GrowCFO Show

Jaksot

• #293 Why Profitable Businesses Still Run Out of Cash, Scotty Palmer, Fractional CFO and Founder, Palmers Advisors 21.07.2026 35min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/1UpfxeVtifPbatGQtj5bFV Understanding why some companies run short of the one resource they simply cannot operate without, cash in the bank, even when they are hitting revenue and profit targets has become an essential leadership skill. Cash flow problems rarely appear in the headline numbers, yet they can quietly derail growth plans, strain supplier relationships, and, in the worst cases, threaten the survival of an otherwise profitable business. For founders, CEOs, and finance leaders, success depends on looking beyond the profit and loss statement to understand the timing, predictability, and movement of cash. Organisations that master cash flow are better equipped to scale with confidence, navigate uncertainty, and seize opportunities while competitors struggle to meet their obligations. In this episode of The GrowCFO Show, host Kevin Appleby is joined by Scotty Palmer, Fractional CFO and Founder of Palmer’s Strategic Advisors, to explore one of the most common challenges facing growing businesses: why profitable companies still run out of cash. Scotty explains how tight margins, hidden costs, and rapid growth without effective cash flow planning can quickly create a liquidity crisis, even when the profit and loss statement looks healthy. Drawing on his experience advising small and mid-sized businesses in the food and beverage sector, he shares practical examples of how cash constraints can emerge despite strong financial performance. The conversation also explores the tools and disciplines that help businesses strengthen cash flow and improve decision-making. Scotty discusses the role of financial modelling, KPI tracking, and AI-powered forecasting in creating greater visibility over future cash needs. He explains how a better understanding of unit economics, more accurate cost allocation, and challenging assumptions about seemingly profitable product lines can uncover hidden value and improve financial resilience. Throughout the discussion, he demonstrates how a fractional CFO can act as a strategic partner, helping founders balance ambitious growth with the financial discipline needed to build a sustainable business. Key topics covered: How a fractional CFO helps profitable businesses avoid cash crunches by improving visibility into true costs and cash conversion Why food and beverage businesses are especially vulnerable to cash-flow problems due to thin margins and complex cost structures A client case where disciplined financial modeling and KPI tracking helped increase business performance 10x Practical strategies to balance passion for product with commercial viability, including pricing, cost allocation, and product mix decisions How Scotty uses AI tools and spreadsheets to build agile financial models and improve decision-making speed for clients Scotty’s longer-term vision of building a specialist team of food and beverage advisors to support more founders at scale Links Scotty Palmer on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  0:00:01 – Scotty’s background and journey from corporate accounting at Honey Baked Hams to becoming a fractional CFO for food and beverage businesses 0:02:57 – The personal and financial challenges of leaving a stable corporate role to build a fractional CFO practice, and the central importance of predictable cash flow 0:07:14 – Why the food and beverage sector is high-risk for cash shortages despite apparent profitability, and how thin margins amplify operational missteps 0:08:39 – Case study: managing a large retailer opportunity, understanding true costs, and avoiding overextending cash to chase volume 0:22:37 – Using cost analysis, pricing strategy, and product-level profitability to turn around a struggling taproom restaurant 0:29:21 – Leveraging AI (Claude, Gemini, Google Sheets) to power financial modeling and scenario analysis without heavy financial systems 0:40:05 – Advice for corporate finance professionals considering a move into fractional CFO work, including risk, reward, and impact Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #292 The Reporting Change Every CFO Needs to Prepare For, Paula Kensington, GrowCFO Mentor 14.07.2026 33min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/38fJP7clsDYlUsNT51JxH5 In today’s finance landscape, corporate reporting is undergoing one of the most profound shifts in decades. Boards, investors, regulators, and lenders are no longer satisfied with backward‑looking financial statements alone; they expect CFOs to explain how evolving risks, regulation, and stakeholder expectations will shape business models, capital allocation, and long-term resilience. For finance leaders, this is no longer a peripheral compliance task but a core strategic responsibility that will increasingly determine market credibility and access to capital. In this GrowCFO Show episode, host Kevin Appleby speaks with returning guest Paula Kensington, GrowCFO Mentor, about what she describes as a “once in 100‑year change” in corporate reporting and why CFOs must act now rather than treat it as a box‑ticking exercise. The conversation explores the new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) climate and sustainability standards (S1 and S2), their adoption in markets such as Australia and across Asia, and the phased implementation by entity size that is rapidly pulling mid‑market businesses into scope. The episode reframes so‑called “climate reporting” as a strategic exercise in business resilience, not a peripheral ESG disclosure. Paula explains how climate‑related risks and opportunities will increasingly drive strategy, governance, risk management, and metrics—and why these new disclosures may, over time, become more important to investors than traditional backward‑looking financial statements. She highlights the emerging regulatory expectations, the evolving role of assurance and audit, and the personal liability implications for directors and CFOs who underinvest or delay, emphasizing that the apparent savings from aiming for “minimum compliance” today may be dwarfed by future costs once standards, regulator expectations, and market scrutiny have fully matured. For further information, visit Authentyx and subscribe to the newsletter to receive practical resources, including downloadable checklists and a 90-day action plan designed to support confident, effective leadership and lasting success. Key topics covered: Paula positions the new ISSB climate standards (S1 and S2) as a once-in-a-century shift in corporate reporting that many CFOs are still underestimating. She explains the phased roll-out by company size, showing how mid‑market organizations (Group 2 and Group 3) are quickly becoming subject to these requirements and cannot rely on being “too small” to be affected. The discussion reframes climate reporting as forward‑looking resilience analysis, where climate scenarios and risks inform strategy and may ultimately become more critical to stakeholders than traditional P&L and balance sheet statements. Paula distinguishes between physical risks (e.g., assets and warehouses threatened by climate events) and transition risks (e.g., changing policies, markets, and customer expectations making existing products or models obsolete). She outlines how governance, risk registers, and board oversight must evolve so climate risks and opportunities actively drive decision‑making rather than sit as a static compliance document. The episode stresses that aiming for minimum viable compliance is a high‑risk strategy in light of director liability, potential fines, and increasing regulator and investor focus on the quality and consistency of climate disclosures. Links Paula Kensington on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  00:00–02:30 – Introduction to Paula and framing of the topic as a major, under-appreciated change in corporate reporting. 02:30–04:30 – Explanation of Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 entities and why mid‑market CFOs are now “on the hook.” 04:30–07:30 – Reframing climate reporting as business resilience rather than ESG box‑ticking; climate disclosures as potential primary statements. 09:17–11:19 – Deep dive into physical vs transition risks with practical examples (warehouses, energy, low‑cost apparel). 15:19–18:38 – How assurance and audit standards are evolving, and why investors will focus on climate‑driven risks and opportunities more than last year’s earnings. 19:47–21:25 – The four pillars of ISSB (governance, risks and opportunities, metrics and targets, strategy) and their implications for how strategy is set. 22:11–23:33 – Discussion on the risk register as a living, strategic tool rather than a periodic governance formality. 28:22–31:40 – Why only ~20% of CFOs are taking this seriously; dangers of focusing solely on AI and cyber while underplaying climate risk. 33:28–34:51 – Regulator expectations, linkage between prior risk disclosures and current climate scenarios, and potential fines and director liability. 35:09–36:54 – Global implications, including differences in US regulation and why international supply chains will still force adoption. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #291 Why Most AI Projects Fail to Deliver ROI, Sinohe Terrero, CFO and COO, Envoy 07.07.2026 30min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/6raW3lf3gJuwTrYNbdkf0F Too many organisations are pouring time and money into AI only to find that the promised efficiency gains and cost savings never materialise, leaving CFOs struggling to justify the investment. Understanding why most AI projects fail to deliver ROI, and what finance leaders can do differently, is now a critical skill for anyone responsible for steering strategy, systems, and spend. In this GrowCFO Show episode, host Kevin Appleby sits down with Sinohe Terrero, CFO and COO of Envoy, to explore why so many AI initiatives fall short and how finance leaders can change the outcome. Drawing on his experience as a serial startup CFO and operator in high-growth tech companies, Sinohe reframes AI as a practical toolkit for augmentation, task automation, and application development, and explains how confusion between these use cases leads to poor deployment and weak returns. Throughout the conversation, Sinohe shares real examples from Envoy’s finance function, from AI-powered reconciliations and automated interview workflows to custom dashboards that bring data together in one place. He also dives into AI governance, describing the AI council he leads and the data policies that allow innovation while protecting sensitive information, ultimately positioning the CFO as a hands-on AI leader focused on both value creation and risk management. Key topics covered: Companies misunderstand what AI can do, deploy it inappropriately (e.g., trying to “fully automate everything”), and often lack in-house application developers who can tailor solutions to their actual workflows. Sinohe breaks AI use into augmentation, task automation, and application development, arguing that most ROI today comes from targeted task automation and small, purpose-built tools, not sweeping end-to-end automation projects. Envoy’s finance team used AI to automate health insurance and other reconciliations, identifying about $40,000 in recoveries and turning tedious, quarterly work into a largely automated process. Sinohe personally builds AI-powered applications to reconcile accounts, summarize emails and Slack, prep and debrief interviews, and create a “morning coffee” dashboard that consolidates operational and financial insights into a single pane of glass. As head of Envoy’s AI council, Sinohe has helped design a data governance matrix that clarifies what data can be used in which tools, allowing experimentation and creativity while strictly protecting company and customer data. Sinohe is bullish on increased data accessibility (e.g., via banks and platforms like Salesforce) and predicts a shift toward custom, CFO‑designed dashboards and tools, with legacy point solutions being displaced by in‑house applications that do exactly what the business needs. Links Sinohe Terrero on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  0:01:36 – Sinohe explains Envoy as a workplace technology platform focused on managing physical spaces (visitor check-in, security, emergency notifications, desk allocation) with 6,000+ global customers and around 250 employees. 0:03:35 – He shares how timing, a tight investor story, and demonstrating strong cash flow and operational discipline were critical to a successful Series C raise during a turbulent market. 0:04:47 – Sinohe lays out the core reasons AI fails in many organizations and introduces his three-part framework: augmentation, task automation, and application development. 0:07:11 – He describes teaching himself to build AI-powered applications, including an asset-account reconciliation tool that cut a two-hour monthly process down to about two minutes. 0:12:21 – Using tools like Scribe to document workflows, Envoy’s finance team identifies automation candidates; a payroll-led AI skill for health insurance reconciliations surfaced roughly $40,000 owed to the company. 0:17:53 – Sinohe explains Envoy’s AI council, clear AI policies, and a data governance matrix that defines what data can be used where, enabling safe experimentation at scale. 0:21:17 – He details his personal AI setup: automated interview briefing/debriefing via Granola + Claude, daily digests of emails/Slack/meetings, and automated summaries of operational metrics and customer activity. 0:24:58 – Sinohe predicts job disruption in large teams (e.g., 100 accountants potentially shrinking to 60) but sees smaller teams using AI to focus on higher-value, advisory work rather than basic reconciliations. 0:26:30 – He describes replacing tools like Flowcast, Asana/Monday, and other SaaS products with custom AI-enabled applications that do 75% of what generic tools do—but 100% of what Envoy actually needs. 0:33:36 – Sinohe forecasts greater bank and platform data accessibility, more automated reconciliations, and a shift that frees CFOs from operational drudgery so they can focus on higher‑value strategic work. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #290 What First-Time CFOs Need to Know About Board Leadership, Michael Anderson, GrowCFO Mentor 30.06.2026 34min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/5rFlxuL66fW6AAkx6MShdM For first-time CFOs, board leadership is not merely a governance checkpoint; it is the arena where strategy, risk, and capital allocation converge. The board is the highest‑stakes audience, setting direction, probing assumptions, and expecting crisp narratives grounded in data and judgment. Mastering board dynamics early enables a new CFO to accelerate trust, shape decisions before they harden, and navigate uncertainty with confidence. From scenario planning and accountability to stakeholder alignment and strategic storytelling, board fluency becomes the multiplier that elevates a CFO from competent operator to indispensable strategic partner. In this episode, Michael Anderson, a GrowCFO Mentor, traces a varied finance leadership journey that began at KPMG in Silicon Valley and evolved through operating roles in tech, biotech, media, and international logistics. He reflects on the pivotal shift from compliance to value creation, sharing how exposure to IPOs, M&A, and complex post-acquisition integrations at Getty Images sharpened his instincts around urgency, risk, and decision-making with imperfect information. Anderson underscores that the best finance leaders pair technical acumen with character, curiosity, and the courage to have difficult conversations early. Anderson emphasizes understanding business processes before technology decisions, scenario planning to navigate uncertainty, and the importance of mentorship to build clarity, confidence, and conviction. He illustrates how board effectiveness grows when CFOs bring structured thinking, stakeholder empathy, and strategic storytelling, and he connects leadership depth to personal experiences, including lessons learned as a parent, that inform how he supports CEOs and boards in high-stakes contexts. Key topics covered: Why the AI skills gap is now a core strategic issue for finance leaders. Guy’s journey from chartered accountant and VC to AI trainer for finance teams. The essential foundational skills: prompting, architecture, and context management. How AI is creating new roles and responsibilities instead of simply removing jobs. Managing AI cost, tokens, and model choice like any other major operating expense. The danger of AI-built financial models without proper financial modeling discipline. Links Michael Anderson on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  00:03 — Transition from KPMG to tech; push beyond compliance into value creation 00:07 — Getty Images lessons: urgency, risk, and integrating acquisitions effectively 00:15 — Cross-industry perspective: biotech and logistics shaping CFO judgment 00:21 — Mentorship frameworks for leadership clarity and confidence 00:24 — Financing story: aligning with lender strategy to expand credit 00:39 — Supporting CEOs in board contexts; priorities for first-time CFOs Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #289 The AI Skills Gap Every Finance Leader Needs to Close with Guy Weaver, GrowCFO Facilitator 23.06.2026 33min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/3kw8uHSos6XKFrZncc2CEa Artificial intelligence is transforming the finance function, but most finance teams are still missing the skills to use it confidently, safely, and at scale. The real competitive advantage now lies in how quickly finance leaders can close this AI capability gap across their teams.  In this episode, GrowCFO host Kevin Appleby is joined by GrowCFO Facilitator and AI training specialist Guy Weaver to unpack the AI skills gap that is rapidly emerging across finance teams. As AI tools move from experiment to everyday infrastructure, finance leaders face a stark choice: either build the skills to harness these tools strategically or risk falling behind competitors who do. AI is presented not as a “nice to have” experiment, but as a core capability that will shape productivity, decision quality, and the operating model of modern finance functions.  Guy shares his journey from chartered accountant and venture capital portfolio director to AI practitioner and trainer, showing how a period on gardening leave became a deep dive into tools, agents, automations, and real-world business use cases. He explains that the real differentiator is no longer access to platforms like Copilot, Claude, or ChatGPT, but the human skills to design prompts, architect workflows, manage context files, and control costs at scale. Rather than eliminating finance jobs, AI is creating new responsibilities around context management, token and cost optimization, and continuous model evaluation—and finance leaders who invest early in mindset shifts, foundational skills, and disciplined experimentation will unlock both efficiency gains and new strategic opportunities that slower adopters will miss. Key topics covered: Why the AI skills gap is now a core strategic issue for finance leaders. Guy’s journey from chartered accountant and VC to AI trainer for finance teams. The essential foundational skills: prompting, architecture, and context management. How AI is creating new roles and responsibilities instead of simply removing jobs. Managing AI cost, tokens, and model choice like any other major operating expense. The danger of AI-built financial models without proper financial modeling discipline. Links Guy Weaver on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  00:00–05:00 – Why AI skills matter for finance leaders and how Guy’s career led him into AI training.  05:00–12:00 – From “AI will take our jobs” to new responsibilities around AI, context, and automation.  12:00–18:00 – Prompting, architecture, treating AI like an employee, and managing context files.  18:00–24:00 – Who owns context files, how they’re maintained, and the implications for CFOs and COOs.  24:00–29:00 – Rising AI costs, token limits, and the need to optimize AI usage across the finance function.  29:00–34:00 – What Guy sees in finance training sessions and how teams can keep up as tools evolve. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #288 Why Great Companies Lose Their Way After Going Public with Eric Ries, Author, The Lean Startup 16.06.2026 32min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/3cW4LImOlr2eDc6opOmyPp Going public is often seen as the ultimate milestone for a successful business, yet for many great companies it marks the beginning of decline rather than a new chapter of sustainable growth. In this episode of The Grow CFO Show, host Kevin Appleby sits down with Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, to explore why so many mission-driven, high-performing companies lose their way after an IPO – and what CFOs and boards can do differently to prevent this fate. The conversation frames governance not as a legal box-ticking exercise, but as a strategic discipline that protects long‑term value, mission, and trust. Through vivid case studies – from Saul Price and the origins of Costco, to Novo Nordisk and its foundation structure, to Johnson & Johnson’s Credo – Eric shows how governance choices can either entrench short‑term shareholder primacy or build what he calls a “governance fortress” that shields companies from destructive external pressures. He argues that CFOs are uniquely placed to champion this new governance, redefine profit around human flourishing, and ensure the organization can’t make money except by achieving its mission. The result is a powerful toolkit for finance leaders who want to keep their companies “incorruptible” long after they hit the public markets. About Eric Ries Over the last two decades, Eric Ries’s ideas about continuous innovation, long-term thinking, governance, and market reform have reshaped company building and management practices. He is the creator of the Lean Startup method, and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup; The Leader’s Guide; and The Startup Way.  As a founder, he has put his own ideas into practice with The Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE); Answer.AI, an AI R&D lab; Virgil, a legal services startup; and IMVU. On The Eric Ries Show, he talks with world-class technologists, thought leaders, and executives building for the long-term. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and three children. Key topics covered: Why good companies lose control and drift after going public. FedMart and Costco: how governance protects long‑term value. “Governance fortress” structures that resist short‑term investor pressure. Novo Nordisk: mission‑driven governance leading to massive value creation. Why most M&A destroys value and how CFOs should filter deals. Redefining profit around human flourishing and the CFO’s new role. Links Eric Ries on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  0:00 – 1:42 — Why great companies lose their way post‑IPO. 1:42 – 4:27 — FedMart: investor pressure kills a great business. 4:27 – 7:30 — Costco and the “governance fortress” idea. 10:39 – 14:39 — The CFO as guardian of mission and structure. 15:21 – 20:19 — Novo Nordisk: foundation ownership and GLP‑1 success. 21:35 – 22:27 — Why many acquisitions are value‑destroying. 22:59 – 27:53 — J&J’s Credo vs reality: mission statements aren’t enough. 28:08 – 32:06 — Rethinking profit as human flourishing. 33:47 – 34:48 — Incorruptible as the essential book for CFOs. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #287 Why AI Hesitation Could Cost CFOs More Than Bad Decisions, Todd McElhatton, COFO, Zuora 09.06.2026 31min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/47RAQ1TXbfnlvIjsxzCHwH Delaying action on emerging technologies is often seen as the safest path for finance leaders. But in today’s environment, standing still can quietly erode competitiveness faster than visible missteps. For CFOs, the choice is no longer between perfection and experimentation; it is between shaping how intelligent tools transform their business model, or inheriting a cost base, tech stack, and operating rhythm that were designed for a world that no longer exists. The real risk now lies in missed efficiencies, slower decision cycles, and constrained strategic options when rivals are already compounding the benefits of data- and AI-enabled finance. In this GrowCFO Show episode, host Kevin Appleby speaks with Todd McElhatton, CFO of Zuora, about why hesitating on AI adoption could be more damaging for CFOs than making imperfect early decisions. They frame AI not as a distant future technology, but as an immediate strategic lever that will separate adaptive finance leaders from those who are left managing obsolete operating models. The conversation stresses that waiting on AI often compounds operational risk, opportunity cost, and competitive disadvantage, especially for CFOs accountable for both efficiency and growth. Todd outlines how AI is reshaping finance, from quote-to-cash and system implementation to workforce design and governance. Drawing on his experience at HP, WebMD, Oracle, VMware, SAP, and now Zuora, he explains why CFOs must actively lead AI strategy, re-architect their tech stacks, and develop robust oversight rather than defaulting to conservative inaction. By the end of the episode, listeners gain a pragmatic view of where AI can deliver tangible value today, and why inaction may be the riskiest choice of all. Key topics covered: Todd charts his career journey across major tech companies and explains how it shaped his view of the CFO as both financial steward and operational leader. He details Zuora’s evolution into an AI-enabled quote-to-cash platform and how AI is accelerating shifts to new, outcome-based business models. Todd and Kevin unpack the build vs. buy decision around AI, highlighting integration, domain expertise, compliance, and governance as critical factors for CFOs. The discussion explores how AI can reduce rework, speed implementations, and reallocate finance capacity from manual tasks to higher-value analysis and decision-making. Todd argues that CFOs who hesitate on AI risk constraining strategy, delaying business model transformation, and missing efficiency and innovation gains competitors are already capturing. He shares his personal AI use cases: research, scenario analysis, and board preparation, while emphasizing human oversight, skepticism, and multi-model validation. Links Todd McElhatton on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  0:00:00 – How roles at HP, WebMD, Oracle, VMware, and SAP shaped his perspective on the modern CFO and why understanding operations is now non‑negotiable. 0:02:53 – How AI is impacting subscription and outcome-based business models, and why this forces companies to reassess their tech stacks. 0:06:27 – ZUORA’s internal journey: moving beyond pilots to AI projects that materially affect performance while maintaining human oversigh. 0:11:37 – The trade-offs between building AI in-house and buying AI-native systems of record, with a focus on integration, compliance, and risk. 0:19:04 – How AI will reshape implementation timelines, roles, and the skills finance teams need, plus the efficiency and innovation upside. 0:19:19 – Todd’s guidance on aligning AI and tech stack decisions with business strategy, and a cautionary example where system limitations stalled an acquisition. 0:32:00 – How Todd uses AI for research, analysis, and board materials while maintaining critical thinking and cross-checking outputs across models. 0:36:21 – A closing argument for CFOs to lead AI adoption, embrace calculated risk, and redeploy teams from repetitive work to higher-value contributions. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #286 What CFOs Should Do Next: CFO Mindset 2.0, Darren Cran, CEO, AccountsIQ 02.06.2026 27min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/1O3AJJ7rl6xqzgLnf82KP8 In today’s finance function, relying solely on monolithic systems and periodic reporting is no longer enough, as rapid advances in AI transform how data is collected, processed, and turned into insight. Finance leaders are now expected to orchestrate an ecosystem of intelligent tools that automate routine work, enable continuous forecasting, and surface risks and opportunities in real time. Those who continue to treat technology as a back-office utility will quickly fall behind leaders who use it as a strategic lever for competitiveness and resilience. In this GrowCFO Show episode, Kevin Appleby is joined by Darren Cran, CEO of AccountsIQ, to explore how AI is reshaping the finance function and what a “CFO Mindset 2.0” really looks like in practice. The conversation underscores why this shift is not just a technology upgrade but a fundamental change in how CFOs think about systems, teams, and decision-making. As AI tools, such as Anthropic’s Opus 4.6, rapidly increase their capabilities, Darren explains why finance leaders must move beyond simply running ERP systems and start orchestrating a broader ecosystem of AI-enabled tools that enhance forecasting, productivity, and strategic insight The episode examines the practical realities behind this transition: the readiness of organizations to adopt AI, the risks and opportunities around system change, and the human impact in terms of workload, overtime, and work–life balance. Darren contrasts AI-native companies with established platforms like AccountsIQ and shows how AI can be layered onto existing systems of record to automate routine tasks, strengthen continuous forecasting, and free finance professionals to do more relational, higher-value work. For CFOs wondering what to do next, this discussion offers a clear roadmap: maintain robust core systems, embrace AI as an orchestration layer on top, and cultivate a mindset that looks for opportunity in uncertainty rather than reacting to it. Key topics covered: The episode positions “CFO Mindset 2.0” as a response to AI’s rapid impact on finance software, using Anthropic’s Opus 4.6 as a signal that traditional software models are being disrupted and augmented by AI-first approaches. Darren explains how AccountsIQ is investing in AI orchestration, automating repetitive tasks for finance teams while preserving the ERP or core system of record as the backbone of financial data. The discussion compares AI-native companies versus established platforms, arguing that incumbents with deep domain knowledge and existing customers can unlock major value by embedding AI into real workflows rather than chasing hype. Kevin and Darren explore the evolving role of ERP systems, concluding that while ERPs remain essential for core functions, AI-powered financial operating platforms and integrations will increasingly handle flexibility, user experience, and advanced analytics. The conversation highlights the human and cultural side of AI, showing how automation can reduce overtime, improve work–life balance, and shift finance professionals toward more strategic and relational work if leadership sets the right expectations. Darren outlines how AI can transform forecasting, from periodic budgeting to more continuous, scenario-based modeling, while stressing that CFOs must still validate models and use judgment rather than blindly trusting outputs. Links Darren Cran on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  0:00:02 – Kevin introduces Darren and frames the episode around CFO Mindset 2.0, AI’s impact on finance software, and the significance of Anthropic’s Opus 4.6 as a turning point. 0:07:18 – Discussion on the pain of system changes, how older systems will coexist with new AI capabilities, and how AccountsIQ is investing in AI orchestration to automate routine finance tasks. 0:14:12 – Deep dive into the limitations of traditional ERP systems and the rise of financial operating platforms that rely on integrations and AI to deliver more flexible, user-friendly finance environments. 0:17:45 – Darren explains why ERP systems will remain core systems of record, while AI will build rich ecosystems around them rather than fully replacing them. 0:21:06 – Exploration of how AI can reduce overtime, change the shape of finance roles, and the importance of company culture in ensuring that productivity gains translate into better working lives. 0:28:27 – Darren and Kevin discuss how AI can dramatically speed up financial modeling and scenario analysis, enabling continuous forecasting as long as CFOs apply proper checks and validations. 0:31:49 – Darren shares AccountsIQ’s roadmap for AI agents and products designed to improve the day-to-day experience of finance professionals and keep pace with frontier technology. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #285 How AI Is Turning Finance Into a Probability Game, Jason Brisbane, Founder, Finhelm 26.05.2026 29min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/35qKYO14JG1pUeM5uoCQPg In a world of rapid disruption and volatility, finance teams can no longer rely on single‑point forecasts and rigid spreadsheets. They must understand ranges of possible outcomes, quantify risk, and communicate uncertainty in ways that enable better, faster strategic decisions, turning uncertainty from a threat into a competitive advantage. In this episode of The GrowCFO Show, host Kevin Appleby speaks with Jason Brisbane, Founder of Finhelm, about how AI and Monte Carlo simulation are reshaping finance by replacing deterministic forecasts with probability‑driven models. Brisbane shares his journey from FP&A and treasury at Adobe to founding Finhelm, a platform that brings “computational finance” into the CFO organization and assigns an “uncertainty exposure score” to models, essentially a credit score for forecast risk. This approach helps FP&A teams treat variances as learning signals rather than failures and move from static scenario planning to continuous simulation at scale. The discussion also explores how probabilistic modeling supports risk management and AI governance, including “nutrition labels” for AI‑enabled processes so domain experts can understand volatility, detect drift, and know when human intervention is required. Key topics covered: Shift from deterministic to probabilistic finance: Brisbane explains how most organizations still rely on single‑point, deterministic forecasts, and how Monte Carlo simulation combined with AI introduces probability distributions, helping teams understand the likelihood of outcomes rather than relying on one number. Uncertainty Exposure Score as a “credit score” for forecasts: Finhelm applies Monte Carlo simulation to generate an “uncertainty exposure score,” giving finance leaders a clear measure of volatility and risk embedded in their models over time. Variances as learning, not failure: Brisbane argues that probabilistic finance allows FP&A teams to reframe forecast variances as opportunities for learning and calibration, rather than signs of failure, driving a more mature approach to performance management. From scenario to simulation in risk management: The discussion extends Monte Carlo beyond financial forecasting into risk, highlighting how organizations can move from simplistic low/medium/high risk grids to simulated, monetized risk impacts across portfolios and risk registers. AI “nutrition labels” and governance: Brisbane introduces the idea of a “nutrition label” for AI‑enabled processes, where risk scores and volatility bands help domain experts decide when it is safe for autonomous agents to operate and when human intervention is required. AI‑native build by a finance domain expert: As a finance professional rather than a traditional technologist, Brisbane describes how he is using AI‑native development tools to build Finhelm, demonstrating how domain experts can now create sophisticated, AI‑driven solutions without large in‑house engineering teams. Links Jason Brisbane on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  00:00 – 04:30 – Jason shares his background from Adobe’s rotation program through FP&A and product roles, and explains Finhelm’s mission: bringing computational finance and Monte Carlo simulation into the CFO organization to add probability and distribution to traditional forecasts. 04:30 – 08:30 – Appleby and Brisbane break down Monte Carlo as running hundreds or thousands of simulations across best/likely/worst‑case assumptions to produce a forecast with confidence bands instead of a single number, reframing how finance understands uncertainty. 08:30 – 13:45 – Appleby recounts a defense procurement project where Monte Carlo was used to estimate 25‑year life‑cycle costs and readiness, illustrating why probabilistic modeling is essential when multiple uncertain drivers interact over long horizons. 14:00 – 18:30 – Brisbane contrasts the classic “three‑tab spreadsheet” (worst/base/best) with probabilistic finance, arguing that Monte Carlo and uncertainty exposure scores allow FP&A teams to treat variance as learning data and continually recalibrate models. 18:30 – 22:30 – The conversation turns to risk registers and enterprise risk, discussing how organizations can move beyond low/medium/high matrices to simulated, monetary impact of risks, and how this supports more informed resource allocation and strategic decisions. 21:30 – 26:00 – Brisbane introduces the concept of scoring volatility to determine when AI agents can operate autonomously within “safe bands” and when domain experts must intervene, aligning probabilistic finance with AI governance and auditability requirements. 25:20 – 32:00 – Brisbane outlines Finhelm’s early traction in law, professional services, and healthcare, and shares his vision that within 12–18 months, FP&A teams will routinely use Monte Carlo and uncertainty scoring to answer deeper questions about risk and performance. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #284 How to Step Into the CFO Role When You’re Not Ready, David Hudson, Group Financial Controller, Empiric Student Property PLC 19.05.2026 29min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/0zRJsjw9He6j7fvBc1Vzkp Stepping into senior finance leadership is rarely neat or linear. The move from technical expert to strategic leader often happens sooner than expected, with higher stakes, tougher decisions, and sharper scrutiny. Yet these stretching moments are where the next generation of CFOs is really formed. In this episode of the GrowCFO Show, Kevin Appleby speaks with David Hudson, Group Financial Controller at Empiric Student Property PLC. David shares how he found himself effectively operating as CFO during Empiric’s takeover by Unite Group plc; leading a difficult audit, resolving a major misstatement, handling confidential deal work, and guiding his team through intense change. He explains how combining these real-world challenges with the GrowCFO program, especially the virtual boardroom, peer learning, and focus on personal branding, helped him accelerate his readiness for the top job. The conversation offers a practical blueprint for senior finance leaders who are being asked to step up before they feel fully prepared, showing how confidence, mentoring, and smart use of technology can enable them to perform credibly at CFO level. Key topics covered: David Hudson outlines his journey from audit into senior finance roles and ultimately into a position where he was effectively acting as CFO during a major corporate transaction. He explains how stepping into the CFO role created a step‑change in responsibility—owning cash, leading the team, and steering auditors through a challenging year-end with a significant misstatement. Hudson shares how the GrowCFO program, especially the virtual boardroom, stress‑tested his skills, built confidence, and helped him prepare for real board‑level scrutiny. He highlights the importance of personal branding, networking, and maintaining a strong LinkedIn presence and CV as critical enablers for aspiring CFOs. The discussion covers the realities of acquisition and integration—confidentiality, staff retention, fair reward, and managing external stakeholders such as brokers and investment banks. Hudson describes how leveraging AI and OCR in the finance function, combined with mentoring and team development, positions him for his longer‑term ambition to become a CFO in a FTSE 250 business. Links David Hudson on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  0:00:01 – David Hudson’s background and progression to Group Financial Controller at Empiric Student Property, and how he found himself stepping into a de facto CFO role during a takeover. 0:03:00 – Discussion of fear versus imposter syndrome, and what changes when the responsibility and accountability of a CFO role land on your desk. 0:04:52 – How the GrowCFO virtual boardroom and peer group challenged Hudson, built confidence, and simulated real board pressure ahead of stepping up.  0:10:35 – The importance of personal branding, LinkedIn presence, and professional networking for finance leaders aiming at CFO roles. 0:18:10 – Lessons from leading through an acquisition: confidentiality, employee retention, fair recognition, and learning from brokers and investment banks. 0:21:25 – The role of mentoring, team strength, and calm leadership in successfully handling CFO‑level challenges. 0:29:37 – Practical use of AI and OCR in the finance function and how technology supports a more strategic, commercially focused CFO. 0:35:22 – The link between physical well‑being (e.g., marathon training) and better problem‑solving and resilience in high‑pressure finance roles. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #283 How to Build a Finance Function That Scales for 5+ Years, Rishi Oberoi, Deputy CFO and CAO, Varo Bank 12.05.2026 31min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/5YwnZv8yNCPYP1osEaVFY6 In a world where business models, technology, and regulation can all shift in a single planning cycle, building a finance team and infrastructure that still works five years from now is a strategic necessity. Short‑term fixes and ad hoc processes quickly turn into bottlenecks as organizations grow and face deeper scrutiny from investors and regulators. In this episode, Kevin Appleby speaks with Rishi Oberoi, Deputy CFO and CAO at Varo Bank, about designing a finance function that scales for the long term. Rishi frames finance as a leadership system that enables organizations to move fast without breaking trust, drawing on two decades in global banking, fintech, audit, and capital markets. Together, they explore why scalable finance is as much about people and principles as it is about processes and platforms. Rishi highlights empathy, humility, and storytelling as core leadership traits, and explains how AI can act as a control sentinel and efficiency driver while preserving customer trust and regulatory rigor in a mission‑driven bank. Key topics covered: Finance should be designed and run as a leadership system, where everyone in the function leads in some way, not just the CFO.  Scalable finance functions are built on empathy, humility, and values-based hiring, not only on technical skill sets.  AI’s most powerful role in finance may be as a real-time control sentinel, enhancing compliance, monitoring controls, and supporting faster, safer decision-making.  Systems should be architected to be modular, vendor-agnostic, and future-ready, designed around what the organization will need in 4–5 years rather than just today’s constraints.  Finance can and should be a force for good, especially in mission-driven organizations, by balancing profitability with equitable access to financial products for underserved communities.  Modern CFOs must spend more time looking forward than backward, closing the books quickly so they can focus on strategy, relevance, and long-term value creation. Links Rishi Oberoi on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  0:00:00 – Kevin introduces Rishi and his global finance career; Rishi outlines his experience building fast-moving, trust-centric finance teams. 0:02:21 – Rishi explains why he views finance as one of the world’s foundational leadership systems, shaping economies, companies, and households. 0:05:27 – Discussion on leading finance teams with empathy, recognizing life outside work, and hiring for values and learning ability. 0:09:46 – Rishi describes how finance must provide a forward-looking view and use storytelling to make numbers meaningful and actionable. 0:13:06 – Exploration of AI in finance, including using AI to monitor controls and compliance in real time within regulated environments. 0:18:12 – How to design finance systems that are modular, vendor-agnostic, and aligned to where the organization will be in 4–5 years. 0:24:26 – Rishi discusses using finance to benefit customers, employees, investors, and regulators, especially in a mission-led bank like Varo. 0:26:15 – The tension and balance between serving underserved communities and maintaining regulatory- and investor-grade profitability. 0:32:53 – Advice for CFOs to close faster, look further ahead, and focus on keeping their organizations relevant in a fast-changing world. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #282 How to Build a High-Income Fractional CFO Career with Rob Nicholls, GrowCFO Mentor 05.05.2026 24min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/5z9zV5mya9rDz6O8glCfy1 A high-income fractional CFO career is becoming one of the most attractive paths for senior finance leaders who want more control, variety, and upside than a traditional corporate role can offer. As businesses increasingly look for flexible, part-time strategic finance support, the opportunity for experienced CFOs and finance professionals to build profitable portfolio careers has never been greater.  In this episode, Kevin Appleby interviews Rob Nicholls, a fractional CFO, board adviser, and GrowCFO mentor, on how finance leaders can build a high-income, portfolio-style career. Rob draws on his commercially driven background and international experience to explain what a modern fractional CFO really does and how the role can deliver both financial and lifestyle benefits. He shares practical guidance on constructing a high-income fractional CFO portfolio – balancing a mix of clients, leveraging LinkedIn, and using non‑executive roles and mentoring to generate both impact and deal flow. The discussion highlights how deep experience, strategic advisory skills, and deliberate business development combine into a sustainable, long-term fractional CFO career. Key topics covered: How Rob built a high-value fractional CFO and board advisory portfolio across multiple SMEs, drawing on a career that spans finance, operations, sales, and supply chain. Why LinkedIn is central to his business development, including disciplined daily activity that generates around 30 conversations a day and compounds into long-term opportunity. The role of mentoring and advisory work (Innovate UK, university engagements, startup ecosystems) in building reputation, leverage, and future client pipelines. How being industry-agnostic yet commercially focused allows Rob to mentor founders, senior finance executives, and career-changers while remaining anchored in value creation. The impact of technology and AI on CFO work, including tools to streamline board reporting while reinforcing the need for real-world experience and judgment. Why non-executive roles and multiple income streams are powerful components of a resilient, high-income fractional CFO career. Links Rob Nicholls on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  00:00 – Intro to Rob and fractional CFO background 02:10 – From traditional finance to value creation focus 03:33 – Portfolio lifestyle and managing multiple clients 04:25 – LinkedIn strategy and pipeline building 09:37 – Mentoring, startups, and ecosystem leverage 12:15 – Who Rob mentors and career transitions 15:19 – Technology, AI, and modern CFO work 18:59 – Non-exec roles and board careers for CFOs 23:40 – Future plans and fractional startup in biz dev Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #281 The Worst Acquisition I Ever Did and What It Cost Me, Jeremy Earnshaw, GrowCFO Mentor 28.04.2026 38min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } 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 understanding what not to do in M&A can be a powerful competitive advantage.  Drawing on more than 20 M&A deals across his career, Jeremy dissects an acquisition from 30 years ago where he joined mid-transaction, found due diligence to be dangerously superficial, and discovered too late that the target’s core direct-to-consumer channel was fundamentally unprofitable. He and Kevin explore how poor diligence, misaligned incentives, cultural blind spots, and weak integration planning combined to destroy value. The conversation offers CFOs, founders, and boards a candid look at the real costs of a bad acquisition and practical lessons on how to structure deals, probe assumptions, and retain the courage to walk away. Key topics covered: Jeremy explains how he joined an acquisition mid-stream and immediately saw that the “due diligence” was little more than an updated audit pack. Kevin and Jeremy break down why buying “a balance sheet” instead of a future business led to a badly structured deal, with 90% of the consideration paid in cash at completion. They expose how cultural issues, aggressive lawyers, and late negative disclosures undermined trust and should have been clear red flags to pause or walk away. Jeremy reveals that the acquisition’s main focus—the direct-to-consumer channel—was actually loss-making, while an overlooked export dealer channel was where the real profitability lay. The episode highlights how weak integration planning compounded the initial mistakes, turning a flawed deal into a value-destroying one. Jeremy distills the lessons learned: insist on thorough due diligence, structure earn-outs intelligently, interrogate culture and people risk, and always be prepared to walk away. Links Jeremy Earnshaw on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  0:00:00 – Kevin frames the episode around learning from “the worst acquisition” and introduces Jeremy Earnshaw and his M&A background. 0:02:00 – Jeremy describes joining halfway through the deal and discovering that due diligence was basically a thin audit update. 0:06:23 – Deep dive into due diligence and valuation: why paying 90% cash up front and underweighting earn-out was a structural mistake. 0:19:35 – Cultural and legal challenges emerge: aggressive lawyers, late disclosures, and a finance controller’s resignation revealed just before completion. 0:24:35 – Post-acquisition reality check: the direct-to-consumer channel is loss-making while the neglected export dealer business is the only profitable part. 0:36:56 – Jeremy and Kevin synthesize the core lessons around diligence discipline, deal parameters, and the importance of being ready to walk away. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #280 What Every CFO Should Know Before Implementing AI, Michael Pytel, Technology Leader & Director, VASS 21.04.2026 31min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } 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 the CFO’s remit: data sovereignty, privacy, security, and ROI. Michael draws on his deep background in ERP and large‑enterprise technology to give CFOs a practical roadmap for implementing AI safely and effectively. He explains how vendors such as SAP are approaching “sovereign AI” to keep sensitive financial data within the organization, why mid‑market businesses should consider anchoring around the Microsoft ecosystem, and how to structure permissions so AI behaves like a fully controlled team member rather than a black box. The discussion closes with forward‑looking guidance on avoiding vendor lock‑in, upgrading ERP for an API‑ready, AI‑enabled future, and identifying quick wins that prove value without compromising security. Key topics covered: Why AI implementation is now a core responsibility of the CFO, not just IT, with direct implications for risk, compliance, and competitive advantage. How data sovereignty, privacy, and “sovereign AI” approaches (as seen in SAP) allow organizations to choose where AI runs and how data is protected. Practical options for smaller and mid‑market companies without large IT teams, including leveraging the Microsoft ecosystem for secure and scalable AI. The importance of treating AI like a human team member with defined permissions, segregation of duties, and strong policy‑driven prompt design. Why CFOs must ensure ERP and core finance systems are API‑ready and AI‑enabled to remain competitive over the next planning cycles. Strategies to avoid platform lock‑in while still moving quickly, focusing on quick wins and flexible commercial contracts with AI vendors. Links Michael Pytel on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  0:00:01 – Kevin introduces episode 280 and guest Michael Pytel, outlining his enterprise technology and ERP background and why his perspective matters for CFOs considering AI. 0:02:27 – Discussion of SAP’s cautious, data‑sovereign approach to AI, allowing customers to control where AI runs and how sensitive financial data is protected.  0:08:27 – Exploration of AI options for smaller organizations without full IT departments, including aligning with Microsoft to obtain secure, affordable AI capabilities. 0:12:05 – Deep dive into data security, permissions, and prompt engineering, positioning AI as a controlled “team member” governed by policies and segregation of duties. 0:26:25 – Analysis of how AI will reshape finance roles, the need to modernize ERP for AI integration, and what to look for in vendor roadmaps. 0:33:06 – Michael’s closing advice for CFOs in 2026: prioritize secure, in‑house AI platforms, avoid lock‑in with flexible contracts, and focus on quick, demonstrable wins. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #279 Is AI Making CFOs Less Strategic? Susana Serrano-Davey, GrowCFO Mentor 14.04.2026 30min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } 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 reshaping research, writing, preparation, and decision support for finance leaders, and what this means for the future of strategic finance careers.  The discussion moves from personal use cases, AI as a “personal assistant, sounding board, and translator”—into the realities of implementing AI within finance functions. Susana and Kevin highlight the growing interest in AI among CFOs contrasted with a lack of confidence about how to deploy it in practice. They compare AI adoption to past ERP implementations, emphasizing trial‑and‑error, learning from failure, and maintaining authenticity. The episode ultimately argues that AI should augment, not replace, a CFO’s strategic thinking: the winners will be those who use AI for speed and insight while preserving their own voice, critical judgment, and leadership presence. Key topics covered: AI is becoming a personal assistant and translator for finance leaders, dramatically changing how they research, write, and prepare for meetings and communications. Both speakers warn that over‑reliance on AI risks diluting authenticity, with presentations and content sounding generic when leaders delegate too much to AI. The episode highlights how AI can undermine critical thinking and self‑confidence if finance professionals treat AI outputs as answers rather than input for their own judgment. Implementing AI in finance is compared to complex ERP rollouts—CFOs are interested but cautious, overwhelmed by the volume of tools and uncertainty about where to start. Kevin and Susana stress that AI should be used mainly for research, framing, and speed, while the CFO’s strategic value lies in interpretation, narrative, and decision‑making. They raise concerns that widespread AI use could homogenize thinking and propagate confident but wrong answers, making human skepticism and validation more important than ever. Links Susana Serrano-Davey on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  0:00:00 – Kevin introduces Susana and they explore how AI is already reshaping day‑to‑day work, especially for finance leaders who use it for research and drafting. 0:02:46 – Susana describes AI as her “personal assistant and translator,” while Kevin explains how he uses AI extensively for reports, webinars, and thought leadership content. 0:07:13 – A workshop example shows how heavy dependence on ChatGPT produced a less authentic presentation, prompting a deeper discussion on storytelling, personal experience, and confidence. 0:12:38 – They compare AI rollouts to ERP implementations: CFOs are intrigued but hesitant, facing tool overload, uncertainty, and the need to accept mistakes and learn quickly. 0:25:01 – Kevin questions whether AI is eroding original thinking; Susana argues leaders must protect their own voice and avoid relying solely on AI‑generated content. 0:30:47 – The episode closes by examining AI’s tendency to sound certain even when wrong, and the risk of AI‑generated falsehoods becoming accepted truths without human scrutiny. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #278 The Skills Missing When You Step Into a CFO Role, Ian Goodkind, Chief Financial Officer, Smarsh 07.04.2026 30min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } 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 stewardship to that of strategic, tech‑savvy, trusted advisor at the center of complex, AI‑driven and heavily regulated businesses. Against the backdrop of Smarsh, a profitable, AI‑native leader in communications data compliance and intelligence, Goodkind explains how today’s CFO must understand macro forces, regulation, and technology while also managing non‑finance functions such as IT and operations. He shares practical, experience‑based advice for aspiring and newly appointed CFOs on building external peer networks, developing strategic and listening skills, embracing AI for both efficiency and value creation, and navigating the psychological shift into the C‑suite. The episode delivers a clear message: technical finance skills get a professional into the CFO seat, but it is strategic thinking, curiosity, and people‑centric leadership that keep them there and drive impact. Key topics covered: Smarsh’s mission, regulatory moat, and AI‑native product strategy as the context for Ian Goodkind’s CFO role and growth mandate. The evolution of the CFO from “number cruncher” to strategic leader and trusted advisor, requiring deep understanding of the macro environment and industry dynamics. The importance of building and leveraging a peer network of CFOs to counter isolation, share best practices, and overcome imposter syndrome in the early stages of the role. How active listening, cross‑functional relationship‑building, and regular conversations with sales, strategy, IT and other leaders expand a CFO’s lens beyond purely financial metrics. Practical ways finance teams are already using AI for repetitive and manual processes, freeing capacity for higher‑value work while scaling without equivalent headcount growth. Why future‑ready finance functions must recruit and develop talent with automation and AI skills, positioning AI as an efficiency and empowerment tool rather than a headcount reduction lever. Links Ian Goodkind on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  0:00:00–0:00:02 – Introduction to Ian Goodkind and Smarsh; mission, customer base, regulatory focus, and the AI‑driven surveillance and compliance platform that frames his CFO mandate. 0:00:02–0:00:04 – Dual role of the CFO as steward of AI governance internally and advocate of secure, AI‑native products for highly regulated customers; addressing hallucination and data security concerns. 0:00:04–0:00:07 – Strategic “bowling pin” growth framework: moving from archiving to data capture, surveillance, and intelligence; using proprietary data and regulatory specialization as a durable moat. 0:00:09–0:00:12 – Advice to aspiring and new CFOs: study the macro environment, understand industry risk beyond the “four walls” of the company, and embrace the role as a core strategist. 0:00:12–0:00:15 – Transition from finance operator to trusted advisor: understanding what keeps the C‑suite and board awake at night, widening the lens beyond pure financial risk. 0:00:15–0:00:19 – Managing the psychological shift into the CFO role: imposter syndrome, the loneliness of the C‑suite, and how a structured peer network and mentoring mitigate these pressures. 0:00:19–0:00:22 – The role of active listening, curiosity, and deliberate calendar design—spending time with sales enablement, customers, and reading widely—to build a holistic, strategic viewpoint. 0:00:22–0:00:25 – Overseeing IT as a CFO: why previous collaboration on systems, ERPs, and audit committees makes the transition manageable, and how strong IT leadership complements the role. 0:00:25–0:00:28 – Concrete examples of AI in finance like automating repetitive accounting, payroll, and manual processes; setting explicit AI efficiency goals for each sub‑team. 0:00:28–0:00:31 – Experimenting with AI in day‑to‑day management (e.g., job descriptions, process benchmarking) and the challenge of training and upskilling finance teams in a rapidly evolving AI landscape. 0:00:31–0:00:33 – Reframing AI as a scaling and engagement tool, using automation to avoid adding headcount while removing boring, repetitive work so finance professionals can focus on higher‑value activities. 0:00:33–0:00:34 – Why intelligence and risk insight on top of longstanding archiving and capture capabilities represent the next game‑changing phase for regulated industries. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #277 How CFOs Scale to $100M+ Without Leaving Xero, David Tuck, Founder, Mayday and Kate Hayward, Managing Director UK, Xero 31.03.2026 29min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } 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 scaling to $100M+ in revenue, and running sizeable in-house finance functions, while staying on Xero and surrounding it with a best-in-class ecosystem of tools. The discussion moves from the origins and purpose of Xero as a cloud-based system of record through to the realities of scaling with an app stack versus undertaking a disruptive ERP migration. David and Kate share evidence from dozens of growing businesses, highlighting how Xero plus Mayday and complementary apps are delivering better, cheaper, and faster outcomes compared with traditional ERP transformations. They also explore how AI and automation are reshaping month-end, reporting, and forecasting, positioning Xero and its ecosystem as “AI winners” rather than legacy holdovers. The result is a practical, evidence-backed roadmap for CFOs who want to keep their finance function agile, tech-enabled, and focused on value creation rather than costly system overhauls. At its core, this episode underscores why the default assumption for modern CFOs should be to scale on Xero with an ecosystem, only moving to ERP when there is a truly critical business reason to do so. It frames the Xero-based tech stack not as a compromise, but as an empowered, future-ready platform for ambitious mid-market finance teams who want to avoid unnecessary transformation risk while still achieving enterprise-grade capabilities. Key topics covered: The guests dismantle the myth that growing companies must abandon Xero as they scale, showing multiple examples of businesses surpassing $50–100M+ in revenue while remaining on Xero with an ecosystem of specialist apps. David introduces the CFO Tech Stack community and the State of the Stack report, explaining how it provides psychological safety and precedent for finance leaders who want to scale on Xero rather than defaulting to ERP. Kate explains Xero’s original mission as a single cloud-based system of record for small and mid-sized businesses, and outlines how it now supports larger, multi-entity and franchise-style organizations through integration with a rich app ecosystem. The conversation details common components of a modern Xero-based finance stack including reporting, operations (AP, payroll, spend, FX, inventory, billing), and planning tools, and how these collectively rival or surpass ERP capabilities. Both speakers stress the risks and weak business cases of unnecessary ERP transformations, arguing that many scale-ups should prioritize growth, fundraising, and market expansion over complex finance system migrations. They explore how AI and automation are being embedded into Xero and Mayday, turning Xero from a system of record into a system of action and decision-making, and automating month-end tasks like intercompany reconciliations and revenue recognition. Links David Tuck on LinkedIn Kate Hayward on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  00:00:00 – 00:00:05 – Introduction to the episode, guests, and core premise: can CFOs scale past perceived Xero “limits” without moving to ERP? 00:00:05 – 00:00:07 – Kate outlines Xero’s origin story and its role as a single source of truth for small and medium businesses needing real-time financial insight. 00:00:07 – 00:00:10 – Discussion of how far Xero can scale, including examples of larger, multi-entity businesses successfully running on Xero with an app ecosystem. 00:00:10 – 00:00:13 – David breaks down the State of the Stack report: core infrastructure and the main categories of apps (reporting, operations, planning) that typically surround Xero. 00:00:13 – 00:00:16 – Kevin explains GrowCFO’s independent stance on technology and why GrowCFO chose to sponsor the State of the Stack report for the CFO community. 00:00:16 – 00:00:19 – Deep dive into the myth of “outgrowing Xero” and the importance of proving that many mid-market businesses can and do scale on Xero plus a tech stack. 00:00:19 – 00:00:23 – Discussion of the real cost and distraction of ERP transformations, and why many high-growth CFOs should avoid them unless there is a compelling business case. 00:00:23 – 00:00:29 – Exploration of AI-native platforms vs. Xero ecosystem: how Xero and Mayday are integrating AI for decisioning, automation, and month-end efficiency. 00:00:31 – 00:00:33 – Call to action: how finance leaders can access the State of the Stack report and join the upcoming webinar to see real-life examples of Xero-based scaling. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #276 Why Information Security Is Now a CFO Responsibility, Howard Francioni, Lead Auditor, Akton Boundrie Group 24.03.2026 32min

  .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } 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 attacks can halt production, disrupt supply chains, destroy value, and inflict long‑term brand damage, issues that sit squarely in the CFO’s remit of safeguarding enterprise value. From there, the discussion moves into practical guidance for finance leaders who may not have a CISO or large security team. Howard explains how CFOs can embed information security into risk registers, adopt a “defense in depth” mindset across customers and suppliers, and drive culture change around password hygiene, endpoint security, backups, and data leakage prevention. The episode concludes with forward‑looking insights on AI, data governance, and why standards such as ISO 27001 and ISO 42001 offer powerful frameworks—even for smaller, growing finance organizations—to systematically reduce cyber and data risks. Key topics covered: Why information security has shifted from a pure IT concern to a strategic CFO responsibility, given its impact on operations, finances, and reputation. Real‑world breach examples (e.g., Jaguar Land Rover, Marks & Spencer, Co‑op) showing how attacks on suppliers can cascade through the entire value chain. Practical foundations of defense in depth: robust password hygiene, secure endpoint configuration, dual user/admin accounts, disk encryption, patching, VPN use, and regular device hygiene. The critical difference between data leakage and data loss, and how everyday behaviors, such as conversations on trains or visible screens, can quietly leak sensitive information. How immutable offline backups and structured risk registers enable organizations to survive ransomware incidents without paying attackers. Emerging risks from AI and agents: systems built without security by design, hallucinations, IP ownership issues, and the need for AI‑specific governance frameworks like ISO 42001. About Howard Francioni Howard Francioni is an Information Security specialist with nearly two decades of experience in the card-payments industry—one of the most heavily targeted sectors for cyber-attacks—working across ATMs, POS, online payments, and MOTO environments. He led projects including pioneering contactless EMV acceptance in mass transit for Transport for London and building secure X.509 infrastructures for payment terminals, while also heading a PCI DSS function supporting around 140,000 merchants with data-driven compliance and breach investigations. Today, he helps organizations develop ISO/IEC 27001-aligned information security frameworks and serves as an independent auditor for UKAS-accredited certification bodies, combining consultancy and auditing to strengthen organizational security practices. Links Howard Francioni on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  00:00:38 – Howard explains how breaches cause production outages, operational disruption, and severe reputational harm—core concerns for any CFO. 00:02:21 – Discussion of how threat actors target less secure suppliers to reach larger organizations, and why CFOs must think in terms of ecosystem‑wide defense in depth. 00:05:00 – Howard outlines the three recurring problem areas he sees: poor password hygiene, insecure endpoints, and lack of a healthy “suspicious mindset” among staff. 00:10:19 – Concrete measures for devices, including PIN/biometric login, dual standard/admin accounts, disk encryption, patching, reboots, local backups, and use of VPNs on public networks. 00:18:23 – Stories about overheard conversations, visible screens, and password Post‑its illustrate how data can be leaked without being “lost,” and why leakage is often more insidious. 00:21:26 – Howard stresses that once files are encrypted, recovery is only possible if immutable, offline backups and clear mitigation actions were in place beforehand. 00:28:27 – Comparison between how the internet was built without security in mind and how AI is repeating the pattern, plus why AI‑specific standards are now essential. 00:35:52 – Kevin summarizes what CFOs should do next: understand potential large‑scale and insider risks, quantify reputational impact, and implement practical controls ahead of any incident. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #275 How to Choose Between AI-Native Tools and Proven Finance Platforms, Gavin McGahey, CTO & Co-Founder, AccountsIQ 17.03.2026 28min

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_IZQTzJDcg .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } 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 gamble on tools that prioritise novelty over reliability. Gavin traces the evolution of AccountsIQ from its origins in 2005 as an early web‑based accounting solution through to today’s environment of interoperability, APIs, and embedded AI. He explains how AI is already transforming finance operations, particularly through automation, document capture, and coding, while stressing that trust, transparency, and explainability must sit at the core of any finance AI strategy. Rather than chasing hype, he argues that finance leaders should look for platforms that build AI as an assistive, tightly‑scoped layer on top of robust, battle‑tested financial controls. Across the discussion, listeners hear a pragmatic framework for evaluating AI in finance systems: can it be trusted, can users see what it is doing, and can auditors trace its outcomes? Gavin shares how AccountsIQ is using AI agents, machine learning and long‑standing technologies such as OCR to remove bottlenecks, from invoice coding to bank reconciliation, without undermining control or data privacy. The episode offers CFOs and finance leaders a grounded, practitioner’s view of how to balance innovation with reliability when selecting their next generation of finance technology. Key topics covered: Gavin outlines the 20‑year journey of AccountsIQ from early “web‑based” accounting to a fully cloud, API‑driven platform serving modern finance teams. Gavin describes how AI and machine learning have already driven around 30% productivity gains in development and design workflows, accelerating both feature delivery and prototyping. Shadow AI and cautious CFO adoption: The discussion highlights the rise of shadow AI, staff using personal AI tools at work, and why CFOs are taking a measured, conservative approach to AI adoption in finance. Gavin explains why long‑standing finance systems with strong controls, security and compliance can be a safer bet than brand‑new “AI‑native” tools that may be inconsistent, opaque, or loose with data usage. AccountsIQ’s strategy focuses on tightly scoped, assistive AI agents that automate tasks such as invoice coding, expense processing and reconciliations, while keeping finance professionals firmly “in the loop”. Gavin closes with a simple evaluation lens for any finance AI solution: Can I trust it? Can I see what it’s doing? Can I audit the outcome? Links Gavin McGahey on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  00:03:06 – Discussion on interoperability, APIs, and the rise of connected finance stacks integrating expense tools, automation, and accounting platforms. 00:04:20 – Gavin reflects on AI as the biggest change of his 25‑year career, with examples of how tools like ChatGPT have transformed document creation and finance operations, and what Gartner data shows about a plateau in AI adoption. 00:07:34 – Deep dive into AccountsIQ’s assistive AI agents approach, focused on automating bottlenecks such as invoice coding, OCR‑based AP automation and bank reconciliation, rather than deploying uncontrolled chatbots over finance data. 00:10:10 – Core segment on AI‑native tools vs established platforms: Gavin explains why experience, financial controls, security, and predictable performance matter more than “AI‑washing” and why AccountsIQ doesn’t use customer finance data to train models. 00:14:37 – How regulation (e.g. EU AI Act), explainability, and audit trails are being baked into AI agents, and why transparency about how AI reaches its recommendations is critical in finance. 00:29:58 – The future role of finance teams: AI removing manual work, creating capacity rather than straightforward headcount cuts, and enabling more analytical, insight‑driven finance functions. 00:32:09 – Gavin’s closing advice to cautious CFOs: use the three‑question test—trust, visibility, and auditability, before committing to any AI‑driven finance solution. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net
• #274 How to Value Brand Equity in an M&A Deal, Stevey Arroyo, Founder & Partner, The Brand Exit 10.03.2026 37min

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niLFK8PzZfA .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } 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 professionals, learning how to value brand equity in an M&A deal has become essential to avoiding underpriced exits and capturing the full economic value of what has been built over years, if not decades. In this episode of The GrowCFO Show, host Kevin Appleby tackles a topic that is rapidly becoming mission-critical in corporate transactions: how to value brand equity in an M&A deal. Traditional deal models lean heavily on EBITDA multiples, revenue, and tangible assets, often sweeping brands into a vague “goodwill” bucket. Yet buyers are truly paying for demand, pricing power, and confidence in future cash flows, all of which are heavily influenced by brand equity. Failing to quantify this asset means many sellers unintentionally give away a significant portion of what they have built. To unpack this, Kevin is joined by Stevey Arroyo, Founder & Partner at The Brand Exit, who explains how a brand can be transformed from something “soft” and aesthetic into a measurable, auditable financial asset. Drawing on ISO 10668 and practical M&A experience, Stevey shows how tools like relief-from-royalty and replacement cost can be used to calculate brand value, justify premium multiples, and de-risk post-deal cash flows. For CFOs, founders, and deal professionals preparing for an exit or acquisition, the discussion offers a structured pathway to turning perceived brand value into defensible numbers that stand up in due diligence and negotiations. Key topics covered: Why treating brand equity as indistinct “goodwill” leads to incomplete valuations and allows sophisticated buyers to capture unpriced upside in M&A deals. How ISO 10668 and the relief-from-royalty approach can convert brand equity into a concrete number using projected revenues, replacement cost, discount rates, and market value assumptions. The role of brand in driving demand, pricing power, and quality of earnings, and why these factors often justify a higher multiple than the standard industry benchmark. Why effective exits start years in advance, with brand audits, evidence-building, and linkage of metrics like CAC, LTV, and ROAS to enterprise value, rather than last-minute positioning. How AI, SEO, and “answer engine optimization” (AEO) are reshaping discoverability, and why being the most specific, trusted brand in a crowded market will increasingly drive both deal flow and valuation. Case examples, from specialist properties to Pimlico Plumbers and Apple, illustrate how targeting the right buyer and properly articulating brand equity can multiply deal value well beyond the underlying assets.  Links Stevey Arroyo on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  00:00:00 – 00:05:00 – Kevin introduces the importance of valuing brand equity in M&A and welcomes guest Stevey Arroyo, who outlines his journey from creative agencies to brand-focused M&A. 00:05:00 – 00:15:00 – Why brand is more than logos and design; how brand equity sits behind customer preference, demand, and the very ability to sell a business versus a look alike competitor. 00:15:00 – 00:25:00 – Breakdown of ISO 10668, relief-from-royalty, replacement value, and market value—how these methods turn a brand into a certified, auditable asset in deals. 00:25:00 – 00:35:00 – Exit readiness and due diligence: brand audits, building a multi‑year “log of proof,” and linking marketing metrics to the de‑risking of future cash flows. 00:35:00 – 00:46:00 – AI-driven discoverability, examples like Pimlico Plumbers, and how both buyers and sellers can use brand equity strategically to identify bargains or justify a premium sale. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net