Non-finance folk often think the FD doesn’t need to be a good networker. You’re back office! Marketing people schmooze, HR people are gregarious – but finance is like IT. Your value is technical skills!

Heard of CrossFit? Wikipedia calls it “constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity”. As someone who’s been doing it for a while, that's accurate... but hugely underplayed. CrossFit’s own slogan is “forging elite fitness” – a more compelling branding.

Well, this has been a busy first couple of months to 2025. The news agenda has responded predictably to the arrival or President Trump, revving up to manic levels as everyone responds to the flurry of executive orders, foreign policy interventions and corporate reactions to his second term.

Becoming the CFO of a listed business is a huge step.

How flexible are you? When we talk about flexibility – outside of the yoga kind – it could mean any number of things. Are you flexible on salary? Can you shift your working commitments around? What about your skill-set – can that change?

One of the nice things about being on holiday is the change of scene. OK, admittedly I had to decamp to a Regus office one afternoon to shepherd through a couple of urgent placements, and one room-with-a-desk looks much like another. But Devon in the spring was beautiful and restorative.

One of the biggest questions founders ask me is:

“Do I really need a CFO right now?”

Back from summer, the kids are back at school… and your finance hire still hasn’t been found?

An honest review of the Top 5 CFO Search Firms in the U.K.

It’s been a really good month, with a couple of interesting (and challenging) processes coming to an end. One of them has got me asking: should I be more assertive about my own choice of candidate when I'm convinced there is an ideal match?

In-House Talent Acquisition vs Specialist Executive Recruiter — A Founder’s Guide

Big name search firm or specialist boutique. Which one actually delivers when you’re hiring a CFO?

CFO vs Finance Director — What’s the Difference, and Which Do You Need?

Hiring Directly Vs. using an Executive Search Firm - Pros and Cons

Interim CFO or permanent CFO — which one does your business really need?

The Problem with Promoting Your Financial Controller to CFO Too Soon

Hiring your first CFO? It’s a big leap — and most founders underestimate just how different this hire is.

Here’s what we see trip people up:

Is your Finance Director actually holding the business back? Let’s talk.

Is your Finance Director actually holding the business back? Let’s talk.

Hiring a CFO? Don’t make these 7 mistakes — they’ll cost you time, money, and momentum.