281. CFO Stories | The UK's Youngest CFO on Building Trust, Not Just Teams with Sophia Levell FCCA

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 decisionsPortfolio management techniques for modern finance teamsAvoiding common pitfalls in strategic executionCreating accountability across the organisationMaking better decisions with limited resourcesLinks mentioned in episode:Evan's LinkedinEvan's book Adapt to Win Learn more about Chinoock Ranch ConsultingExplore 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 episodeAdrian's LinkedinLearn more about The CFO centreExplore 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 thereNicola 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 promotionThe most common gap when people step up: letting go of the detail and thinking strategicallyHow to build trust with your bank long before you need their supportWhy "the right team" matters more than almost anything elseHow to bring a reluctant owner-manager or board on side with bigger decisionsNicola's advice for making the most of your first 100 days in a new CFO roleLinks mentioned: Nicola's LinkedinLearn more about The CFO centreExplore 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 gapBuilding a value creation mindset by understanding your business model, not just costs and profitsWhy an analytics mindset and a "digital first" approach are now essential, not optionalHow agile methodology and design thinking help CFOs become better problem solversAsh'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 AICPAExplore 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 togetherHow to spot your own "Rodmans" using organisational network analysisWhy 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 responsibilityReal stories from the bookLinks mentioned in this episodeJack's LinkedinLearn more about The CFO Leadership CouncilJack's Book The Rodman ParadoxExplore 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 exerciseReading personality types to get sales, ops and product directors aligned around the numbersTurning short-term-focused CEOs into long-term plannersBlending top-down market data with bottom-up revenue modellingManaging 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 beyondWhat life as a startup CFO really looks likeMaking the move from CFO to COOThe current landscape for startup fundingHow the economic climate has changed what investors look forPeople vs roles - what recruitment looks like inside a startupLinks mentioned in this episodeSabrina’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 earlyThe mentor-shaped transition from finance operator to strategic CFOHiring for complementary skills, not personality Building trust with the C-suite through constant, unfiltered communicationSophia's advice for anyone stepping into their first CFO roleLinks mentionedSophia's LinkedinLearn more about Access FertilityLearn more about ACCAExplore 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 tasksHow to build a team that plays to individual strengthsWhat to do when a delegated task goes wrongThe emerging "CFO's CFO" model and when to use itGround rules for successful peer-level fractional partnershipsWhy the future of executive work is a team sport, not a solo actLinks mentioned in this episode:Sara's Linkedin Learn more about the CFO centreExplore 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 financeWhy the UK's ageing population and declining birth rate mean we'll all need to work longerHow AI and automation are shifting organisations from a "pyramid" to a "diamond" structureWhy curiosity is the standout skill for the human-machine era The balance of technical skills vs soft skillsPractical advice for CFOs on developing talent pipelines and rethinking assumptions Links mentioned:Clive’s LinkedinLearn more about ACCACareer Paths Reimagined reportExplore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.Subscribe to our Podcast!