CFO Leadership Starts Beyond the Numbers 🧭

From Scorekeeper to Strategic Partner

Author

Vanessa Carter
September 03, 2025

In partnership with

How 433 Investors Unlocked 400X Return Potential

Institutional investors back startups to unlock outsized returns. Regular investors have to wait. But not anymore. Thanks to regulatory updates, some companies are doing things differently.

Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 regular people invested an average of $2,730. Today? They got a 400X buyout offer from the company, as Revolut’s valuation increased 89,900% in the same timeframe.

Founded by a former Zillow exec, Pacaso’s co-ownership tech reshapes the $1.3T vacation home market. They’ve earned $110M+ in gross profit to date, including 41% YoY growth in 2024 alone. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

The same institutional investors behind Uber, Venmo, and eBay backed Pacaso. And you can join them. But not for long. Pacaso’s investment opportunity ends September 18.

Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.

Hey there, CFOs! 💼

In this issue, a finance leader from Uganda explains why today's CFOs need to go beyond just managing finances. They must also guide strategy, culture, and ESG efforts. After winning a CFO award, he transitioned to an Executive position.

The director's role is to make a difference and leave a lasting legacy. Numbers tell a story, but people write the chapters.

Here’s what you need to know.

📰 Upcoming in this issue

  • 🧭 Why You Must Think Beyond Numbers

  • 🤝 Hiring AI Talent? Consider Acquisitions

  • 🤖 AI Transforms Bookkeeping with 90% Fewer Errors

🧭 Why You Must Think Beyond Numbers

In this personal reflection, spreadsheets alone never steer the company. Decisions improve when finance engages customers and teams, not just models.

Key Takeaways:

  • 🎯 Strategy Over Spreadsheets: Finance links metrics to mission, shaping choices on growth, pricing, and investments.

  • 🤝 Empathy and Trust: CFOs build credibility by listening, explaining tradeoffs clearly, and partnering across functions to solve real customer problems.

  • 📣 Storytelling with Data: Clear narratives translate KPIs for boards and teams, turning insights into action without jargon.

  • 🧰 Modern Skill Set: Leaders blend controls, technology, and risk with people development, governance, and culture to sustain performance.

🤝 Hiring AI Talent? Consider Acquisitions

A tech CFO argues the fastest way to secure scarce AI skills is to buy them, not poach them. Smaller deals bring cohesive teams and proven IP.

Key Takeaways:

  • 🧑‍💻 Acquire Teams, Not Résumés: Cohesive groups integrate faster, arrive with working code, and transfer practices that accelerate AI roadmaps.

  • ⏱️ Speed Beats Recruiting: Smaller acquisitions compress hiring cycles, reduce ramp time, and align incentives through retention packages.

  • 🧭 Plan for Retention: Success requires clear missions, career paths, and culture fit, so key builders stay and compound value after close.

  • 🧱 Mind Governance And Risk: Strong integration, compliance, and IP controls protect value, while clear metrics prove the deal accelerates product outcomes.

🤖 AI Transforms Bookkeeping with 90% Fewer Errors

New tools cut bookkeeping mistakes by up to 90 percent and surface predictive insights for cash flow. Owners see cleaner books and faster decisions.

Key Takeaways:

  • 🧾 Automation Replaces Busywork: AI captures receipts, categorizes transactions, reconciles accounts, and flags anomalies, freeing teams to focus on higher-value analysis.

  • 📈 Predictive Finance Arrives: Models forecast cash gaps, vendor delays, and seasonal swings, letting owners adjust spend, pricing, or collections before problems escalate.

  • ✅ Accuracy and Compliance Improve: AI reduces manual entry errors, enforces policy rules, and keeps audit trails, strengthening investor confidence and tax readiness.

  • 👥 Human Oversight Stays Essential: Accountants validate outputs, handle edge cases, and explain results to stakeholders, turning automation into trustworthy, decision-ready reporting.

Why It Matters

CFOs who focus on more than just reporting can influence strategy, resilience, and long-term value.

Getting involved in people leadership and working with different teams prepares you for larger roles and easier transitions. View recognition as a way to expand your responsibilities and create lasting impact.

Until our next edition,

Vanessa Carter
Editor-in-Chief
CFO Executive Insights

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