What does it take to become the kind of CFO who can turn fast growth into disciplined, sustainable progress?
What does it take to become the kind of CFO who can turn fast growth into disciplined, sustainable progress?
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In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Robert Checchia, CFO at Benzinga.
Robert shares his perspective on the modern CFO as an operator: someone who gets close to the business, understands how teams work, and helps turn an ambitious growth plan into clear priorities, accountable ownership and sustainable margins. Drawing on his experience across banking, consulting, private equity and operating roles, he explains why the best finance leaders are not gatekeepers, they empower others to make better decisions.
In his conversation with David, Robert explores the discipline required to scale a business under private-equity ownership. He discusses how to distinguish good opportunities from the few that deserve real investment, how to give P&L owners meaningful visibility into their numbers, and why finance must connect revenue growth to margin, cash generation and execution.
Robert also reflects on building a career across countries and industries, the importance of making decisions with imperfect information, and why leaders must own the consequences of their recommendations. He shares practical advice on using AI to improve productivity without losing human judgement, including how to encourage experimentation while maintaining effective guardrails.
The CFO as Growth Operator
The role of finance executives is not any longer simply concerned with reporting figures. According to Robert Checchia’s experience in investment banking, private equity and operational finance, CFOs can turn financial insight into a practical driver of growth by revealing the true economics of the business, improving cash visibility, refining pricing decisions and allocating resources towards durable value. Here are five principles, derived from his discussion in The CFO Playbook, which are intended for finance leaders who wish to go beyond mere reporting and use finance to help shape stronger and more sustainable business decisions.