The CFO Playbook – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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: pr@soldo.com

In 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 principle

About Soldo

Soldo 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/

How does a CFO help turn startup chaos into scale-up structure, translate numbers into action, and support growth across every part of the business?

In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Brad Channer, CFO at UBIO, the automation company helping businesses connect systems that were never designed to work together.

Brad shares why the CFO role in a startup or scale-up is far broader than finance alone. At UBIO, that means working across fundraising, sales, legal, HR, operations, board reporting, and exit planning — often all at once. He describes the CFO as the “glue” in a business: the person who connects teams, brings clarity, and helps turn data into decisions.

A key theme in the conversation is Brad’s idea of “narrating the numbers.” He explains why finance leaders must do more than report figures — they need to communicate them in ways that founders, boards, and investors can understand and act on. For Brad, strong finance leadership combines technical accuracy with empathy, storytelling, and an understanding of what matters most to each audience.

Brad also reflects on his unconventional route into finance. Before becoming a CFO, he trained as an actor, worked in hospitality and street sales, launched startups, and learned fundraising and resilience through experience. That background still shapes how he leads today, particularly in communication, confidence, and understanding motivation.

The episode also explores fundraising, founder-CFO relationships, and the future of finance in an AI-driven world. Brad argues that early-stage fundraising is often about belief in the founder as much as the business, and that AI will increasingly automate junior finance work — making judgment, adaptability, and communication even more valuable.

Brad’s CFO Playbook principle:

Communicate clearly, know your objective, and make sure the numbers tell a story people can act on.

Useful Links 🔗

UBIO – https://ub.io/

Brad Channer – https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradchanner/

About The CFO Playbook

The CFO Playbook is hosted by David McClelland, exploring how world-class finance leaders use technology, set goals, plan, lead teams, and drive growth.

Download our checklist, The 8 CFO Stategies for Smart Scaling

Enter the competition today: www.soldo.com/competition

What does it mean to build a finance function that is truly aligned with product, operations and customers?

In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Ben Averis, CFO of Yoto, the screen-free audio platform helping children explore stories, music and learning on their own terms. Ben shares his strategic journey of steering Yoto through its ambitious expansion across five countries, including the US, which stands as its largest market. Listeners will gain a firsthand account of balancing operational growth with financial discipline in a seasonal business, as well as insights into the distinct challenges of raising capital and making sound decisions in a fast-paced startup environment.

Our conversation takes a deep dive into Ben's transition across industries, from navigating the turbulent waters of the travel sector during the pandemic to embracing the vibrant startup landscape at Yoto. His reflections on cash flow management during crises offer valuable lessons and underscore the critical nature of agility and foresight in financial leadership. We also explore the broader scope of Ben’s role, which encompasses finance, operations, and supply chain management, highlighting the importance of strategic planning and collaboration for informed decision-making.

Ever wondered how AI and outsourcing can revolutionise productivity? Ben unveils the innovative ways Yoto is leveraging these tools to enhance efficiency and maintain flexibility, especially in a seasonal market. Through strategic playdates and community-driven content creation, Yoto fosters a vibrant ecosystem that stands resilient against competition. Ben shares his vision for progressive finance, where clarity and simplicity reign supreme, and invites listeners to transform insights into action with a unique high-value resource crafted to guide finance leaders on their journey.

If you enjoy nerding out over numbers but also consider yourself a people person, Anders Liu-Lindberg, co-founder of the Business Partnering Institute, has a new finance job for your consideration: business partner.

“Unlike other roles in finance, business partnering is an interaction between people — whereas if you're an Accountant or a Controller, you mostly interact with the numbers,” Anders says on this episode of The CFO Playbook.

Another incentive: more companies are hiring CFOs with business partnering experience instead of finance alone, because the skill set lends itself so well to a high-level role.

“You need to be able to influence decisions, communicate assertively, build relationships with people,” Anders says of both the business partner and CFO roles. “That's how you build trust. If you're not trusted, you cannot influence any decisions.”

Anders previously worked as the business partner for the Europe and Middle East region for Maesrk, the largest container-shipping company in the world. For him, the feeling that came from providing real support to stakeholders brought a rush totally separate from career advances.

“It gives you a high on adrenaline: it's a fantastic feeling when you have these successful breakthroughs within business partnering,” he says. “I wish everyone could experience this rush of, ‘I was a great partner, I created value and I got great feedback from our stakeholders — this thing rocks!’”

Also in this episode: the power of a 30-minute lunch, and why good business partners don’t send reports.

Connect with Anders on LinkedIn.

Connect with our host Rob on LinkedIn.

Full show notes and resources from this episode can be found here.

If you want a better way to track and control your team’s spend, checkout Soldo.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raxita Kapashi has worked in private equity for more than 15 years. Along the way, she did a stint at fintech consolidator TruFin, where she served as the group’s CFO. While at TruFin, she brought through an IPO and raised 70 million GBP ($96 million USD) in 2018. 

With this accomplishment under her belt, it’s no surprise numerous venture capital firms sought to bring her onto their team. However, it was the inclusive company culture of Dawn Capital that dazzled and ultimately won Raxita over.

An early-stage venture fund, Dawn is Europe’s largest specialist B2B software investor. As the company’s first official CFO, Raxita oversees its $1 billion in assets and 50 investments. That means her day-to-day is filled with financial planning, budgeting and forecasting, cash flow management and performing valuations — plus, tons of meetings. She also monitors Dawn’s portfolio investments to help them get acquired. 

In this episode of The CFO Playbook, tune in to hear Raxita discuss the process of working on an IPO, her daily leadership framework, the challenges faced by portfolio companies and the metrics and KPIs she tracks. 

Raxita also breaks down possibilities for the CFO career path and shares tips for working your way to the top.

Connect with Raxita on LinkedIn.

Connect with our host Rob on LinkedIn.

Full show notes and resources from this episode can be found here.

If you want a better way to track and control your team’s spend, checkout Soldo.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Tom Fencl joined the Pricefx team in late 2017, the global SaaS startup had about 70 employees. 

Fast forward and they now have close to 400 employees stationed all over the world and have raised more than $131 million in funding. It’s safe to say Tom has played a key role in this growth.

“As a CFO, it is your responsibility to make sure data, which is clearly one of the hidden resources of every company, is managed well, and that means centralization and consistency and some sort of hygiene around that,” he says.

In this episode of The CFO Playbook, Tom touches on the challenges he has confronted as the CFO of such a fast-growing company, including learning how to develop a team and navigate the global landscape. 

He also dives deep into what data he uses to track the company’s financials, his unique approach to the reporting process, and how he teaches his team to approach these numbers (hint: It’s with skepticism and a good old-fashioned pen and paper).

Connect with Tom on LinkedIn.

Connect with our host Rob on LinkedIn.

Full show notes and resources from this episode can be found here.

If you want a better way to track and control your team’s spend, checkout Soldo.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What exactly is behind the skyward trajectory of a fast-growing software company? Turns out that it’s more than just growth.

In this episode of The CFO Playbook, host Rob Norman sits down with Kevin Jacobson, CFO and COO of LogicGate, which develops cloud software solutions for automating governance, risk, and compliance processes. 

As the first business operations employee hired in the company’s early years, Kevin keeps his eyes not only on LogicGate’s rapid annual growth but also on efficiency and — perhaps most importantly — customer retention.

In October 2020, Kevin joined the growing ranks of executives worldwide who combine the roles of CFO and COO. He discusses how his dual role invites him to bring a finance lens to customer service operations, and he shares his insight into slicing the data to learn the most from a company’s financial indicators.

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.

Connect with our host Rob on LinkedIn.

Full show notes and resources from this episode can be found here.

If you want a better way to track and control your team’s spend, checkout Soldo.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Patrick Butcher joined Capita more than two years ago, the international outsourcing company was loaded with debt. Sure, from the outside it seemed profitable, but Patrick, who has been a CFO for 25+ years, took it upon himself to financially transform the company and focus on cash — not revenue and profit.

The company generated between $70 million and $80 million in cash. How? A whole lot of change.

But getting your team — and an entire company — to buy into change isn’t always easy. Patrick leaned on leadership principles he calls the 5 C’s: Context, Commitment, Clarity, Connections and Compassion.

On the premiere episode of The CFO Playbook, Patrick dives deep and explains his strategy for repositioning Capita for growth, how he got buy-in from his team (with a little help from the 5 C’s) and some smart ways to become a better CFO.

Full show notes and resources from this episode can be found here!

Connect with Patrick on LinkedIn.

Connect with our host Rob on LinkedIn.

If you want a better way to track and control your team’s spend, checkout Soldo.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if you could transform your finance operations by integrating technology and automation into every aspect of your business strategy? 

In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by fractional CFO-COO Charlie Hunt to explore how FinOps are reshaping the landscape of finance by shifting from isolated departments to integrated roles, with finance leaders becoming strategic partners to CEOs.

Starting out in retail banking during the 2008 financial crash to now working with a portfolio of companies as a fractional CFO-COO, Charlie is an advocate for the hybridisation of the roles, emphasising trust and collaboration with CEOs as a paramount feature. 

FinOps, as a philosophy, merges financial and operational efficiencies, streamlining processes like reporting and cash flow management, ultimately boosting business performance. For modern businesses, this dual understanding is pivotal, especially in fast changing economic conditions, integrating financial insights with broader operational strategies can be a catalyst for growth and transformation.

From her experience of working in construction and manufacturing, Charlie explains that despite some initial resistance, traditional sectors are now embracing transformation through the adoption of technology. Integrating tools such as automated reporting and cloud accounting software are significantly enhancing efficiency. 

Hear about the evolving nature of software, the imperative for finance teams to stay current with technological advancements, and the critical traits of curiosity and adaptability for today's finance leaders. 

Download your free CFO-COO alignment checklist here.

Find all episodes of The CFO Playbook here 

In the latest episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Ben Dooley, CFO at Accel to explore nuances of the CFO role within lean, agile organisations with vast geographical footprints.

Highlighting venture capital's vibrant evolution, Ben shares the ripple effect of successful startups and Accel’s strategic focus on early-stage tech investments across Europe, Israel, and India. Hear how Accel's vision complements Silicon Valley's tech dominance and the necessity for European firms to establish their US presence while preserving their European roots.

Highlighting the role of a CFO in guiding companies through growth stages, including pre-IPO rounds, in a rapidly evolving VC landscape, Ben explains the significance of nurturing relationships with portfolio companies and investors alike.

Drawing clear distinctions from other industries, Ben highlights the nuances of being a CFO in a VC firm, explaining the predictability of revenue streams and cost structures that set venture capital apart. With universal importance of clear communication and strategic foresight when engaging with stakeholders remaining paramount, particularly in the fast-paced world of venture capital.

Reflecting on his own approach as a CFO, Ben emphasises the use of storytelling in boardrooms and the longstanding power of the elevator pitch, especially in an era of AI and cybersecurity challenges.

From emerging trends to best practices, this episode is packed with insights for aspiring and current finance leaders navigating complex business environments.

Find all episodes of The CFO Playbook here.