In this episode, Tom is joined by David Smith, CFO at RevSpring, for a wide-ranging conversation on what a true 360-degree finance leader looks like. David shares how his rare path, from private equity investor to CEO to CFO, shapes the way he connects strategy, operations, and value creation across the entire business. He also explains why discipline, transparency, and partnership are essential in both turnarounds and high-growth environments, and how he helps teams stay engaged by empowering them to think and act like owners.

Guest Quote:

“As a CFO, you see the whole picture… where a good CFO really excels is being able to connect the dots so everyone understands how something happening in one part of the business affects the rest.”

“If you start managing the business like you have a lot of cash, you can easily go sideways when things get tough. It’s maintaining that discipline in good times and in bad times.”

“Make the tough decisions early and stay the course. The companies that don’t come out of restructuring are the ones that defer making the hard decisions.”

Timestamps:

00:50 David Smith's Unique CFO Perspective

04:48 Insights on Private Equity and Turnarounds

10:26 The Importance of Forecasting and Cash Flow Management

13:21 Balancing CFO Responsibilities and Team Motivation

20:52 Building Trust Through Small Wins

23:14 Leveraging AI in Finance

28:19 International Experience and Its Impact

33:35 Future of Finance Roles

Links & Resources:

Connect with Tom Gavaghan

Connect with David Smith

Learn more about Kyriba

Learn more about RevSpring

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In this episode, Tom is joined by Nick Dahm, CFO at Salesloft, to discuss the importance of relationships and storytelling in the CFO seat. They discuss the role of the CFO as a coach, but not a referee or score keeper. Nick also talks about how his background in finance and M&D informs his current approach as CFO and how he maintains team engagement amid constant change.

Guest Quote:

• “You think about like the player and the referee getting into it. I never want to replicate that as far as how finance engages with the business. I really want to build that relationship like you would have with your coach or = with your trainer, where you're like, hey, we're both in this together. They're invested in me achieving my best.”

Timestamps:

01:10 Nick Dom's Background and CFO Role Evolution

02:22 Balancing Growth and Profitability

04:23 Finance as a Coach, Not a Scorekeeper

06:12 The Importance of Storytelling in Finance

08:37 Common Misconceptions About Finance

11:25 M&A Insights and Value Creation

17:04 Team Management and Company Culture

20:20 Personal Reflections and Advice

Links & Resources:

Connect with Tom Gavaghan

Connect with guest Nick

Learn more about Kyriba

Learn more about Salesloft

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In this episode, Tom Gavaghan sits down with Russell Haley, a finance veteran who’s navigated everything from manual ledgers to global treasury crises. Russell shares lessons from his early career starting at 18 in London’s financial sector through his leadership roles at major institutions.

He discusses the value of apprenticeships and non-traditional career paths, the lessons learned from corporate failures, and the tension between automation and understanding.

• “People trust the computer—they assume it must be right. But it can only use the information it’s given, and that information can be wrong. Having an instinct for what the figures should be is invaluable.”

Connect with Tom Gavaghan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasgavaghan/

Connect with Russell Haley:

linkedin.com/in/russell-haley-58676311/?skipRedirect=true

Learn more about Kyriba:

https://www.kyriba.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.