The CFO Playbook

What does it take to become the kind of CFO who can turn fast growth into disciplined, sustainable progress?Want more insights from finance leaders? Subscribe to Progressive Finance, Soldo’s new newsletter featuring practical leadership insights, finance trends, and conversations with CFOs and industry experts: https://substack.com/@progressivefinanceIs there someone you’d like to see on The CFO Playbook? Email us at: [email protected] this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Robert Checchia, CFO at Benzinga.Robert shares his perspective on the modern CFO as an operator: someone who gets close to the business, understands how teams work, and helps turn an ambitious growth plan into clear priorities, accountable ownership and sustainable margins. Drawing on his experience across banking, consulting, private equity and operating roles, he explains why the best finance leaders are not gatekeepers—they empower others to make better decisions.In his conversation with David, Robert explores the discipline required to scale a business under private-equity ownership. He discusses how to distinguish good opportunities from the few that deserve real investment, how to give P&L owners meaningful visibility into their numbers, and why finance must connect revenue growth to margin, cash generation and execution.Robert also reflects on building a career across countries and industries, the importance of making decisions with imperfect information, and why leaders must own the consequences of their recommendations. He shares practical advice on using AI to improve productivity without losing human judgement, including how to encourage experimentation while maintaining effective guardrails.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why the strongest CFOs are operators, not just financial stewardsHow to say no to good opportunities so you can focus on the best onesHow to empower P&L owners with clear, consistent financial informationWhy revenue growth must be measured alongside margin and cash generationHow to make decisions confidently with imperfect informationThe value of accountability, ethics and clear communication in leadershipHow to build incentives that align teams around growth targetsHow to introduce AI tools responsibly while protecting human judgementWhy career pivots can build resilience, perspective and better leadership

What does it take to become the kind of CFO who can lead through hypergrowth, change and uncertainty? Want more insights from finance leaders? Subscribe to Progressive Finance, Soldo’s new newsletter featuring practical leadership insights, finance trends, and conversations with CFOs and industry experts: https://substack.com/@progressivefinance Is there someone you’d like to see on The CFO Playbook? Email us at: [email protected] In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Roy Hefer, CFO at Perk and a finance leader with experience taking two companies public. Roy shares a practical leadership playbook for CFOs: build a world-class team, create leverage through delegation, and make culture and trust as rigorous a priority as the numbers. He explains why the finance team that gets a business through its early growth is not always the one that will take it to the next stage—and how leaders can make the difficult people decisions that scaling demands. In his conversation with David, Roy explores the judgement behind successful M&A, arguing that culture and values matter as much as synergy models. He shares how to assess fit through time, candour and difficult conversations, why gut instinct is informed by experience, and how to build teams where credibility, reliability, confidentiality and accountability create lasting trust. Roy also discusses how CFOs can turn AI into real operating impact, build investor relationships long before a fundraise, and stay effective under pressure. From prioritising ruthlessly to protecting physical and mental health, his advice is a reminder that the modern CFO’s impact is ultimately defined by the people they build and the decisions they enable. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why building a world-class finance team is a CFO’s defining responsibility How to create leverage through delegation and high-performing teams Why culture and values determine whether an acquisition integration succeeds How to test cultural fit through time, candour and difficult conversations The role of trust, ownership and accountability in effective finance leadership How CFOs can turn AI and automation into meaningful operational improvements Why investor relationships must be built long before a fundraise How to prioritise ruthlessly while protecting physical and mental health 

Is the future of finance full-time? Or are the best CFOs increasingly working across multiple businesses?Is there someone you’d like to see on The CFO Playbook? Email us at: [email protected] this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Sara Daw, Global CEO of The CFO Centre and the Liberty Group, and one of the world’s leading voices on fractional finance leadership.Sara shares why more businesses are choosing to access CFO expertise rather than employ it full-time, and explains what she’s learned after more than two decades working alongside hundreds of finance leaders across 18 countries. She explores how the CFO role has evolved from technical expert to trusted strategic adviser, why relationships matter more than reporting, and how the best finance leaders help CEOs make better decisions.In her conversation with David McClelland, Sara discusses her own unconventional career journey from Deloitte and London Business School into the emerging world of fractional finance, why she chose flexibility over investment banking, and how that decision led to building the world’s largest network of fractional CFOs. She also explains what makes a successful fractional CFO, how businesses know when it’s time to hire a full-time finance leader, and why access to leadership is becoming more valuable than ownership of talent.Sara also shares her research into the future of work, including psychological ownership, blended workforces, and how organisations can build trust and commitment beyond traditional employment models. Finally, she looks ahead to an AI-enabled finance function, explaining why judgment, ethics, and human relationships will become even more valuable as finance becomes increasingly autonomous.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why businesses are increasingly hiring fractional CFOsWhat CEOs really value from finance leaders beyond technical expertiseThe signs a business is ready for a full-time CFOThe skills that separate great fractional CFOs from the restHow to build trust and psychological ownership in flexible teamsWhy relationships matter more than reportingHow AI is changing the future of finance leadershipWhy judgment, ethics, and communication will become a CFO’s greatest competitive advantageAbout SoldoSoldo is the proactive spend management solution that frees progressive businesses to accomplish more.Learn more: https://www.soldo.com/en-gb/Useful Links 🔗Sara Daw - https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradaw/

How do you lead finance in a global human rights organisation, protect independence, and make sure every pound supports the mission?Is there someone you’d like to see on The CFO Playbook? Email us at: [email protected] this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Rohan Hewavisenti, CFO at Amnesty International, one of the world’s most recognised human rights organisations.Rohan shares what financial discipline looks like when the stakes are not measured in profit, but in people’s lives. He explains how Amnesty International’s International Secretariat operates as a £100 million organisation, working as part of a wider €400 million global movement, and why preserving independence shapes everything from funding decisions to resource allocation.In his conversation with David McClelland, Rohan reflects on his career across the not-for-profit sector, from ActionAid and Breast Cancer Care to the British Red Cross, RNIB and Amnesty International. He discusses managing volatility, rebuilding from a £20 million deficit, investing in future areas of human rights work, and keeping finance closely connected to mission impact.Rohan also explores the role of generative AI in a human rights organisation, from the ethical questions around bias, data, and autonomous weapons to the internal opportunities for improving efficiency and accessing decades of research. He explains why CFOs need to understand the cost of AI, build data skills across their teams, and stay open to technology by using it regularly.Rohan’s CFO Playbook principle: Understand the organisation deeply, from what drives income and costs to what drives good performance in mission-related work.About SoldoSoldo is the proactive spend management solution that frees progressive businesses to accomplish more.Learn more: https://www.soldo.com/en-gb/Useful Links 🔗Amnesty International – https://www.amnesty.org/en/Rohan Hewavisenti – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohan-hewavisenti-b716617/

How do you rebuild a heritage automotive brand, manage risk through volatility, and keep finance close to the factory floor?Is there someone you’d like to see on The CFO Playbook? Email us at: [email protected] this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Andy Mullineaux, CFO at MOKE International, the British automotive brand reimagining the iconic MOKE as a fully electric, modern vehicle built in the Midlands.Andy shares what it takes to build a lean finance function inside a niche automotive business, from keeping teams small and data clean to making sure finance processes are embedded across operations, manufacturing, supply chain, and risk management. He explains why good inputs matter more than trying to predict the future of AI, and how preparing data properly today can make finance teams more effective tomorrow.In his conversation with David McClelland, Andy reflects on his journey from PwC to McLaren and then MOKE, including the lessons learned from scenario planning through crisis, navigating funding gaps, and working with world-class engineers. He also discusses the challenge of scaling a beloved heritage brand, the impact of US tariffs, why CFOs need to get out from behind the spreadsheet, and how asking “stupid” questions can be one of the smartest things a finance leader can do.Andy’s CFO Playbook principle: Get yourself a rubber duck, explaining the problem out loud might just solve it.Chapters:(00:00) Intro: from supercars to a heritage electric automotive brand(04:15) The story of MOKE, from failed military project to holiday icon(10:58) Building a lean finance function from a blank sheet of paper(14:00) AI, clean data, and preparing finance for future tools(20:30) Lessons from McLaren and the challenge of independent automotive brands(24:21) Why Andy’s CFO role is deeply embedded in operations(38:35) Scenario planning, funding gaps, and the arrival of the pandemic(46:11) Risk management, curiosity, and asking the obvious questions(59:31) MOKE’s US ambitions, tariffs, and market diversification(01:09:08) Rubber duck programming as a CFO leadership principleAbout SoldoSoldo is the proactive spend management solution that frees progressive businesses to accomplish more.Over 25,000 organisations across 31 countries use Soldo to end slow, messy, and inefficient spending, bringing financial agility and control over every expense.Soldo frees finance with a uniquely proactive approach to managing decentralised spending with real-time expense reporting. By combining a powerful spend management platform, a user-friendly mobile app, and prepaid and virtual cards, Soldo automates expense administration to eliminate inefficiencies in managing business spending.By proactively managing decentralised spend, organisations empower employees to spend when and where it's needed, keeping productivity high while avoiding month-end surprises.Founded in 2015 by Italian digital innovator Carlo Gualandri, Soldo is headquartered in London, with offices in Dublin, Milan, and Rome.Learn more: https://www.soldo.com/en-gb/Useful Links 🔗MOKE International – https://mokeinternational.com/Andy Mullineaux – https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-mullineaux-aca-27b32060/