What does it take to become the kind of CFO who can lead through hypergrowth, change and uncertainty?
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In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Roy Hefer, CFO at Perk and a finance leader with experience taking two companies public.
Roy shares a practical leadership playbook for CFOs: build a world-class team, create leverage through delegation, and make culture and trust as rigorous a priority as the numbers. He explains why the finance team that gets a business through its early growth is not always the one that will take it to the next stage, and how leaders can make the difficult people decisions that scaling demands.
In his conversation with David, Roy explores the judgement behind successful M&A, arguing that culture and values matter as much as synergy models. He shares how to assess fit through time, candour and difficult conversations, why gut instinct is informed by experience, and how to build teams where credibility, reliability, confidentiality and accountability create lasting trust.
Roy also discusses how CFOs can turn AI into real operating impact, build investor relationships long before a fundraise, and stay effective under pressure. From prioritising ruthlessly to protecting physical and mental health, his advice is a reminder that the modern CFO’s impact is ultimately defined by the people they build and the decisions they enable.
From decks to decisions: the CFO as decision architect
Finance leadership is no longer just about explaining what happened. Roy Hefer’s journey from consulting into operational finance shows what it takes to help shape what happens next: staying close to the decision, asking “why” until the real issue emerges, making trade-offs clear and building the trust to move teams forward. Five principles here, drawn from his conversation on The CFO Playbook, for finance leaders who want to move beyond analysis and become more influential in the decisions that drive the business.