The Forward Thinking CFO

In today’s episode we speak to Richard Evans, Finance Director at IT specialists, Excalibur Communications. Richard joined the team in 2017 to help make their latest management buyout a success, within just 18 months.

Successfully managing a disposal, acquisition and management buyout is a career-defining moment for many finance professionals. Richard has ticked all three off his list already, gaining a wealth of expertise along the way.

With such a range of experiences, there were plenty of topics for us to dive into and Richard had some brilliant insights for fellow Finance executives, including:

- How you can overcome the challenges of buying and building businesses overseas from understanding different laws and tax return requirements to operating effectively across time zones.

- Why investing time in creating an effective financial model is critical when it comes to convincing banks to back your management buyout.

- And how to make reliable financial forecasts, when there is very little relevant data to base them on, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was so interesting talking to Richard. Not only does he provide revealing details about the key moments in his career - he shows what it takes to become a top CFO, from mastering the small details to providing real value to the CEO and board.

Whatever point you’re at in your finance career, listening to Richard will give you a clear idea of how to take your next step and seize opportunities that come your way.

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 Richard, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-evans-91032898/

If you want to learn more about Excalibur Communications, have a look at their website at - www.excaliburcomms.co.uk

We speak to Finance professionals on a daily basis and almost all of us got into the industry because we were good with numbers. But as today’s guest will tell you - to successfully progress to the top and become one of the very best CFOs, there’s many more skills you’ll need to master.

In today’s episode, we speak to James Davis, Advisor at BGF, one of the UK’s most active investment companies, providing venture capital for high growth small and medium-sized businesses.

After spending 8 years at one of the UK’s leading accounting firms, James took the bold step to join, what was back then, the small spread betting start up, Sporting Index. He played an instrumental role in growing Sporting Index and later on uSwitch, ultimately helping both businesses successfully sell in multi-million-pound deals.

With nearly two decades of hands-on CFO experience, including four successful exits, James now lends his years of knowledge to the SME businesses in BGF’s growing portfolio.

With James’s wealth of experience, we had a lot to unpack in this episode and there’s so much valuable detail for anyone looking to scale a company, including:

- His insights on choosing exit routes and identifying potential buyers for companies who have undergone a period of rapid growth

- The four key drivers for valuing your business, and why you should always be prepared to walk away from a deal that isn’t right

- And James’s advice for CFOs on avoiding the uncertainty of the coming 12 months and why embracing automation will help you succeed in the long term.

We really enjoyed this conversation with James, and it was fascinating to learn more about his own CFO experience and his advice for businesses now that he’s moved over to the advisory side.

So, whether you’re currently working towards becoming a CFO, or you’re already at the helm and looking at ways to scale your business or prepare for a sale, we know you’re going to get so much value from this episode.

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 James, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesecdavis/

If you want to learn more about BGF, have a look at their website at - https://www.bgf.co.uk/

If you’ve enjoyed the podcast series so far, please pass it on to colleagues and friends who might be interested and why not subscribe using for favourite podcast app so you don’t miss future episodes of the Forward Thinking CFO.

In today’s episode, we speak to Sahil Rishi, CFO at Sedgwick International UK, the leading provider of insurance and company benefits solutions to businesses all over the world.

Unlike many who know that Finance is the career for them from the time they go to university, Sahil’s journey was rather different. He was set on making it in the world of entertainment before a chance call from a recruiter which led him down a different path.

After training with Moore Stephens, Sahil jumped out into industry with MF Global. Finding himself in the middle of a high-profile chapter 11 bankruptcy and the liquidation of the now defunct fund manager.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, he then moved to The Cambian Group, playing an instrumental role in the IPO and subsequent restructure and formation of the finance function that followed.

Sahil knew that he wanted to climb to the top in finance and following his success at Cambian, went on to become UK Finance Director for Egon Zehnder before landing his first CFO role, at Sedgwick International.

For many Finance professionals, a chapter 11 bankruptcy or an IPO is a career defining event. Something that happens ‘once in a lifetime’. Sahil’s been through both and much more on top of that.

With such an eventful career to date, it was great to have a chance to speak to him for the podcast and dig deep into his career and advice for finance professionals like you, looking to make it to the top. We cover a whole host of topics, including:

• Sahil’s candid insights on major bankruptcy and a large-scale IPO and his advice for you if you’re managing a major financial event for your company, good or bad.

• What challenges he faced when he took on his first CFO role at Sedgwick and how Covid-19 has affected both, his plans for the Finance function and his role throughout 2020.

• And his advice to aspiring CFOs, why you need to be seen as a ‘driver of change’ and the skills you need to focus on as you progress through your Finance career.

We really enjoyed this conversation with Sahil. His first-hand experience working on some notable finance events was truly fascinating and this conversation is packed full of advice to help you.

Whether you’re currently working on an IPO or you’re wanting to know what you need to do to take the next step up in your career, we know you’re going to enjoy this interview.

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 Sahil, check out his LinkedIn profile at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahil-rishi-1922b649/

If you want to learn more about Sedgwick, have a look at their website at - https://www.sedgwick.com/

If you’ve enjoyed the podcast series so far, please pass it on to colleagues and friends who might be interested.

In today’s episode, we speak to Sean Watherston, CFO at UENI – the London based tech company, dedicated to shifting the balance between independent business and larger franchises, by helping small businesses find the services and tools they need to succeed.

Sean started his career at Ernst and Young, before moving into investment banking with Credit Suisse and then Commerzbank.

Following his time at Commerzbank, he became the in-house banker at Avanti Communications, where he was involved in a number of high-profile equity raises for communications satellite launches, including one for Elon Musk’s Space X.

In 2013, Sean landed his first CFO role at online fashion retailer Brand Alley, which he joined following the MBO from News International. From that point onwards, Sean held multiple CFO roles at a range of rapidly growing tech companies before joining the team at UENI earlier this year.

In today’s conversation, Sean shares a wealth of valuable insights from his journey to becoming a CFO, including:

• The benefits of working with early stage and rapid growth companies and how they can help you accelerate your journey to becoming a CFO

• The top priorities for today’s Finance function and why automation and AI will create more opportunities for accountants – even if career coaches tell you otherwise

• And Sean’s four key pearls of wisdom that will help you gain the skills, experience and contacts it takes to become a great CFO.

It was great to learn more about Sean’s rare combination of finance, strategy and investment banking experience, and find out why he chose to work with early stage and rapid growth companies, rather than with the FTSE 100 or 250 firms that many perceive as a more secure career.

Whether you’re already a CFO, on the path towards a CFO position or you’re currently in a different role and want to switch tracks, we know you’ll get a lot of value from today’s episode.

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 Sean, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanwatherston/

In today's episode, which is the very first episode of our brand new series, The Forward Thinking CFO, we had the pleasure of speaking to Mark Stevenson, Director of VTG AG – one of Europe’s leading rail logistics companies.

Mark’s rise through the ranks to CFO is fascinating, especially considering he studied Modern Languages at University – not the most obvious springboard for a future CFO.

Mark started his finance career at Price Waterhouse, before a stint in consulting where he worked as an advisor to AAE, later joining them as CFO in 1994.

In 2006, Mark became AAE’s CEO before the company was acquired by competitor VTG in 2015, a merger that gave VTG the biggest privately owned fleet of rolling stock in Europe, with more than 94,000 railcars on its books.

In today’s conversation, Mark shares a wealth of valuable insights from his journey to becoming a CFO, including:

• The insider’s story on the much talked about JV with Andreas Goer and GATX, and Mark’s key learnings from that roller coaster process.

• His experience of going from a private to a public company, following the acquisition of AAE by VTG, the challenges that Mark faced as part of the acquisition and how he overcame them.

• And Mark’s advice on what it takes to make it to CFO and how the basic building blocks of a great CFO remain the same, no matter the company size, structure, or industry you’re in.

We spoke to Mark a few days after he had closed a debt raise of €2.9bn. It was great to have an industry leader like Mark set the bar for the first episode of The Forward Thinking CFO and we know you’re going to really enjoy this conversation.

Whether you’re currently a CFO, just starting out in your career in finance or you’re on the path towards your first CFO role, we're certain you’ll benefit from Mark’s invaluable advice.

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 Mark, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-stevenson-474349134/