Overview
CFO Unite is GrowCFO’s stellar support network for established CFOs. Participants are placed into lucrative cohort groups featuring a maximum of ten CFOs, led by a professional mentor with over ten years of board level CFO experience.
Each group meets for monthly two-hour workshops featuring the following:
- Relevant and current content for discussion purposes
- Peer group connection and support
- Group professional mentoring from an experienced CFO
- Bring a problem and seek group support
- Deeper dive into the most challenging issues
- Understanding and sharing each company’s business models
- Expert speakers as needed to bring new perspectives
- Continuous adaptation of sessions to meet the group’s needs
These sessions will significantly enhance your impact and maximize the value you create within your company, both as a finance leader and a critical voice in the board room. You will leave each workshop feeling fresh with a renewed level of energy, a powerful action plan to overcome your challenges, and proven techniques to demonstrate your true worth.
What will you achieve?
Led by Professional Mentors
Each of the monthly workshops are led by professional mentors who are experienced CFOs with at least ten years of board level roles.
Develop a CFO Support Network
You will be placed into a friendly collaborative cohort group comprising up to ten experienced CFOs from your immediate peer group.
Powerful Relevant Content
Your lead professional mentor will share powerful relevant content during each workshop to support the group’s biggest priorities.
Who is this for?
This programme is designed for people who are leading a finance function and reporting into the board (e.g. CFO, Head of Finance, Finance Director, VP of Finance).
All participants should be well established within your finance leader role and understand the importance of investing time to help achieve your full potential and deliver your company’s business plan.
Main Features
Monthly group sessions lasting two hours each on an ongoing basis (up to ten people and delivered online):
- Run by an experienced CFO and professional mentor
- Group mentoring relevant to each session
- Experienced CEO/CFO input within three sessions
- Peer group connection and support
Case Studies: Overcoming Challenges Together
Case Study 1:
Banking Crisis & Banking Fraud
A CFO from a global creative group shared how one of their group companies had to respond quickly to the banking crisis. This unexpected situation made them realise that there were some gaps in their risk management approach. We discussed the crisis and then the component parts of relevant internal policies, and the insurance policies that their companies had in place.
They also shared an example of ‘banking fraud’ they had dealt with in a previous role and the lessons learnt from it. The outcome was that all members of the group were going to review their risk management and treasury policies to ensure there were no obvious control weaknesses or points of failure.
Case Study 2:
Series B Fundraise
A CFO from a global lifestyle group was going through a Series B fundraise from private equity. They were struggling with ‘crazy’ covenants and a tight timescale and wanted to de-risk some possible outcomes. We all listened as sometimes it’s important just to be heard, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. The outcome was that the CFO felt calmer and in a clearer position to close out the deal.
Case Study 3:
Loss of a Key Customer
A CFO came into the monthly session and shared that the company had just lost a key customer, representing a significant portion of the next year’s revenue and profit. In addition, they were struggling with cash, because of the uncertainty of other customer receipts. This was a stressful situation. We all understood the significance of these issues and focused on helping the CFO to see clearly and take all the necessary next steps to protect the company. The outcome was that the CFO was calmer and more focused on what was important to prioritize, including the communication to the board.
Our Members Say
During the CFO Unite Programme, we get to know each other well in the group and the conversation flows naturally. We are all similar in that we are driven, motivated and committed as individuals and we work for dynamic businesses so we can all relate to what’s going on with someone else.
The level of conversation, discussion and perspective is great and the others in the group get me to think both in the session and beyond. We share insights and build on what others are saying.
There is no judgement and no competition. It is informal, relaxed, and open.
I can share what’s on my mind, and often I can change how we approach things as a management team and think from a different angle.
The CFO Unite Programme is amazing and I have hugely benefited from the quality discussions with the experienced finance leaders in my Programme cohort group. The mentoring, coaching and teaching from the immensely experienced and knowledgeable professional mentor has made me much better-placed to succeed in my role. The ongoing access to excellent resources and exceptional peers also really helps. Thank you GrowCFO for making that difference!
This programme provides a great framework of content and focused discussion, whilst offering a safe space to enable open conversation and encouraging people to share their biggest challenges. This is a good way of carving out time to prioritize additional learning and development as both a person and a CFO.
The CFO Unite Programme's combination of the peer group workshops and the group professional mentoring complement one another really well and it is great to share perspectives with people working in other companies.
