Episodes

#209 Upskilling for Tomorrow: The Advisory-Driven Evolution of Accounting with Roger Knecht https://open.spotify.com/episode/2k4TLteEXRIcFInGhqfaJX As the accounting profession navigates the shifting landscape of compliance-driven services and the growing demand for strategic advisory, the need for upskilling has become paramount. Roger Knecht, the President of Universal Accounting and host of the “Building the Premier Accounting Firm” podcast, shares his insights on this critical transformati...

#208 Preventing ERP Project Failures: The Critical Role of Digital Adoption Platforms with Krishna Dunthoori https://open.spotify.com/episode/24N3pSvN3DJjXBCCQ3r4aO Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are mission-critical investments for large organizations, yet studies show that over 50% of ERP implementations fail to deliver the expected benefits. This staggering failure rate represents a significant waste of resources and a missed opportunity for companies to streamline operations an...

#207 Authentic Personal Branding: Empowering Finance Professionals to Lead with Confidence with Susana Serrano-Davey Cultivating a strong personal brand is essential for finance leaders seeking to maximize their impact and fulfilment in the workplace. In this insightful discussion, GrowCFO Mentor Susana Serrano-Davey shares her expertise on how finance professionals can unlock greater confidence and career satisfaction by embracing their authentic selves. Susana emphasizes that personal brandi...

#206 Designing a Happier Career in Finance: Unlocking Your Superpowers with Lucia Knight https://open.spotify.com/episode/5tlIj233qNruLyGk2rUbZA Designing a happier, more fulfilling career is a critical concern for finance professionals navigating the challenges of linear career paths and feeling stuck in mid-level roles. In this episode, Lucia Knight, a Midlife Career Design Consultant and Co-Creator of The Fierce Emporium, shares her expertise on how finance leaders can intentionally craft c...

#205 Amplify your personal and social impact with Catherine Marks and Alice Clementi https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NTyMBWk0soOQsDm1yYhYg Amplifying personal and social impact is a crucial aspect of effective leadership in today’s business landscape. In this episode of The GrowCFO Show, host Kevin Appleby delves into this topic with two esteemed guests: Catherine Marks, Finance Team Training Director, GrowCFO, and Alice Clementi, Co-Founder of Charterpath. The discussion centers around the ...

#204 Powering the Future: Finance’s Role in the Energy Transition with Nicolas Payen https://open.spotify.com/episode/3mVyLN3O1EEfDpiyFMm8UQ In this episode of the Grow CFO Show, host Kevin Appleby welcomes Nicolas Payen, the former CEO of Positive Energy Ltd, a climate FinTech company focused on renewable energy project financing. Payen brings a wealth of experience from his 15-year career in the energy industry, including his time at Schneider Electric, where he led an innovative IoT startup...

#203 Counting More Than Cash: Can CFOs Handle Human Value? with Arjan Udding and Werner Schouten https://open.spotify.com/episode/4XDwgSdG36iRyx8uhedCK4 In this episode of the GrowCFO Show, host Kevin Appleby engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Arjan Udding, Director Impact Institute, and Werner Schouten, Director Impact Economy Foundation. The conversation centres around the evolving role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in the realm of sustainability. The guests make a compel...

#202 How Does Corporate Legal Finance Work? with Jordan Licht https://open.spotify.com/episode/7gxFduDodLzWwcUMKr0rpV?si=nKOiLbeOT1m-TXDZ1wf7Xw In this episode of the Grow CFO Show, host Kevin Appleby sits down with Jordan Licht, the CFO of Burford Capital, to discuss the fascinating world of legal fundraising and litigation finance. Jordan Licht’s career journey to becoming the CFO at Burford Capital is an interesting one. He transitioned from a 15-year background in investment banking and c...

#201 What Does a Best in Class Finance Team Look Like? with Sharon Barber-Lui, US CFO, Teva Pharmaceuticals https://open.spotify.com/episode/0VINqaQdff5glvnpFNcKm4 What Does a Best-in-Class Finance Team Look Like in Practice? In this episode of The GrowCFO Show, Sharon Barber-Lui, US CFO at Teva Pharmaceuticals, shares what it takes to lead a top-tier finance team. From building trust and a shared sense of purpose to embedding AI and predictive analytics, she reveals the strategies behind man...

#200 The Profit-Boosting Power of Experiential Learning with Dan Wells https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ruJsTVOQGKn5VoiNSXXM4 In this landmark 200th episode of The GrowCFO Show, hosts Kevin Appleby and Dan Wells celebrate a remarkable journey that began in August 2020. Over the years, the podcast has grown into a key resource for finance professionals worldwide. This special episode not only reflects on the show’s development but also reveals the launch of GrowCFO Premium and its innovative a...

#199 How Do You Become CFO Ready? with Andrew Waters https://open.spotify.com/episode/1VgwKOgwM8Nf6gh90BXo6z In this insightful episode, Kevin Appleby sits down with Andrew Waters, the esteemed co-founder of Zanda, to delve into the dynamic evolution of the Chief Financial Officer’s role over the past four years. As businesses navigate a post-lockdown world, the conversation reveals how CFOs have transitioned from a focus on transformation to leading the charge in sustainable growth and effici...

#198 How to Communicate with Confidence with Susana Serrano-Davey https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cr1nXHLEdnbZ08i4oExuQ Kevin Appleby and Susana Serrano-Davey, GrowCFO Mentor, dive deep into the topic of communicating with confidence in this insightful episode. Susana, who is writing a book on confidence, shares her own experiences of overcoming nervousness in public speaking. She emphasizes the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone, whether it’s joining a public speaking club lik...

#197 Data Challenges Facing The Finance Function with Adam Rakich https://open.spotify.com/episode/0MX8X2ihqTsMURRfQPBBiS Adam Rakich, the esteemed author of “The Business User’s Guide to Data Integration,” joins us for a deep dive into the pressing issues surrounding data integration in the finance sector. Adam is Senior Director, Strategic Alliances at DataBlend, a finance-focused integration platform as a service. Most of his career has been in technology companies serving the office of fi...

#196 The CFO Creating Culture in the Finance Function with Sam Divine https://open.spotify.com/episode/1PaK9XqCIqhS2zBH8bpuMq Sam Divine, Founder of GrowthXel, joins Kevin Appleby, to delve into the pivotal role of the CFO in shaping culture within the finance function. The conversation underscored the importance of treating everyone fairly and respectfully, a principle deeply ingrained in Divine’s philosophy due to his upbringing during the Liberian Civil War. Both Appleby and Divine shared p...

#195 How to Navigate Leadership with Catherine Clark, GrowCFO Mentor https://open.spotify.com/episode/08NTBddAgyn0WWqkJgKSy8 Catherine Clark, a seasoned GrowCFO mentor, joins Kevin Appleby to delve into the critical role of emotional intelligence in leadership. They explore how self-awareness is the foundation upon which successful leaders build their careers. By understanding their own emotions and triggers, leaders can better manage their responses and interactions with others. Catherine and...

#194 How Mozilla turns a profit and protects privacy with Eric Muhlheim https://open.spotify.com/episode/49z24QIGonruC0zt4g1lhC In this podcast episode, Eric Muhlheim, CFO, Mozilla, joins Kevin Appleby to provide a wealth of insights about the significance of being a thought partner to leadership, a role that transcends traditional financial oversight to actively shape strategic decisions. Their conversation shed light on navigating the journey to the CFO role, highlighting the crucial interpl...

#193 Navigating My First Fundraise as Group CFO with Vineta Bajaj https://open.spotify.com/episode/11eo7ZWSRIHL77o1p1kWtX In this episode, we are honored to have Vineta Bajaj, the Group CFO of Rohlik Group and former executive at Ocado, as our guest. Vineta opens up about her personal and professional experiences across diverse environments, stressing the importance of owning one’s space and maintaining authenticity. Her insights are not only inspiring but also provide practical advice for nav...

#192 Is Confidence Overrated? with Susana Serrano Davey https://open.spotify.com/episode/3AhymCRjlMx44VZFkFNdUu In this latest episode, Kevin Appleby is joined by Susana Serrano-Davey, a renowned speaker and expert in personal development, to delve into the pervasive issue of confidence challenges that many individuals face in both personal and professional settings. This episode is particularly insightful as it addresses the unique hurdles that women often encounter regarding confidence. Sus...

#191 Rebuilding value after an administration with Oliver Lee https://open.spotify.com/episode/4kj5iP83OcB12YfnrfDHqh Oliver Lee, the CFO at Flash Pack, sits down with Kevin Appleby to discuss his career journey and the challenges of leading a travel start-up through the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion begins with Oliver’s background in public accounting and a previous start-up role that did not unfold as planned. Oliver recounts Flash Pack’s impressive growth trajectory prior to the pandem...

#190 Developing the next generation of leaders with Dan Silberberg https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ja9iPmnDeQpkhwe4YHNXD?si=GfH_5NNjRSmJFa3cBzQ_4Q Leadership development is crucial in today’s rapidly changing business landscape. Guest speaker Dan Silberberg, CEO and Founder of ENTELECHY.Al, a premier provider of customized leadership development programs, joined host Kevin Appleby for the discussion. Silberberg, a highly experienced executive with a proven track record of transforming opera...

Kevin Appleby and Rachel Anevski discuss the importance of collaboration between the CFO and HR departments for organizational development and infrastructure. Rachel emphasizes the crucial role of HR in providing fractional human resource executives to support business growth. They also cover the roles of CFOs and CHROs in managing people and payroll, emphasizing the need for a separate role to handle these aspects of the business. They also discuss the urgent need for finance teams to adapt to ...

Kevin Appleby and Lee share their insights on navigating the sales world, emphasizing the importance of listening, enthusiasm, and adaptability. They discuss their career paths and the value of relating to customers and understanding their needs. The conversation also covers the evolution of invoicing from traditional methods to digitalization, the importance of standardizing business processes to streamline operations, and the potential for cost savings and improved cash flow through technology...

Kevin Appleby and Alan Gonsenhauser discuss the importance of collaboration between CMOs and CFOs in aligning metrics and growth strategies. They emphasize the need for a common understanding of modern marketing and its value to the organization, as well as establishing a customer culture within the business. They also discuss the importance of using data to drive business growth, including predictive KPIs, measuring and optimizing customer lifetime value and retention, and aligning marketing st...