑native” tools and proven finance platforms. The conversation sets out why finance data, controls, and auditability demand a higher bar than generic AI adoption, and why CFOs cannot afford to g...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niLFK8PzZfA https://open.spotify.com/episode/2k0Q4tIQThBIQZ5cCfz5nq In today’s M&A landscape, the businesses that achieve premium valuations are rarely those with the best numbers alone. They are the ones with brands that command trust, preference, and pricing power. Yet, brand equity is still one of the least understood and least quantified assets in most deals, often buried in a vague goodwill line and ignored in negotiation. For CFOs, founders, and deal profe...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzUbogTP12A https://open.spotify.com/episode/5adKQ9IEs8J3Y9kTHp4NBd In today’s capital-constrained and AI-accelerated economy, company valuation is no longer just an exit consideration, it is a strategic priority. Investors, lenders, and strategic partners are increasingly assessing businesses not only on financial performance but on scalability, defensibility, and global potential. For modern finance leaders, valuation has become a continuous process rather tha...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPIiggRPhGU https://open.spotify.com/show/7yTcgGvYdcXPxz2HbvgB2H The transition from Finance Leader to Chief Financial Officer is one of the most significant and demanding career moves in finance. While technical excellence, financial control, and operational discipline form a strong foundation, stepping into the CFO role requires a fundamental shift in mindset. It is not simply a promotion—it is a move from managing finance to leading the enterprise. The CFO be...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLJhHDOeYoc https://open.spotify.com/episode/05kTRvPnWeF66oWELGTfsm Access to capital is no longer cheap or guaranteed. Companies that once grew by “buying” growth with aggressive spend are now being forced to prove they can scale in a way that’s sustainable, repeatable, and cash‑efficient. Kevin Appleby sits down with Manu Diwakar, Chief Financial Officer at Virta Health, to unpack how high‑growth companies can scale aggressively without setting fire to their ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyAXw591D6s https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Ci2KM7yh8NDxeX6Zr6QPf In this episode, Kevin Appleby speaks with GrowCFO Mentor Alan Scholnick, a finance leader with over 30 years’ experience at IKEA, to explore why so many newly appointed CFOs struggle with imposter syndrome and feelings of fraudulence. Drawing on his journey from accounting roles to VP of Finance and later into executive coaching, Alan explains how the leap into the CFO role magnifies expectatio...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i6KEoQt1PQ https://open.spotify.com/episode/31OO5n3ePbBErPCklIhUim For modern finance leaders, staying offline is no longer a neutral choice. In an environment where boards, CEOs, and recruiters routinely research candidates before they ever meet them, a CFO’s digital presence has become a critical part of their professional reputation. This episode explores why even the most technically strong CFOs risk being overlooked if their expertise is invisible online—a...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF8e-rMB7So https://open.spotify.com/episode/3kYIPViq648aqBM8MzHlcM Scaling quickly is every growth company’s dream, but it’s also the phase where finance is under the greatest threat. Rapid headcount expansion, evolving pricing, complex contracts, and rising investor expectations all hit at once—and every weakness in your finance stack is amplified. Understanding why this phase is so dangerous, and how to design the right controls, systems, and billing infrastr...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnQ5K1BNAl8 https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Rtn6WPqsCzQmMDOZOSnmV Nonprofit finance often lags behind its for-profit counterpart due to structural funding constraints, donor reporting requirements, and historical expectations of finance as a back-office cost center rather than a strategy partner. This episode examines why nonprofit financial leadership is perceived to be about a decade behind and outlines concrete ways to modernize the CFO role—shifting from r...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jWsLnnmcjA https://open.spotify.com/episode/0eoBcoM5gpdCjP3muHxCrQ In an era where CFOs are central to shaping valuation narratives, the “data cube” has emerged as a strategic edge. By unifying finance, commercial, and operational data into a single source of truth, CFOs can evidence revenue quality, retention, and growth levers with precision—thereby strengthening diligence readiness and elevating enterprise value. This episode unpacks how a robust data cube t...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUuZyQZl1bI https://open.spotify.com/episode/7mFdcXjDTwb48H7AwuptDP In this episode, Kevin Appleby hosts Acterys leaders Eric Reyhle (SVP Global Alliances) and Manuel Marcos (Regional Director EMEA/LATAM) to explore 2026: The Six Defining Challenges for the Office of the CFO. The conversation opens by underscoring why 2026 is a pivotal inflection point: the convergence of mature enterprise data platforms (e.g., Microsoft Fabric), governed data foundations, and p...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag1fw0H2rwU https://open.spotify.com/episode/33PbwJ8JaoPUFiqjijSl10 In this episode, Kevin Appleby hosts GrowCFO Mentor Lee‑Wen Chan to explore the confidence blueprint every new CFO needs. Drawing on a 40-year trans-Pacific career spanning Deloitte Taiwan, FedEx, and ultimately a history-making CFO appointment at NTT Communications, Lee‑Wen distills how new finance leaders can build durable confidence, overcome imposter syndrome, and translate financials into b...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj4Io4us81k https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qgEZZxdGgOTL9SqbWsxIH Stepping into the CFO seat concentrates pressure, confidentiality, and ambiguity—often without a true peer group. In this episode, GrowCFO Mentor Andrew Tapson joins host Kevin Appleby to unpack why first-time CFOs experience isolation and how to build the scaffolding that restores clarity and confidence. Tapson explains how the role’s breadth, the need to “translate” across functions, and the l...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6TdUunLask https://open.spotify.com/episode/0a1JMPvXGUGhD6A8gC7E8m Influence is earned long before numbers hit the board pack. In this episode, Catherine Clark, GrowCFO Mentor, reframes influence as the practical outcome of deliberate connection. She and host Kevin Appleby unpack how remote and hybrid work have thinned everyday rapport, making it harder for finance leaders to shape decisions, mobilize teams, and retain talent. Their premise is simple: influence...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQXCNMM0zws https://open.spotify.com/episode/3XGL5Kr61RdspPniU8FD0B The transition to a CFO role is one of the most demanding steps in a finance leader’s career. Many newly appointed CFOs face overwhelming challenges, from building board relationships to reshaping organizational strategy, often leading to missteps and a sense of isolation. Recognizing these hurdles, this episode underscores the need for experienced guidance in the early days of CFO leadership. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pQsPAurZ5E https://open.spotify.com/episode/56xLS3vYYYDi3bsssHeBfq Understanding how to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for rapid returns has become essential for today’s finance leaders. While many organizations invest in AI, few manage to achieve tangible value quickly. This episode tackles a critical strategic challenge: how CFOs and finance teams can deliver measurable ROI from AI initiatives within just 30 days—a key success factor for staying compet...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGwhmpyXA-U https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Lv2wr2B8h40VtL9K2oWH9 As AI transforms the business landscape, finance leaders are seeking practical examples of true value creation—not just hype. In this episode, Marco Torrente, Interim Group CFO at Bakuun Holdings, joins host Kevin Appleby to share real financial transformation lessons from the front lines. Marco’s candid reflections move beyond generic AI discussions to pinpoint what actually saves money, emphas...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ4_Fr3a07Y https://open.spotify.com/episode/1FpRXhcwICZELr5lwHBodV In this episode, host Kevin Appleby speaks with Andrea Hecht, Chief Financial Officer at CSAA Insurance Group, to explore the realities of leading finance within a member-owned insurance organisation. The conversation traces Andrea’s professional evolution—from a Midwest-based controller with a public-accounting background to a strategic CFO steering one of the nation’s major property and casual...