CFO 4.0 Podcast

This week on CFO 4.0 returning guest Ilana Esterrich joins Hannah Munro to challenge traditional thinking around ROI and introduce a more meaningful measure of success: return on change. Together, they explore why adoption, attention and organisational behaviour play a crucial role in whether transformation delivers lasting value.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why traditional ROI calculations often fail to tell the full story.
• What "return on change" means and why leaders should measure it alongside ROI.
• How attention audits can uncover low-value work and hidden inefficiencies.
• The importance of deciding what work will stop before introducing new technology.
• How to support teams through adoption challenges and post-launch productivity dips

In this CFO 4.0 Revisited episode, Hannah Munro talks with Jeremy Foster, now CFO at Kasasa and formerly CFO of Talroo, to explore why some of the most effective finance leaders don't fit the traditional CFO mould.

Jeremy shares his unconventional journey to the CFO seat and explains how stepping beyond conventional finance thinking can help organisations move faster, make better decisions, and support sustainable growth.

Also covered on the podcast



• Jeremy's unconventional path to becoming a CFO
• Why modern CFOs need to think beyond traditional finance
• Building agile, high-performing finance teams
• Approaches to scaling finance in high-growth businesses
• Making smarter marketing investment decisions
• The tools and practices behind an agile finance function

In this episode of CFO 4.0 Revisited, Hannah Munro is joined by Andrew MacAskill, Founder of Executive Career Jump and a finance professional dedicated to helping senior leaders accelerate their careers. Together, they explore what organisations are really looking for in CFOs, how finance professionals can position themselves for new opportunities, and the practical steps finance leaders can take to future-proof their careers.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• What organisations look for when hiring CFOs and finance leaders
• How to identify the right company and role for your skills, ambitions, and values
• Ways to stand out and get noticed during a job search
• Alternative career paths beyond traditional CFO and Finance Director roles
• Practical advice for future-proofing your finance career in a changing business environment

Links mentioned in episode

• Follow Andrew on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Executive Career Jump
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

In this episode of CFO 4.0, Hannah Munro speaks with Evan Campbell, author of Adapt to Win, about the often-overlooked gap between strategy and execution. From allocating resources effectively to prioritising the right initiatives and measuring success, Evan shares practical insights for finance leaders looking to maximise returns on strategic investments. The discussion explores how CFOs can create alignment across the business, improve decision-making, and drive lasting competitive advantage.

Key topics include:

• Connecting strategy to investment decisions
• Portfolio management techniques for modern finance teams
• Avoiding common pitfalls in strategic execution
• Creating accountability across the organisation
• Making better decisions with limited resources

Links mentioned in episode:

• Evan's Linkedin
• Evan's book Adapt to Win
• Learn more about Chinoock Ranch Consulting
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

In this episode of The Fractional CFO Files, Hannah Munro is joined by Adrian Message from The CFO Centre to explore what truly defines a successful fractional CFO. Drawing on years of experience supporting businesses through growth, change and uncertainty, Adrian shares why trust, adaptability and strong relationships often matter more than technical expertise alone.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How fractional CFOs adapt their approach to meet the unique needs of each business and build trusted relationships with founders and leadership teams.
• Why emotional intelligence, honesty and difficult conversations are often just as important as financial expertise.
• How CFOs can enable growth by moving beyond transactions and controls to focus on strategy, education and business improvement.
• Practical lessons from Adrian's career, including scaling businesses, navigating financial challenges and helping finance leaders create greater impact.

Links mentioned in this episode

• Adrian's Linkedin
• Learn more about The CFO centre
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

In this episode of CFO 4.0, host Hannah Munro is joined by Nicola Horton, Principal at the CFO Centre, to explore what it really takes to step up into the CFO seat and thrive once you're there

Nicola draws on her own journey from financial controller to CFO, including leading a business turnaround in her first CFO role, as well as nine years spent coaching finance leaders through that same transition - sharing practical lessons on everything from building the right team to nurturing bank relationships that take years to earn trust.

In this episode we cover:

• Why starting a CFO role at a new company can be easier than an internal promotion
• The most common gap when people step up: letting go of the detail and thinking strategically
• How to build trust with your bank long before you need their support
• Why "the right team" matters more than almost anything else
• How to bring a reluctant owner-manager or board on side with bigger decisions
• Nicola's advice for making the most of your first 100 days in a new CFO role

Links mentioned:

• Nicola's Linkedin
• Learn more about The CFO centre
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

This week we're revisiting Hannah Munro's conversation with Ash Noah, VP & Managing Director of Learning, Education and Development at AICPA & CIMA, on the mindset shifts CFOs need to close the gap between what finance delivers and what the business actually needs.

This episode covers:

• Why finance is hitting 90% on governance but only 40% on business guidance — and how to close that gap
• Building a value creation mindset by understanding your business model, not just costs and profits
• Why an analytics mindset and a "digital first" approach are now essential, not optional
• How agile methodology and design thinking help CFOs become better problem solvers
• Ash's top tips for the first 90 days in a new CFO role — and why you need to "kick the tires and smell the diesel"

Links referenced in this episode:

• Ash's Linkedin
• Learn more about AICPA
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

Jack McCullough, President of the CFO Leadership Council, is back on CFO 4.0 to sit with Hannah to talk about the idea that every organisation has quiet specialists - rarely high on the org chart, rarely natural leaders who are so irreplaceable that losing them would do more damage than losing a member of the C-suite.

Jack introduces his new book "The Rodman Paradox". Borrowing his title from NBA legend Dennis Rodman (a specialist who never scored much but became, by some measures, the greatest winner in basketball history)

In this conversation, Jack and Hannah dig into:

• Why traditional org charts fail to capture who really holds a company together
• How to spot your own "Rodmans" using organisational network analysis
• Why promoting a Rodman is often the worst thing you can do for them (and for the business)
• How to recognise and reward specialists who don't want titles, meetings, or management responsibility
• Real stories from the book

Links mentioned in this episode

• Jack's Linkedin
• Learn more about The CFO Leadership Council
• Jack's Book The Rodman Paradox
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

Roger Castle is a fractional Finance Director and CFO with The CFO Centre. In this episode, Roger joins Hannah to unpack what it really takes to lead through change, from persuading a fast-growing team to accept its first-ever cost cuts, to helping SME owners turn vague ambitions into concrete, achievable growth plans. Roger shares the practical realities of working as a fractional CFO across multiple clients at once, and the mindset shift required to move from corporate scale to hands-on SME finance.

In this episode, they cover:

• Leading a workforce through its first-ever cost-cutting exercise
• Reading personality types to get sales, ops and product directors aligned around the numbers
• Turning short-term-focused CEOs into long-term planners
• Blending top-down market data with bottom-up revenue modelling
• Managing a management buyout alongside an incumbent FD

In this episode of CFO 4.0 Revisited, we're looking back at Hannah Munro's conversation with Sabrina Castiglione at the time, Chief Operating Officer at Pento, and now CFO at Omnea.

Sabrina's path into finance leadership is anything but conventional. She studied chemistry at university, spent years in financial services, then made the leap into startups as CFO at Tassie before stepping into the COO seat at Pento.

In this session, Hannah and Sabrina cover:

• How a business's needs shift as it moves from Seed to Series A and beyond
• What life as a startup CFO really looks like
• Making the move from CFO to COO
• The current landscape for startup funding
• How the economic climate has changed what investors look for
• People vs roles - what recruitment looks like inside a startup

Links mentioned in this episode

• Sabrina’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scastiglione/
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

In this episode of CFO Stories, Hannah is joined by Sophia Levell FCCA, CFO of Access Fertility and one of the youngest CFOs in the UK. Sophia shares the fast-tracked path that got her there and what she's learned since.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why she dropped out of college to start her ACCA journey early
• The mentor-shaped transition from finance operator to strategic CFO
• Hiring for complementary skills, not personality
• Building trust with the C-suite through constant, unfiltered communication
• Sophia's advice for anyone stepping into their first CFO role

Links mentioned

• Sophia's Linkedin
• Learn more about Access Fertility
• Learn more about ACCA
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

In this episode of the CFO 4.0 Podcast, host Hannah Munro is joined by returning guest Sara Daw, CEO of The CFO Centre Group, to explore how CFOs can build the right team around them from smart delegation to bringing in a fractional "CFO's CFO" for M&A, systems work, or steady-ship support.

In this episode:

• Why delegation should focus on outcomes, not tasks
• How to build a team that plays to individual strengths
• What to do when a delegated task goes wrong
• The emerging "CFO's CFO" model and when to use it
• Ground rules for successful peer-level fractional partnerships
• Why the future of executive work is a team sport, not a solo act

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Sara's Linkedin
• Learn more about the CFO centre
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

In this episode of CFO 4.0, Hannah Munro is joined by Clive Webb, Head of Business Management at ACCA, to discuss ACCA's report Career Paths Reimagined exploring how careers in finance are being reshaped by AI, demographics, and shifting expectations of work, and what CFOs need to do now to prepare their teams for the future.

In this episode, they cover:

• The eight key drivers reshaping careers in accountancy and finance
• Why the UK's ageing population and declining birth rate mean we'll all need to work longer
• How AI and automation are shifting organisations from a "pyramid" to a "diamond" structure
• Why curiosity is the standout skill for the human-machine era
• The balance of technical skills vs soft skills
• Practical advice for CFOs on developing talent pipelines and rethinking assumptions

Links mentioned:

• Clive’s Linkedin
• Learn more about ACCA
• Career Paths Reimagined report
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

In this episode of CFO 4.0 Revisited, we're looking back at episode 134, where Hannah Munro was joined by Ilana Esterrich, then CFO at Planned Parenthood, now CFO & Strategic Advisor for a rich conversation on sustainable transformational leadership.

Ilana shares her wealth of knowledge and experience in driving successful organisational transformations, highlighting the critical role change management plays in achieving lasting results.

In this episode, we cover:

• The significance of people skills in driving successful change
• How to communicate the "why" effectively and align it with individual motivations
• Creating a sense of one team and fostering a culture that's open to change
• Why reducing non-value-adding activities in finance processes matters

In this episode of CFO 4.0, Hannah Monro sits down with John Lees career strategist, coach, and author to unpack the real work behind a successful CFO transition.

John shares why your first 100 days actually begin long before day one, how to balance appearing confident with genuine curiosity, and the art of "checking in" with peers, stakeholders, and even the person on the security desk. He also digs into the people dynamics that make or break a new role: spotting enablers, navigating blockers, understanding personality at the top, and building trust across the C-suite fast.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The three biggest mistakes new CFOs make in their first 90 days
• How to practise "informed curiosity" to build credibility from day one
• Why due diligence on culture and people matters more than technical skills
• How to navigate difficult early conversations when the numbers don't add up
• The check-in framework for 30, 60, and 90 days and why it matters

Links mentioned in this episode

• John's Linkedin
• Learn more about John Lee's Associates
• John's Book "Get Ahead in Your New Job"
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

Financial decisions are rarely as rational as we think. In this episode, Hannah Munro is joined by Lesley Thomas, Founder of the Money Confidence Academy, to explore the hidden psychology driving the choices CFOs and finance leaders make every day.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why financial decisions are driven more by emotion than data
• The role your childhood relationship with money plays in your leadership style today
• How to separate personal identity from the decisions your role demands you make
• Why avoiding difficult conversations creates a "hidden tax" on your organisation's performance
• How to overcome decision paralysis and know when you have enough information to act
• The importance of building a culture where your team feels safe to share ideas and concerns
• Lesley's Five R's framework for making clearer, faster, and more confident decisions

Links mentioned

• Lesley's Linkedin
• Learn more about The Money Confidence Academy
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

CFO 4.0 is back! In this unmissable relaunch episode, Hannah Munro sits down with Tomas Hollington, Director of Technology at BW Workplace Experts, to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to lead change in a fast-growing, technology-driven business — and trust us, it's not what you'd expect.

What’s covered in this episode

• Why culture and trust are the real foundations of successful change
• How to manage the pace of innovation without overwhelming the business
• Practical ways to prioritise ideas and avoid “change for the sake of change”
• The role of leadership programmes in driving behavioural and cultural shifts
• How to turn sceptics into your most valuable allies in transformation
• Why technology success depends more on people than the tools themselves

Links mentioned in this episode

• Tomas' Linkedin
• Learn more about BW Workplace Experts
• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

When we first released this conversation, it was our 100th episode, a milestone that felt worth marking with something special. Now, 174 episodes later, it's clear why this one deserved a revisit.

Host Hannah Munro is joined by Glenn Hopper, Author of Deep Finance and now Managing Director at VAi Consulting for a discussion that's only grown more relevant with time. With over 15 years of experience in the CFO seat, Glenn brings a grounded, practical perspective on what it really means to build a data-driven finance function, whether you're leading a startup or a global enterprise.

In this episode, they explore:

• The different levels of data maturity within an organisation — and how to honestly assess where yours sits
• How finance teams can evolve into finance scientists, moving from reporting the past to shaping the future
• Why real-time data has become a non-negotiable for modern finance leaders
• The practical steps to becoming a truly data-driven organisation

This week on the CFO 4.0 Revisited series, host Hannah Munro is joined by Isaac Strulowitz, Alternative Investments CFO, who offers his unique perspective on risk management, providing valuable insights into how CFOs can protect their firms against unforeseen challenges, a conversation that remains as timely and essential as ever.

In this episode, we cover:

• Isaac's first-hand account of navigating the SVB collapse and the proactive steps his team took to protect investor capital.
• Risk management strategies that have proven effective, such as creating redundancies, maintaining a robust disaster recovery plan, and evaluating all firm relationships for potential risks.
• The delicate balance a successful CFO must strike between budget management, operational duties, and strategic oversight.
• Isaac's concept of a "cockroach" company, one built to survive and continue functioning even after major crises.

Links mentioned in this episode

• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!

Send us your thoughts

Originally released as episode 144 of the CFO 4.0 Podcast, this episode is part of our CFO 4.0 Revisited series — bringing back some of our most valuable conversations for a new listen.

Hannah Munro is joined by Sylvia Ionita, Finance Executive at LFG Solutions LLC, who at the time of recording was CFO at waterdrop. With hands-on experience scaling start-ups, Sylvia brings sharp, practical wisdom on what it really takes to grow a business from the ground up — the highs, the hard lessons, and everything in between.

In this episode, we cover:

• How presenting real numbers and financial data at all levels drives awareness and accountability across the team
• Sylvia's approach to leadership meetings, mentoring, and building genuine personal connections
• Implementation measures to enhance profitability and maintain control during periods of rapid growth
• How to discern which problems demand immediate action and which call for a longer-term strategic response
• The importance of internal mentorship and fostering a culture of personal development
• Sylvia's top tips for finance professionals stepping into the start-up world for the first time

Links mentioned:

• Sylvia’s LinkedIn

• Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.
• Subscribe to our Podcast!