In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Susanne Chishti to explore the growing pressure on CFOs operating in today’s increasingly complex financial environment, from geopolitical shocks to shrinking margins and fragmented data systems.

This conversation is created in collaboration with Pleo, and highlights their work in modernising the CFO’s office through real-time visibility, automated treasury workflows, and embedded finance capabilities that unify spend across the business.

Tony and Susanne dive deep into findings from Pleo’s Decision-Making Report 2025, including:

💡 Over 50% of UK decision-makers experience “decision freeze” due to a lack of real-time data

💡 Finance teams spend 26+ hours per week on manual treasury tasks

💡 Many organisations still make decisions based on “feeling” rather than evidence

💡 Fragmented systems slow down business agility and innovation

They also unpack how tools such as Pleo Embedded (their new embedded finance solution) and the Cash Management Suite are helping CFOs automate treasury operations, consolidate financial data, and accelerate decision-making with greater clarity and control.

Whether you're a CFO, operator, finance leader, or founder, this episode offers practical insights into the future of financial decision-making — and why integrated tooling is now essential rather than optional.

🔗 Learn More:

Tony Clark: linkedin.com/in/tclark100

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

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

Susanne Chishti: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susannechishti/

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

"From Good to Great" by Jim Collins: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Great-Companies-published-HarperBusiness/dp/B00E327SVA/ref=asc_df_B00E327SVA?mcid=ff85ddadb41e3021bd513644d3a153d5&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=781457465012&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6936681774339943281&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045984&hvtargid=pla-2444989498790&psc=1&hvocijid=6936681774339943281-B00E327SVA-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1