Sumeet Agrawal is the Founder & Managing Partner at SmartScale Finance, a firm providing fractional CFO and operations consulting services to life sciences, deep tech, and AI startups. He brings over 15 years of experience in finance, strategy, and operations across the biotech and technology sectors. At SmartScale, he helps early-stage companies scale without the cost of a full-time CFO. Before founding the company, Sumeet held executive and financial leadership roles overseeing strategy, accounting, HR, IT, and business planning.

In this episode…

Modern CFOs are no longer just number crunchers — they're storytellers, strategists, and relationship architects. As AI transforms the business landscape, finance leaders face mounting pressure to connect insights with action and influence stakeholders across the organization. So, what separates the CFOs who lead from those who merely report?

According to Sumeet Agrawal, a seasoned finance leader and strategic advisor, mastering storytelling and relationships is what elevates today's CFOs. He highlights that financial strategy is no longer about perfect spreadsheets but about translating data into compelling narratives that align teams and drive decisions. By combining empathy with analytics, CFOs can bridge gaps between investors, executives, and employees. Sumeet believes that in the age of AI, the most effective finance leaders will strike a balance between human insight and technological power to shape the future of business.

In this episode of the Level Up, Nick Araco sits down with Sumeet Agrawal, Founder & Managing Partner at SmartScale Finance, to discuss why modern CFOs must master relationships, storytelling, and AI. They explore how finance leaders can navigate misaligned expectations, build trust across departments, and use AI to communicate complex ideas with clarity. Sumeet also shares lessons in leadership, resilience, and strategic decision-making from his career journey.