🎙️ In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Søren Westh Lonning, CFO of Pleo, about how finance leaders are navigating an era of growing complexity, higher expectations, and mounting pressure — and why too many organisations are still making decisions based on hindsight rather than foresight.

Søren shares Pleo’s growth journey, scaling from €65m to €165m in ARR in just three years, and explains how the company has evolved from a simple expense management tool into a comprehensive spend and cash management platform designed to support real-time, confident decision-making across finance teams.

Drawing on insights from Pleo’s Decision-Making Report, the conversation explores a stark reality facing finance leaders today: 58% of financial decision-makers — and 65% of CFOs — are making more high-level decisions than ever before, yet confidence remains low. Nearly half have experienced decision-freeze, and 41% of decisions are made without full confidence, often due to fragmented systems and a lack of contextual, real-time data.

Tony and Søren unpack what’s driving this — from rising geopolitical and economic pressures to greater business ambition — and discuss how modern finance teams can rethink strategy to stay effective. Central to this shift is enabling teams to move from hindsight to foresight, using real-time visibility, analytics, automation, and AI to guide decisions before opportunities are missed.

The episode also dives into how Pleo helps finance teams build trust across the business, forge stronger data-driven partnerships, invest more intelligently, and ensure cash works harder through smarter optimisation. Søren reflects on maintaining culture during rapid scale, the role of strategic partnerships, and practical advice for FinTech founders looking to achieve lasting product-market fit.

📌 Topics Covered

• Why CFOs are under more pressure — and less confident — than ever

• Insights from Pleo’s Decision-Making Report

• The cost of decision-freeze and fragmented financial data

• Moving finance teams from hindsight to foresight

• Real-time visibility, analytics, and AI in modern finance

• Scaling from expense management to full spend & cash management

• Maintaining culture and trust during rapid growth

• Strategic partnerships and the future roadmap for Pleo

🔗 Learn More:

Tony Clark: linkedin.com/in/tclark100

The London Fintech Podcast: https://londonfintechpodcast.com

Pleo: https://www.pleo.io/en

Søren Westh Lonning: https://www.linkedin.com/in/s%C3%B8ren-westh-lonning/

Pleo Decision-Making Report 2025: https://content.pleo.io/en/decisions-report-2025

Explore Pleo Embedded Finance: https://embedded.pleo.io/news/pleo-embedded-official-launch

Pleo Cash Management Suite: https://www.pleo.io/en/cash-management

NextWave Consulting: https://www.nxwave.com/

Go Beyond The Podcast: https://resources.nxwave.com/hub/london-fintech-podcast?c=cG9zdDo5OTI5NzY%3D&nav=aHViX3BhZ2U6MTA%3D&s=null

On My Watch: Leading NATO in a Time of War: https://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Watch-Leading-NATO-Time/dp/0008708746

How Big Things Get Done: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Big-Things-Get-Done/dp/1035018950/