Global Finance Summit September 2024

Global Finance Summit September 2024

The Future CFO: Strategy, Growth & Impact

Recording Library

With an incredible 8,400+ registrations across 12 sessions, the summit was a resounding success, bringing together industry leaders, experts, and enthusiasts from around the world.


Here are 12 recordings that delve into the evolving role of the CFO, offering a comprehensive exploration of the challenges, strategies, and future opportunities for today’s finance leaders.

The evolving role of the CFO is a critical topic for finance leaders to understand and adapt to in today’s rapidly changing business landscape. This opening session of the GrowCFO Global Finance Summit delves deep into the historical transformation of the CFO’s responsibilities, highlighting the shift from a primarily guardian and operational role to one that is increasingly strategic and change-focused.

This session, led by experienced CFO and professional mentor Catherine Clark, delves into the essential attributes required of today’s CFOs. The topic of discussion centers around the key skills and mindsets that CFOs must cultivate to excel in their roles. From leading with authenticity and building resilience to demonstrating emotional intelligence and carving out strategic thinking time, Catherine will share her insights gleaned from over 1,200 engagements with finance leaders.

The Leadership and Impact session examines the critical role that finance professionals play in driving meaningful change and creating lasting influence, both within their organizations and in the wider community. Featuring an esteemed panel of speakers, including Catherine Marks from GrowCFO and Alex Marsh, co-founder of Charterpath, this session provides insights on the key characteristics and strategies that enable finance leaders to elevate their impact, inspire positive action, and contribute to social good.

The Global Finance Summit presents a thought-provoking session on the critical topic of the “Maximizing Mindset.” Featuring Patrick Dunne, an experienced chair, board member, and professor, this session delves into the importance of developing a mindset that goes beyond simply minimizing risks and focuses on maximizing potential. In today’s complex business environment, CFOs, boards, and organizations face immense pressure to mitigate a wide range of risks. However, Dunne argues that a purely risk-averse approach is often not enough to achieve sustained success.

The role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has evolved significantly in recent years, becoming increasingly strategic and integral to the overall success of an organization. As businesses navigate complex financial landscapes and seek to drive growth, the CFO has emerged as a critical member of the C-suite, responsible for not only overseeing financial operations but also serving as a trusted advisor to the CEO and board of directors. Securing a CFO position, therefore, has become a highly sought-after goal for many finance professionals.

As organizations face increasing pressure from regulators, investors, and conscious consumers to prioritize sustainability, finance leaders play a pivotal role in driving meaningful change within their organizations. ESG has become a critical area of focus for finance leaders, as organizations recognize the need to balance financial performance with environmental stewardship and social responsibility. The GrowCFO Global Finance Summit featured a timely and critical session focused on the topic of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations for finance professionals.

As the CFO position continues to expand beyond traditional financial management, it is crucial for finance leaders to understand and overcome the personal, interpersonal, and organizational obstacles that can hinder their success. The session features an experienced guest speaker, Catherine Clark, who shares her expertise as a seasoned CFO and professional mentor. By exploring the top challenges identified by participants, such as imposter syndrome, communication skills, and influencing stakeholders, the discussion offers practical guidance to help CFOs enhance their leadership impact and drive strategic value for their organizations.

As the role of the CFO continues to evolve, becoming a strategic business partner and a key member of the executive team, the recruitment process has become increasingly complex. The session “Navigating the CFO Recruitment Process” provides valuable insights and strategies for finance professionals aspiring to secure a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) role. This session featuring James Blandford, CFO, Artlogic and Jane Riley, Director, Zanda, aims to equip attendees with the necessary knowledge and tools to successfully navigate the CFO job market and present themselves as the ideal candidate.

The session focuses on the critical role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in driving growth and shareholder value within an organization. Ashley Vukovits, a seasoned CFO and Managing Director at LiftBridge, and Dan Wells, the Founder and CEO of GrowCFO, engage in an insightful discussion on the strategies and responsibilities of the modern CFO in this domain. The topic of driving growth and shareholder value is of paramount importance for businesses of all sizes, as it directly impacts the long-term success and sustainability of the organization.

Challenging conversations at the executive level can significantly impact an organization’s performance, team dynamics, and individual careers. Navigating these conversations requires a delicate balance of communication skills, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking.

As businesses navigate periods of rapid growth and expansion, the finance function plays a pivotal role in supporting and enabling that transformation. This session from Andrew Waters Co-Founder, Zanda and Benyam Hagos CFO, Form3, provides valuable insights and practical advice to finance leaders on how to effectively scale their teams and processes to meet the evolving demands of a growing organization.

The session “Leveraging Technology for Best Practice Adoption” focuses on equipping finance professionals with a set of best practices to identify, select, and implement technology within their teams. Presented by Adam Shilton, Head of Partnerships at GrowCFO, provides a framework to navigate the evolving landscape of finance technology and make informed decisions that drive efficiency and productivity.

November 2024

The Strategic Finance Revolution: From Calculations to Conversations