GrowCFO Show

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/6btUL4oyp02GAFIzpP2kja

Becoming a CFO by 33 takes far more than technical finance skills; it demands strategic breadth, deep business exposure, and the confidence to operate at board level. In this GrowCFO Show episode, Kevin Appleby talks with Audrey Lagresle, CFO of Automobile On Direct, about how she reached the CFO seat so early in her career and why today’s CFO must be a value creator and change leader, not just a chief accountant.

Audrey shares her journey from growing up in an entrepreneurial family in France, to driving global finance transformation at Bombardier, and then building the FP&A and finance business partnering function from scratch in a fast‑growing Canadian automotive business. She explains how she now leads a 19‑person finance team, focuses on strategy and decision support, shapes the company’s AI agenda, and applies lessons from ERP transformation and a volatile used‑car market. Along the way, she reflects on imposter syndrome, the role of the GrowCFO program, and how non‑traditional routes can successfully lead to the modern CFO role.

About Audrey Lagresle

Audrey Lagresle is the Chief Financial Officer of Automobile en Direct, Quebec’s leading used‑car retailer. At 35, she oversees strategy, governance, and major transformation initiatives for a fast‑growing, 400‑employee organization. Audrey joined the company six years ago to build its FP&A function and was promoted to CFO in 2024.

Born into a family of entrepreneurs in France, she developed an early understanding of how businesses operate and a lasting affinity for small and medium‑sized companies. She immigrated to Montreal at 18 to study at HEC Montréal, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Corporate Finance, a Master’s degree in Strategy, and competing as an elite student‑athlete.

Audrey built a non‑traditional CFO path through eight years at Bombardier, gaining experience in accounting, financial modeling, finance transformation, corporate strategy, and M&A. She later joined Automobile en Direct, where she led FP&A, strategic planning, corporate governance, a multi‑bank loan syndication, a divestment plan, and major innovation projects including ERP replacement and the launch of an internal AI Committee.

Key topics covered:

Audrey’s journey from growing up in an entrepreneurial family in France to becoming CFO of a leading Canadian used‑car retailer by age 33.

How global finance transformation work at Bombardier—shared services, FP&A systems, and post‑merger integration—equipped her with change, people, and risk management skills vital for the CFO seat.

Why she left a multinational for a fast‑growing medium‑sized business and how she built FP&A, budgeting, cash flow planning, and monthly performance reviews from the ground up.

Audrey’s view of the modern CFO as a value creator and strategic partner to the CEO and COO, rather than a traditional “chief accountant,” and how the GrowCFO program reinforced her readiness for the role.

Lessons from navigating the post‑COVID used‑car downturn, executing a divestment plan, and still opening new branches while maintaining financial discipline .

How she is leading the company’s AI and technology agenda—creating an internal AI committee, adding a Director of Technology and Innovation, and using AI to enhance decisions without cutting headcount.

Links

Audrey Lagresle on LinkedIn

Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn

GrowCFO Mentoring

Timestamps: 

0:00:01 – Introduction to Audrey Lagrell and Automobile On Direct; overview of the used‑car business model and scale (14,000+ cars per year, #1 used‑car retailer in Canada focused solely on used cars)

0:02:04 – Audrey’s early exposure to entrepreneurship in her family’s furniture business and how living “inside the business” shaped her holistic understanding of how companies operate

0:04:20 – Bombardier finance transformation: building shared service centers in Costa Rica, Romania, and the Philippines; project management, process mapping, and large‑scale change management in a 60,000‑employee multinational.

0:09:18 – Standardizing finance across multiple plants and learning from major divestments and post‑merger integrations, including work with Airbus on carve‑outs and integration activities.

0:14:10 – Transition from multinational to a growing medium‑sized automotive business; building FP&A, budgets, cash flow, treasury policies, and monthly financial reviews from scratch.

0:16:46 – The GrowCFO program, evolving expectations of the CFO role by 2030, and why Audrey believes the CFO’s primary mission is to create value and help the CEO make better decisions—not just close the books.

0:21:01 – Imposter syndrome, stepping into the CFO role at 33, and realizing she was already operating as a strategic influencer before the title formally changed.

0:25:25 – Audrey’s finance team structure: strong corporate controller, dedicated FP&A, and treasury support that free her to focus on growth, strategy, and partnerships with the CEO and COO.

0:28:40 – How she is leading AI in the business: internal AI committee, evaluating use cases across marketing, finance, and reconditioning, and insisting on clear ROI and risk management.

0:33:39 – Lessons from a major ERP replacement to Microsoft Business Central and why the CFO must stay close to tech projects to ensure they genuinely create business value.

Find out more about GrowCFO

If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.

GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here.

You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/4dDqz9crVX05wHlwbFskwN

A CFO role is no longer just about reporting the numbers; it’s about driving strategy, shaping growth, and leading with commercial insight. For ambitious finance professionals, understanding how to deliberately design a career that accelerates you into that top seat has never been more important. From gaining the right breadth of experience to leveraging technology, networks, and non‑traditional opportunities, there are practical ways to intentionally fast‑track your journey to CFO.

In this episode, Kevin Appleby interviews Becky Glover, Chief Financial Officer at Mazuma, about her unconventional and accelerated journey to the CFO seat. Becky outlines how she progressed from leaving school at 17 to qualifying through the AAT and ACCA routes, building a portfolio of varied roles, and eventually stepping into the CFO role without a traditional university background. The conversation positions her story as a practical blueprint for finance professionals who want to fast‑track their careers by focusing on the right experiences, networks, and skills rather than just job titles and salary progression.

The episode also explores how running her own e‑commerce business, engaging with professional bodies such as AAT and ACCA, and contributing to initiatives like Connection Career Collective all accelerated Becky’s development as a modern, technology-enabled CFO. Listeners gain insight into how exposure to technology, automation, marketing, and SME operations can significantly increase a finance leader’s impact and readiness for the top finance role. The discussion highlights that the path to CFO is becoming more diverse and that intentional career design, continuous learning, and meaningful connections can dramatically shorten the journey.

Key topics covered:

Becky’s non‑traditional path: from AAT apprenticeship to ACCA-qualified CFO without a university degree

How diverse roles, board work, and “saying yes” to opportunities helped fast‑track her career

Lessons from running an e‑commerce wine business and how it sharpened her technology and commercial skills

How Mazuma combines fintech and accountancy to serve small SMEs with proprietary automation (MazApp)

Why future CFOs must leverage technology and automation to focus on advisory and value creation

Becky’s work with AAT, ACCA, and Connection Career Collective to build networks in male‑dominated fields

Links

Becky Glover on LinkedIn

Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn

GrowCFO Mentoring

Timestamps: 

0:00 Becky’s unconventional route from AAT apprentice to CFO.

0:03 Key factors that accelerated her path to the CFO role.

0:05 How launching an e‑commerce wine business changed her finance skill set.

0:08 Practical lessons from entrepreneurship for aspiring CFOs.

0:11 Inside Mazuma’s fintech‑accountancy model and SME focus.

0:13 The role of technology and AI in the future CFO toolkit.

0:16 Giving back through AAT and ACCA and why networks matter.

0:19 Confidence, imposter syndrome, and Becky’s mindset strategies.

0:25 Connection Career Collective and building connections in male‑dominated sectors.

0:28 Becky’s vision for her future and the evolving CFO role.

Find out more about GrowCFO

If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.

GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here.

You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/0zOed7gVBbs25h2TaJetQo

For tax professionals wondering what comes after traditional compliance work, this episode offers a practical roadmap for evolving into a more strategic, better-paid role. As AI and automation increasingly handle routine tax tasks, the real opportunity lies in stepping up as a trusted financial guide to business owners, not just a form-filler or historian of the past

In this episode, host Kevin Appleby interviews Scott Winters, CEO & Chairman of the Board at Financial Gravity, on how tax professionals can successfully transition into fractional CFO roles. The discussion frames this shift as both a strategic career move and a necessary response to the rapid commoditization of tax compliance, driven largely by AI and automation. Rather than remaining in backward-looking compliance work, Scott argues that tax professionals are uniquely positioned to become forward-looking strategic advisors, helping business owners make better decisions, scale, and ultimately create more enterprise value .

Scott introduces a five-stage business evaluation and scaling framework and explains how it can be applied by tax professionals who want to broaden their remit beyond tax filings . He explores the mindset shift required to move from technician to strategic partner, the skills gap between traditional tax advisors and seasoned CFOs, and practical models for offering fractional CFO services, including tiered offerings and retainer-based pricing. The episode makes a strong case that those who adapt will thrive in a world where AI takes over routine work, leaving humans to deliver higher-value insight, judgment, and leadership.

Key topics covered:

Why AI is commoditizing tax compliance and pushing advisors toward value-added fractional CFO services

The five-stage framework Scott uses to evaluate, fix, and scale client businesses

The skills tax professionals must develop to bridge the gap between compliance work and strategic CFO leadership

How to design a tiered service offering that layers advisory and fractional CFO work on top of core tax services

Shifting from hourly billing to a retainer-based model that supports deeper, ongoing client relationships

Why the demand for fractional CFOs is growing, and how tax professionals can differentiate in a crowded advisory market

Links

Scott Winters on LinkedIn

Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn

GrowCFO Mentoring

Timestamps: 

0:00:02 – Scott Winters’ background and entrepreneurial journey

0:03:17 – Why tax professionals should become fractional CFOs

0:06:31 – Skills gap between tax compliance work and fractional CFO roles

0:08:45 – Scott’s five-stage business evaluation and scaling process

0:13:15 – Challenges and upskilling opportunities for tax professionals

0:14:33 – The value proposition of fractional CFO services

0:20:25 – Impact of AI on tax, accounting, and advisory services

0:24:08 – Fractional CFO market demand and competition

0:29:16 – Creating a tiered tax, advisory, and fractional CFO offering

0:30:52 – Moving from hourly billing to retainer-based models

0:32:55 – Book promotion and closing thoughts on “Tax Professional to Fractional CFO”

Find out more about GrowCFO

If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.

GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here.

You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZGZXsiAU9uEVPsIAGbSUj

AI is now embedded in almost every corner of the finance function, powering forecasts, reports, and board-ready insights at unprecedented speed. Yet when powerful systems are plugged into weak data, broken processes, or poor governance, they don’t just make mistakes, they do it with absolute confidence and immense credibility. For CFOs, the real risk isn’t that AI is wrong; it’s that it looks so right no one stops to question it.

In this GrowCFO Show episode, Kevin Appleby speaks with Don Rogers, Managing Partner & Founder of Invictus Global Advisors, LLC, to explore how AI can mislead finance teams with highly convincing but incorrect outputs, and what CFOs must do to protect decision-making. Rogers explains that while AI has reignited interest in finance transformation, many CFOs are layering powerful AI tools onto broken operating models and poor-quality data. The result is not better insight, but faster, more polished versions of the same flawed information, sometimes delivered with total confidence, yet fundamentally wrong. He stresses that without strong governance, data enablement, and process discipline, AI will amplify dysfunction rather than cure it.

Rogers positions AI as a catalyst that forces CFOs to rethink the strategic finance operating model, not a magic fix. He introduces a 10-component model spanning strategy, talent activation, service delivery, process optimization, governance, data, digital and AI, insights and analytics, constituent experience, and benefits realization. Throughout the conversation, he illustrates how weak change management, undocumented processes, and poor culture (e.g., fear of “red” status) cause transformations to miss their promised benefits, even when the technology works. His message is clear: AI can unlock the long-promised vision of finance as a true strategic advisor, but only if CFOs fix their operating model, embed strong governance, and keep “humans in the loop” to challenge and validate AI outputs.

Key topics covered:

Don explains how AI, when layered on top of a broken finance operating model and poor data governance, will “amplify the dysfunction” and produce confidently wrong answers instead of better insight.

He shares a real client example where the same AI prompts produced two completely different board reports, underscoring the risks of hallucinations, model drift, and weak governance in AI-led reporting.

Rogers introduces his Strategic Finance Operating Model with 10 components, showing CFOs how to connect corporate strategy, talent, processes, data, AI, and benefits realization into one coherent blueprint.

The discussion highlights sobering transformation statistics (e.g., high failure and dissatisfaction rates) and links them directly to poor change management, cultural resistance, and cutting “change” from budgets first.

Don stresses the need for a new apprenticeship model in finance: young professionals must learn AI, data, and tools, while experienced leaders focus on change enablement, strategic storytelling, and constituent experience.

The conversation explores the evolution from bespoke AI to generative and agentic AI, and why CFOs must demand strong guardrails, governance, and documented processes before trusting AI in core finance tasks like journal entries.

Links

Don Rogers on LinkedIn

Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn

GrowCFO Mentoring

Timestamps: 

0:02:21 – AI, changing expectations of CFOs, and why layering AI on a broken model only “amplifies the dysfunction.”

0:04:46 – Don’s story of a CFO getting two different AI-generated board reports from the same prompts, and the risks of hallucination, drift, and bad data. 

0:06:13 – How young professionals must learn AI, data, and tools, while senior leaders become change catalysts and keep “humans in the loop.” [episode296]

0:11:39 – Why 50% of transformations never get off the ground and ~70–80% fail to deliver expected benefits; Don links this directly to change management and human behavior, not technology.

0:17:32 – The importance of tracking outcomes and benefits: business cases are created, funded, then forgotten, driving the gap between promised and realized value.

0:20:23 – Culture, governance, and the “green-to-red” effect: why everything looks green until a project suddenly turns red, and how fear and blame stop early escalation.

0:22:41 – Don outlines the Strategic Finance Operating Model components (strategy, talent activation, service delivery, process optimization, governance, data enablement, digital & AI, insights & analytics, constituent experience, outcomes & benefits).

0:23:39 – Evolution of AI in finance: from bespoke models to embedded generative AI in ERPs and point solutions, and now to agentic AI acting on goals, not just instructions. 

0:28:27 – Agentic AI and governance: Don’s epilogue on corporate and government responsibility for guardrails, and why AI is still only as good as the instructions and constraints given.

0:32:16 – Journal entry example: a client’s agentic AI project hits a 96% fail rate because underlying code-block rules weren’t built into the model.

0:33:33 – The hidden risk: critical business processes exist only in people’s heads, never documented, leaving AI with no reliable instructions to follow.

0:35:04 – Deeper dive into the 10 components and how to prioritize projects when organizations can only handle 5–7 major initiatives at a time.

0:39:59 – Don’s upcoming book: “Building the Strategic Finance Operating Model: The CFO’s Blueprint for Value Creation in the Age of AI” and its practical, conversational style.

Find out more about GrowCFO

If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.

GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here.

You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/6BAhYyRQAlmf5YteAOrCI0

As automation and algorithms take on more financial analysis, the role of the finance leader is under increasing scrutiny. Boards and founders are asking what truly requires human judgment at the top of the finance function, and what can be handed over to machines.

In this episode, Kevin Appleby talks with Rick Sanchez, Managing Principal and CEO of Robyn Consulting Group, about whether AI can replace the CFO. They explore how AI can accelerate decision-making, supercharge FP&A, streamline routine workflows, and deepen insight into unit economics, pricing, and retention, while highlighting why strategy, interpretation, and stakeholder leadership still demand an experienced finance executive.

The discussion turns this vision into practical guidance: building a robust financial operating system, using AI to lower barriers to building and scaling SaaS products, and applying data to pricing and recurring revenue models. Rick also looks ahead to how fractional CFO services will evolve, arguing that those who blend FP&A expertise with AI tools will be best placed to solve complex problems. and that AI is ultimately a force multiplier for CFOs, not a replacement.

Key topics covered:

Rick outlines his transition from corporate revenue management and FP&A into a fractional CFO role, bringing Fortune 500–style tools and frameworks to founder-led and SaaS businesses.

He explains why unit economics (price, quantity, and retention) are central levers for SaaS growth and how exercises like MRR growth ceiling analysis reveal where to focus effort.

The conversation dives into pricing strategy, including starting with lower prices to acquire customers, then using value-based increases and retention to drive long-term profitability.

Rick and Kevin explore how AI will reshape finance, from automating routine tasks to enhancing planning, analytics, and CEO decision-making, while still requiring human oversight and strategic judgment.

They discuss how AI is lowering barriers to entry in SaaS, enabling rapid prototyping and go-to-market, while highlighting that distribution, marketing, and scalable business models still determine success.

Looking ahead, Rick predicts strong growth in fractional CFO services powered by AI and bespoke FP&A tooling, and stresses clear differentiation between bookkeeping, controllership, and high-value CFO advisory work.

Links

Rick Sanchez on LinkedIn

Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn

GrowCFO Mentoring

Timestamps: 

0:00:01 – Rick’s background and journey from corporate CFO roles to founding his own fractional CFO firm, working with startups and founder-led businesses.

0:01:39 – Deep dive into his corporate career in technology, revenue management, and FP&A, and how those disciplines shape his current advisory approach.

0:04:31 – Discussion of specialization in SaaS and tech companies, including unit economics, recurring revenue, and the critical importance of retention.

0:07:52 – Practical pricing strategies for startups and established firms, covering low-entry pricing, retention dynamics, and managing paid-in-full and deferred revenue.

0:21:39 – Core segment on AI in finance and fractional CFO work, how AI can automate tasks, elevate decision quality, and fit into a layered financial operating system.

0:28:17 – How AI reduces product development friction in SaaS, plus the remaining challenges around scaling, marketing, and infrastructure for young tech CEOs.

0:36:22 – Future trends: growth in fractional CFO demand, the role of creativity plus AI in solving complex problems, and the rise of in-house FP&A tools tailored to niche markets.

0:39:52 – Closing reflections on AI’s long-term impact on finance, the necessity of clean and accurate data, and the upskilling imperative for finance professionals.

Find out more about GrowCFO

If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.

GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here.

You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net