10: How CFOs Lead Change Beyond Finance

The CFO role no longer stops at the numbers. Today’s finance leaders are increasingly expected to lead change, shape decisions and contribute across the wider business.In this episode of The Incremental Edge, Emma Pownall is joined by Katy Bruce, CFO at UCL Ventures, to explore what it takes to lead beyond finance.Drawing on Katy’s experience across corporate finance and in-house leadership, they discuss how strong financial foundations give CFOs the credibility to contribute more widely, why technology alone isn’t enough to create lasting change, and how trust, collaboration and getting people involved can help turn change into progress. Katy also shares what she’s learnt from stepping into projects beyond the traditional finance remit and why CFOs shouldn’t be afraid to get involved.Whether you’re a CFO, finance leader or senior executive responsible for change, this episode is packed with practical ideas for building credibility, bringing people with you and making a bigger contribution across the business.Connect:◼ Connect with Emma Pownall◼ Connect with Katy BruceIncremental Edge:◼ Watch the full episode on YouTube◼ Read the show notes◼ Read the Insights blog

Customer success isn't just about keeping customers happy. It's about creating the conditions for long-term business growth.In this episode of The Incremental Edge, Emma Pownall is joined by Toby Andrews, Customer Success Delivery Manager at Datel, to explore how customer success has evolved from a support function into a commercial growth strategy.Drawing on Datel's own experience of building a customer success function, they discuss why customer success should be embraced across the whole business, the role of onboarding and adoption in creating long-term value, and how trust, retention and advocacy are built through small, consistent improvements over time.Whether you're leading a subscription business, a professional services firm or any organisation where long-term customer relationships matter, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can apply in your own business.Connect: ◼ Connect with Emma Pownall◼ Connect with Toby AndrewsIncremental Edge:  ◼ Watch the full episode on YouTube◼ Read the show notes◼ Read the Insights blog

In the final part of our Investment Savvy CFO series, Emma Pownall is joined by Tom Wildig, Senior Investment Director at Palatine, to explore what private equity investors really expect from CFOs before and after investment.The conversation covers investment readiness, due diligence, operating in a PE-backed environment, and the qualities that help finance leaders build confidence with investors. Tom shares what investors are really assessing during a transaction, the red flags that can emerge during diligence, and why transparency, communication and strong financial fundamentals matter more than ever.Emma and Tom also discuss the first 90 days after investment, what high-performing boards do differently, and the mindset that separates successful private equity CFOs from the rest.▶️ Watch the conversation on YouTube📖 Read the show notes for key takeaways💡 Read the Insights blog🔗 Connect with Emma Pownall🔗 Connect with Tom Wildig

This episode is Part 2 of our Investment Savvy CFO series, recorded live at our recent Incremental Edge event.In this episode, Emma Pownall is joined by Peter Holt, Partner at Drax Executive, to explore how CFOs are assessed, hired and positioned in today's market.Moving beyond theory, the conversation explores what boards and investors are really looking for, what makes a CFO stand out, and how finance leaders can demonstrate impact beyond job titles or time served.The discussion also covers private equity readiness, ownership mentality, professional development, and the behaviours that can signal whether a CFO is ready for the next stage of their career.Whether you're a CFO, MD or business leader, this conversation provides a practical view of what boards and investors are really looking for.▶️ Watch the conversation on YouTube📖 Read the show notes for key takeaways💡 Read the Insights blog🔗 Connect with Emma Pownall🔗 Connect with Peter Holt

This episode is Part 1 of our Investment Savvy CFO series, recorded live at our recent Incremental Edge event.As expectations of finance leaders continue to evolve, the CFO role is becoming far more commercial, strategic and influential within growing businesses.In this episode, Emma Pownall is joined by finance leaders, investors and advisors to explore what high-performing finance leadership really looks like today. The conversation explores credibility, communication, operating at pace in invested environments and how finance leaders use data to influence business outcomes.Whether you’re a CFO, MD or business leader, this discussion offers a practical look at how finance teams are adapting to support growth, investment and decision-making across the wider business.▶️ Watch the conversation on YouTube🔗Connect with the speakers:Emma PownallKaty BruceTom WildigPeter HoltVanessa Worsley🔗 Incremental Edge is a Datel podcast. For more insights from Datel:https://datel.info/insights

In this episode of the Incremental Edge, Emma speaks with Roger Longden, founder of There Be Giants, a consultancy supporting organisations that want to turn strategy into action through OKRs. Roger works with businesses from ambitious 60-person teams to 20,000-person global corporates, and he shares what they all have in common when it comes to execution, alignment and accountability.They discuss why annual planning cycles no longer keep pace with reality, how shorter cycles help leaders course-correct, and why “spotlighting” creates real strategic focus. Roger also explains the relationship between OKRs and KPIs, the part psychological safety plays in making OKRs work, and the early pitfalls leaders fall into when they try to implement OKRs alone.If you’re an MD, CFO or operational leader who wants more agility, clearer priorities and better outcomes, this episode offers practical steps you can take straightaway.Follow the conversation on: ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u-IlwKISLE  🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0zcaM5eYG6MvbldHkOAg1q  🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-okr-effect-how-outcome-focus-transforms-strategy/id1822520873?i=1000739310707  Read:Episode Shownotes & Key Takeaways: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/okr-effect-how-outcome-focus-transforms-strategy-execution-datel-gmlwe?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via  Read on Datel Blog: The OKR Effect: Why outcome focus improves strategic execution Connect with the speakers:Emma Pownall - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/emmapownall Emma Pownall is Marketing Director at Datel. Roger Longden - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rogerlongdenRoger Longden is the founder of There Be Giantshttps://therebegiants.com/Incremental Edge is a Datel podcast:For more insights from Datelhttps://datel.info/insights

Team GB is a non-profit funded entirely by sponsorship - which means finance has to work differently. In this episode of The Incremental Edge, CFO Sarah Wallace joins host Emma Pownall to share how small, practical changes have shifted her finance team from admin to true business partners.Sarah explains how technology freed her team from manual work, why mobile purchase order approvals cleared a 12-year backlog, and how building everyday relationships across the organisation is changing the perception of finance. She also shares how better data on sponsorship margins is shaping smarter conversations, and why cash management is always front of mind in a sponsor-funded model.In this episode: What makes Team GB’s finance model unique The small wins that transformed ways of working Finance as a trusted partner, not just a back-office function Data that drives better sponsorship and cash decisions One small action leaders can take this week Watch the conversation on: ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcw8nmtwusw 📝 Datel Insights Blog: [link]Read the ShowNotes & key takeaways:[LINK] 🔗 Connect with the speakers:Emma Pownall →  https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmapownall Sarah Wallace →  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-wallace-53b64053Learn more about Team GB:https://www.teamgb.com/ Incremental Edge is a podcast by Datel:https://datel.info/ 

What if your boardroom was more than a decision-making table.  What if it was the blueprint for culture and performance?In this episode of The Incremental Edge, Emma Pownall is joined by Louise Stephenson, Partner at LCAP Group and founder of the Empowering Women in Business community. Louise advises founders and private equity-backed businesses on building leadership teams that deliver real value.They discuss: The three types of diversity that matter most Why cognitive variety beats "groupthink" How board composition shapes culture and future hires The simple questions leaders should ask before their next appointment Whether you’re a CFO, MD or senior leader, you’ll come away with clear, practical ideas to build stronger, more effective leadership teams.PACE™ is a behavioural evaluation tool that benchmarks leaders against archetypes developed based on over 12,000 profiles to show how high-performing teams think and act. 

“Digital transformation” often sounds like disruption, risk, and cost. But what if there’s a smarter, more sustainable approach?In this episode of The Incremental Edge, host Emma Pownall sits down with Tim Purcell, R&D Director at Datel, to explore the idea of digital evolution - making incremental, people-first changes that deliver momentum and value over time.Tim shares 35 years of experience helping businesses embrace technology with confidence, agility, and clarity. Whether you’re a CFO, MD, or CEO, this episode will help you rethink your digital strategy.Connect with the speakers:Emma Pownall → https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmapownall/ Tim Purcell → https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-purcell/Show Notes: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/digital-evolution-smarter-path-business-growth-datel-pa4ve 

Private Equity (PE) explained: Join our expert panel as they share essential insights for CFOs navigating the PE investment journey.In this comprehensive discussion hosted by Emma Pownall, you'll discover:  The fundamentals of private equity and how it works  A CFO's firsthand perspective through the complete investment cycle  Practical strategies for first-time CFOs to attract investment  Critical focus areas for your first 100 days and beyond  Managing the transition from stability to growth-focused operations  Finance team priorities for maximising exit value  This conversation brings together industry experts to provide CFOs and finance leaders with actionable insights at every stage of the private equity process - from initial interest through successful exit.