The Forward Thinking CFO

In this episode of The Forward Thinking CFO we speak to Pardip Khroud, CEO & Founder of Voyager Capital Partners.

Pardip draws on her experience from accounting, banking, and private equity to provide cost-effective help to small and medium-sized businesses to support them in driving growth and securing investment.

With a career spanning three decades, Pardip has substantial expertise in both the investment and business world. She has generated gains in excess of £500m in public equity and private equity transactions during her career so brings some incredible insights to this episode.

Having worked with a range of companies, from start-ups to PLCs, Pardip has developed an insightful perspective of what makes businesses thrive. She is truly passionate about building strong relationships with management teams and supporting them to build great businesses.

Listen to discover:

- The difference between venture capital and private equity

- Top things companies need to get right to secure investment

- Available schemes to support small start-up businesses

- The latest investor trends

If you’re an entrepreneur or CFO of a business looking for growth capital, this episode is packed full of practical advice.

If you want to find out more about Pardip, check out her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/pardip-khroud-a9166262

If you want to learn more about Voyager Capital Partners, have a look at their website at – https://voyagercp.com/

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected] with any feedback you have.

In this episode of The Forward Thinking CFO, we speak to Jonathan Keeling, VP at Crowdcube.

Crowdcube specialises in democratising access for both businesses and investors to buy shares in start-ups, and with their 1000+ portfolio having raised in excess of £7bn worldwide, they are one of the leading voices in crowdfunding.

A two-time TED talker, early on in his career Jonathan left what many would see as a dream job for a graduate at Centrica to join the founding team at the start-up Pavegen instead. He wanted to be somewhere where he could make as much impact as possible.

It’s certainly paid off, and with so much experience in growing businesses from the ground up, Jonathan was full of great insights and insider knowledge.

Listen to discover:

Why, in a choice between working for a corporate or a start-up early in your career, you should always go with the start-up.

The power of inviting your customers to invest in your business.

The importance of understanding the risks involved in investing in small companies.

If you’re an entrepreneur or CFO interested in crowdfunding, this episode will give you a fascinating insight into what investors are looking for, and how the process works from start to finish.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected] with any feedback you have.

If you want to find out more about Jonathan, check out his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathankeeling/

If you want to learn more about Crowdcube, have a look at their website at – https://www.crowdcube.com

In this episode of The Forward Thinking CFO, we speak to Alistair Brew, an Investor at the Business Growth Fund.

Growing businesses will always need funding, which means that Alistair’s role as one of the key figures at BGF is to help CFOs at burgeoning organisations get their hands on all-important cash. At the last count, the fund had made over 400 investments since its launch in 2011.

Before joining the BGF, Alistair worked with Close Brothers and Octopus Ventures, building a seasoned career in small company investment. With so much experience in helping to fund businesses at important stages of their growth, Chris gave some priceless insights.

Listen below to discover:

- What sets BGF aside as a ‘different kind of investor’ to banks or PE houses

- The importance of long-term relationships between businesses and their investors.

- How Investor Committees work, and what they look for in companies.

If you’re an entrepreneur or CFO of a business looking for growth capital, this episode will give you a fascinating insight into what investors are ultimately looking for in a growing organisation.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected] with any feedback you have.

If you want to find out more about Alistair, check out his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-brew-316b3/

If you want to learn more about the Business Growth Fund, have a look at their website at – https://www.bgf.co.uk/

In this episode of The Forward Thinking CFO we’re doing something a little different.

With the end of 2021 on the horizon, we’re revisiting some of our favourite moments from across the series to highlight the brilliant insight and advice our guests have given, all focused on what it takes to build a successful career as a CFO.

You’ll hear from some of the most experienced and skilled CFOs and industry experts out there, including:

• James Davis, advisor to investment firm BGF

• Sahil Rishi, CFO at Sedgwick International UK

• Richard Evans, Finance Director at Excalibur Communications

• Mark Stevenson, Director of VTG AG

• Sean Watherston, CFO at UENI

• Chris Milne, CFO at Orbital Marin Power

• Rob Haxton, a veteran of Board level Group Finance Director roles

• Brian Jones, Head of Product at Excel

Our guests discuss how they made it to the top of their profession, including who helped them along the way, what challenges they had to overcome and how others can follow in their footsteps - not to mention what the future holds for CFOs.

This is a small snapshot of their wise words, but take a listen back through the episodes to make sure you get the benefit of all their knowhow and expertise.

So, take a seat, minimise your spreadsheet and enjoy the show.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected].

In the latest episode we speak to Chris Milne, the CFO at Orbital Marine Power.

Orbital Marine Power are pioneering tidal energy at a time when climate change is nearing the top of the government’s agenda. And with the right backing, it could conceivably become a case of being in exactly the right place at the right time – one of the many reasons why we were so excited to catch up with Chris for our podcast.

Before joining Orbital, Chris worked with SSE Generation and Scottish Renewables, so very much built his career in the Energy sector. With so much experience in the sector, raising funds and building businesses that are both economically sound and commercially rewarding, Chris gave some great insights, including:

•The importance of finding early stage market support when building your business, so you can look for bigger investment as soon as you’re ready to scale.

•The benefits of crowdfunding, how it reduces the risk for potential investors and increases market visibility, especially if you are creating that market yourself.

•And how the key to becoming a great CFO is to work hard and genuinely enjoy what you’re doing.

We really enjoyed speaking to Chris – it’s such an exciting time to be working in the Energy sector, and he is so passionate about what he does.

Whether you’re looking to break into the Energy sector, or you’re a seasoned CFO yourself, today’s episode will give you a fascinating insight into a truly rewarding career in finance.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected] with any feedback you have.

If you want to find out more about Chris, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-milne-7827b947/

If you want to learn more about Orbital Marine Power, have a look at their website at - https://orbitalmarine.com/

In today’s episode we speak to Rob Haxton, a Board level Group Finance Director, currently working at Blast.TV.

Rob’s career is about as varied as they come. He’s always kept an eye on his CV with his career moves – making sure he builds on his experience and becomes as well-rounded as possible. As he points out, being a great CFO means understanding the whole business, not just your own area of expertise.

With such a successful career in so many areas of the entertainment and publishing sector, Rob has amassed a wealth of expert knowledge.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

• How it pays to be prudent when working on a budget – figuring that one awkward meeting at the beginning of the year, followed by 11 good ones where you’ve over-delivered is preferable to the other way around.

• How working for smaller companies is often more rewarding than working at larger ones, because you can see first-hand the impact of your decisions on the business.

• And how becoming a great CFO requires you to be an expert communicator with all departments across the business.

It was so great speaking to Rob and finding out more about his experiences and the challenges he’s faced along the way.

Whether you’re just at the start of your finance career or a CFO yourself, today’s episode will give you a lingering snapshot of what a varied and successful career in finance can look like.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Rob, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-haxton-324a847/

If you want to learn more about Blast.TV, have a look at their website at - https://www.blast.tv/

Welcome back, for the second part of our conversation with Microsoft Excel’s Head of Product, Brian Jones.

In today’s episode, we delve deeper into the evolution of Excel and the innovations that are keeping it ahead of the competition.

We discuss what the future holds for Excel and the various opportunities for its customers, including:

- How it’s catering to a range of different users and making more complex tools more accessible for different customer groups.

- The increasing ability to build automated processes in Excel without the need for coding skills.

- And the drive to bring Excel’s full capabilities to all platforms, including its web application.

This episode will give you a rare opportunity to look at the inner workings of a product so many of us rely on.

If you’re a CFO, you’re going to want to listen all the way to the end as this interview will give you a great understanding of the advances that are coming to your screen soon.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Brian, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brijones/

And to learn more about Excel, head to the Microsoft website - https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/excel

Today’s guest is the first non-CFO to feature on the podcast, but it’s fair to say he has a profound impact on almost every Finance professional’s working life.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Microsoft’s Head of Product for Excel, Brian Jones and we had so much to talk about that we’ve decided to split this episode into a two-part special for you.

Having started his career at Microsoft more than 20 years ago, Brian now leads all Excel development and is responsible for keeping Excel at the cutting edge of what’s possible.

In today’s part one, we talk everything Excel, including:

- How Microsoft’s commitment to nurturing creativity and collaboration are key to the success of Excel and the entire Office suite.

- How customers are constantly pushing Excel’s boundaries to create their own ingenious solutions and applications.

- And the increasing value of artificial intelligence in helping users get the most from Excel.

It was fascinating to hear about Brian’s journey at Microsoft and get a behind-the-scenes peek into Excel’s development.

This episode will give you a much deeper understanding of Excel’s growing capabilities and what it takes to keep a product like this at the top of its game for so many years.

This is just part one, and if you enjoy this, you’ll definitely want to make a note to come back for part two next week.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Brian, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brijones/

And to learn more about Excel, head to the Microsoft website - https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/excel

In today’s episode we speak to Duncan Hayward, CFO at Pacific Life Re.

Duncan’s impressive career is testament to the importance of spotting opportunities when they arise. As he points out in this episode, he has only had five job interviews in his entire life, and while in almost every case he’s been offered a role, it’s not always been the one he initially went in for.

With such a successful career, Duncan has many great insights for anyone aiming to become a CFO. In this episode we discuss a whole range of them, including:

- How he overcame a turbulent start at Pacific Life Re and how that shaped the next 12 years of his career.

- The significant changes he’s seen in insurance over the past 12 months and how he sees the market changing as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.

- And how becoming a CFO can often mean you’re spending less time looking at finances, and more at how the back office is functioning in a business.

It was an absolute pleasure speaking to Duncan and finding out more about the challenges he’s faced throughout his career.

Whether you’re just at the start of your finance career or you’re a fellow CFO navigating Covid-19, today’s episode will give you a great insight into the changing landscape of finance in the insurance market.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Duncan, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-hayward-6a105616/

If you want to learn more about Pacific Life Re, have a look at their website at - https://www.pacificlifere.com/

In episode 6 of the Forward Thinking CFO, we speak to Darrell Cox, Chief Financial Officer at our technology partner, Vena Solutions.

Vena is a leading cloud technology platform in the corporate performance management arena and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Darrell joined Vena in 2014 as CFO at the very early stages of its growth journey and was the first non-founding member of the management team. He has since overseen the scaling up and rapid growth of the business. This experience and his early adventures in finance, and even door to door sales, have shaped him into the down to earth and authentic CFO we speak with today.

Darrell's journey and insights provide many topics to explore, including:

- The importance of a robust management operating process across multiple dimensions of a CFOs playbook

- How the role of the CFO is one of storytelling, building trust, and motivating and aligning individuals and teams

- And we also talked about the dynamic and impactful role of the CFO in balancing growth, cash, and the timing, frequency, and size of fundraising activities in a high growth environment.

Darrell shared with us the importance he places on authenticity as a finance professional, and how essential that is in the DNA of today's forward thinking CFO.

We had a great time recording this conversation with Darrell and personally took away some great gems of insight, which we believe you will benefit from.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Darrell, check out his LinkedIn profile - www.linkedin.com/in/darrell-cox-547a461

If you want to learn more about Vena Solutions, have a look at their website at - www.venasolutions.com