The CFO Track

Tom Hunter
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Most finance people never get mentors who have lived and learnt through capital raises, IPOs, administrations or ACCC scrutiny. The CFO Track changes that. I am Tom Hunter, and every week I sit down with top Australian CFOs to unpack what happened and what they learned. Clear steps, real lessons and as always, free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and LinkedIn Live.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Season 2 – Episode 1: Alexey Mitko (Partner at CoVentures)

    There aren't many people who have built a finance function inside hypergrowth from scratch three times. Alexey Mitko is one of them. He built it at Canva, then Koala, then Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus just sold for $1.6 billion. The same instinct ran through all three. At some point, Alexey stopped thinking of himself as just the finance person and started going upstream into HR, legal and operations. Because that is one of the most valuable things an early-stage finance professional can develop. In the opening episode of CFO Track Season 2, he walks through what that actually looks like in practice. He unpacks the fundraising process from both sides of the table, what founders consistently get wrong, Then how the role of financial modelling shifts from seed to Series B, and what he means when he says time kills all deals. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS · Canva at 20 people: joining as one of two accountants and watching the business grow to 200+ in two and a half years, and the moment Alexey realised the business was outpacing what he could provide. · Going upstream at Koala: arriving to a Xero file breaking under transaction volume, growing revenue from $10M to $100M, and learning what a digital marketing function running at scale actually costs. · Founding CFO at Eucalyptus: one day of accounting, three days of medical-legal set-up for a telehealth brand launching during COVID lockdowns, and what it looks like to hire a specialist into a new function every three months. · Fundraising across five or six rounds: why early-stage modelling is about testing the analytical thinking of a founding team, not predicting numbers, and why running your operations with diligence in mind at all times is the highest-leverage habit a startup CFO can build. · Knowing when the role has narrowed: the point at which Alexey realised others were simply better suited to the CFO seat at Eucalyptus, and why not placing your identity in a title makes that a straightforward decision. If you're working in finance inside a startup or scaleup and trying to understand what the best operators actually do, this is one you don't want to miss. Stream the full episode now on Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts.

    45 min

  2. 18 MAR

    Episode 16: Steve Abbott (CFO – Waste Services Group)

    In episode 16 of the CFO Track podcast, Steve Abbott shares the value of mentorship in progressing your career, alongside developing decision-making skills and building relationships in joint ventures Steve reflects on his experiences at Alcoa and Fenner Dunlop, highlighting the challenges of operational management and the significance of understanding the cyclical nature of industries. He also shares insights from his brief stint at St Kilda Football Club, the future challenges facing the waste management industry and the impact of AI on accounting roles. If you're looking to push your career in a more commercial or operational direction, or build something structured around mentoring, this is an episode you want to check out EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS · Energy trading in a deregulated market with no blueprint: learning to make fast decisions daily alongside currency traders crossing into energy. · Eight years at Alcoa: running East Coast commercial operations and managing a three-way joint venture across a US, Japanese, and Chinese partnership. · First CFO role at Fenner Dunlop: responsible for three manufacturing facilities, learning that taking the work seriously doesn't mean taking yourself seriously. · Stepping into COO: managing 800 people across mining sites and building a mentoring program whose graduates became a CEO and COO. · Ten acquisitions in two and a half years: managing founder transitions and running a full PE equity sale spanning 80 hours of presentations. If you're looking to push your career in a more commercial or operational direction, or build something structured around mentoring, this is an episode you want to check out Stream the full episode now on Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts.

    42 min

  3. 11 MAR

    Episode 15: Michael Oraniuk (CFO – JAM TV Australia)

    Michael Oraniuk provides an interesting perspective of finance in sport. He completed two stints working in London, before returning to Australia and landing at Jam TV; the media production business behind the NBL, A-League and AFL W, where he now serves as CFO. In Episode 15 of The CFO Track, Michael shares what it's like to step into the CFO role at a business built entirely around live sport, one month before COVID shut it all down. He goes through managing cash flow week by week, when forward visibility barely stretched beyond three months. The business has now grown from a seasonal, winter-skewed operation into a year-round production house behind some of Australia's biggest broadcast moments. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS · Pivoting from architecture to accounting in Year 11, spending six years at Pitchers Partners before two stints in London including leading a DD project on a virtual casino venture for an online gaming business. · Joining Jam TV within six weeks of returning from London, stepping into a business built on winter sport and growing it across the NBL, A-League, AFLW and major documentary productions. · Stepping into the CFO role one month before COVID: no live sport, no broadcasts, and a team whose entire purpose had temporarily disappeared. · Keeping every person in the business employed: restructuring the whole team's days and output week by week to match whatever revenue remained. · Managing production P&Ls in live sport: each production runs as its own mini P&L, with cash flow, ratings exposure, and seasonal revenue cycles all requiring close management simultaneously. If you're navigating a career move into a non-traditional industry or leading through a business crisis, this one is worth your time. Stream the full episode now on Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts.

    41 min

  4. 4 MAR

    Episode 14: Abhishek Singla (CFO – Toshiba Australia)

    Abhishek Singla moved from India to Australia as a student, completed his Master of Accounting and his CPA, before working his way up through multinationals and landing his first CFO role at Toshiba Australia. In Episode 14 of The CFO Track, Abhishek shares how he stepped into a Japanese business after a career built inside American multinationals. Which meant navigating a deeply hierarchical culture where long-tenured staff had to be brought on a journey of change rather than pushed through it. He goes through the cultural and leadership adjustments required to manage functions well outside his finance background. While also focusing on why communication is the only thing that makes managing up across international borders actually work. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS · Starting out with no clear plan: following his brother's lead into accounting in India before migrating to Australia as a student, landing his first role as an accounts payable officer at Nestle, and using that multinational brand name as the foundation to build from regardless of how junior the entry point was. · First management role at Valeant Pharmaceuticals: stepping into a finance manager position inside a business that grew its share price from $25 to $350 in two years through an acquisition-a-year strategy. · Six and a half years at Leica as Financial Controller: taking on warehousing, customer care, and service alongside finance in a lean Australian operation, then stepping in as acting GM for six months and learning to lead sales and service teams by relying on strong functional leaders rather than pretending to be the subject matter expert. · Navigating Japanese corporate culture at Toshiba: shifting from the open, cutthroat pace of American multinationals to a hierarchical environment where staff of 30-plus years needed to be taken on the change journey. · Building a broader CFO remit: managing supply chain, warehousing, logistics, IT, and property across a 300-person business while building AI capability within each of those teams. If you're navigating an international career path or stepping into your first CFO role, this episode is full of practical value. Stream the full episode now on Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts.

    37 min

  5. 25 FEB

    Episode 13: Rob Doyle

    Rob Doyle spent 15 years at Vodafone, moving from Group Finance through to leading a finance transformation programme, before going on to CFO roles at Domain and Articore Group. In Episode 13 of The CFO Track, Rob shares his experience deputising for a CFO during one of the largest telco mergers in Australian history. The challenges of managing broken processes and a demoralized team while navigating the iPhone launch and the pricing decisions that came with the explosion of mobile data. He goes through securing double-digit millions in board investment to build a BI and analytics function from scratch at Fairfax during aggressive cost-cutting. Before building Domain's entire finance function in the six months before its ASX separation and listing, and turning around a $400 million-plus e-commerce business to cash neutrality within three to four months. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS · Starting out with an English Literature and Philosophy degree before stumbling into accounting at a university careers fair, joining Vodafone Group just as mobile penetration was taking off and two transformative M&A transactions doubled the size of the group twice over. ·Navigating the Vodafone merger: deputizing for the CFO while half the combined team exited, managing two of everything; systems, processes, and people, and finding ways to keep a team engaged when they felt like they couldn't get ahead of it. ·Leading finance transformation with no playbook: building the pillars of a high-performing finance function from scratch at Vodafone, then repeating the process at Fairfax Media across a team of 150, outsourcing transactional work to a shared service center in India, and securing board investment for a BI and analytics build during a period of aggressive cost-cutting. · Building and listing Domain: constructing the full finance function in six months before ASX separation, managing PE due diligence simultaneously, and diversifying revenue beyond listing volumes through SaaS, mortgage broking, and data products to reduce dependence on uncontrollable market factors. · Turning around Articore Group: restoring a $400 million-plus e-commerce business to cash neutrality within three to four months post-COVID revenue collapse, improving unit economics, and knowing when to put yourself on the cost-out when the value you can add has largely been given. If you're leading finance transformation or navigating structural change across a business, this episode is worth your time. Stream the full episode now on Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts.

    43 min

  6. 18 FEB

    Episode 12: Ben Watiwat (SVP Finance - Immutable)

    Ben Watiwat moved through audit and M&A advisory at Deloitte before joining multiple high-growth tech companies reaching unicorn status, now serving as SVP Finance at Immutable, Australia's largest Web3 gaming platform valued over $2.5 billion. In Episode 12 of The CFO Track, Ben shares his experience in navigating acquisitions every six to eight months while refinancing banks annually and raising capital every 18 months. Including growing the business from 50 people to 2,500, and why expectations reset to zero the moment you close a capital raise. Ben goes through the 3-4 year runway needed before starting fundraising because investors are pickier and cost of capital is higher. Then building Slack bots with AI tools in hours instead of waiting three weeks for IT and why lean teams need people who can handle ambiguity rather than those who want checklists. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS · Moving from audit into M&A advisory at Deloitte to get commercial overlay and breadth of experience, then jumping into high-growth startups where you're building the plane while flying it. · Navigating hyper-growth velocity: managing acquisitions every six to eight months, refinancing banks annually, and raising capital every 18 months while growing from 50 to 2,500 people, learning to make constant trade-offs with "future Ben problems." · Capital raising fundamentals: started fundraising at three or four years of runway instead of 12 months, understanding expectations reset to zero post-raise, and getting organisedwith data rooms and foundational documents before the process starts. · Surviving crypto boom and bust cycles: experiencing three or four boom-bust cycles in three years that flush out weak competition and prove sustainable business models, shifting from "growth at all costs" to smart capital allocation. · Building lean teams with AI: hiring people with technical pedigree who can handle ambiguity and think commercially, using AI tools like Cursor to build automations in hours that previously took three weeks, focusing on high-value work instead of pedestrian tasks. If you're navigating high-growth environments or planning to raise capital, this episode will give you what you are looking for. Stream the full episode now on Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts.

    41 min

  7. 11 FEB

    Episode 11: Retief Lampen (CFO - iion)

    Retief Lampen moved from South Africa to Australia, starting as a contractor commercial accountant after being told he needed local experience, before his way to his current role as CFO at Iion, an ad tech startup in gaming industry, which operates remotely across the globe. In Episode 11 of The CFO Track, Retief shares what it's like to step into a CFO role at 25 with just two and a half years post-qualification experience, working seven days a week during a $350 million USD acquisition that led to to him experiencing burnout, and taking 10 months off to travel South America and Europe before committing to fully remote work. He goes through managing a Series A raise while working from Bali, navigating the intense six-month post-IPO audit where everything in the prospectus gets checked, and building company culture remotely through trust rather than micromanagement. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS • Stepping into a CFO role at 25 managing 200-300 employees across a family business group with no mentor, relying on chartered accounting training and checking in with yourself constantly about imposter syndrome. • Moving countries and starting over: taking several steps down to contractor commercial accountant level when arriving in Australia without local experience, spending nine months building credibility before moving back up to finance manager. • The $350 million acquisition burnout: working around the clock seven days a week as a small finance team managed the sale process, learning to recognise signs before it happens again. • Taking 10 months to travel the world: visiting most of South America and Europe between roles after an intense IPO and audit period, bringing interpersonal experiences back to corporate life while committing to fully remote work going forward. • Building remote culture with trust: managing a startup team spread across Asia, Europe, and Australia with quarterly OKRs requiring every team to build AI improvements, maintaining eNPS above 8-9 by giving teams outputs to deliver rather than micromanaging how they work. If you're navigating early CFO opportunities or considering fully remote leadership roles, this episode is full of value Stream the full episode now on Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts.

    43 min

  8. 4 FEB

    Episode 10: David Prince (CFO - Marley Spoon)

    David Prince moved through consumer goods for 15 years before becoming CFO at Marley Spoon Australia, navigating from finance into property, supply chain, and IT across multiple business models and ownership structures. In Episode 10 of The CFO Track, David shares what it's really like to step beyond finance into running the property function for a retail business, navigating administration and delisting of a household brand while welcoming his first child, and taking his first CFO role as a contractor because it's easier to get the role once you have the title. He goes through expanding into the US market and rebuilding pricing models every time tariff announcements hit, transitioning from ASX-listed to private to German-listed businesses across different reporting standards, and why the human connection with customers differs fundamentally between physical stores and pure-play e-commerce. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS ·Career inflection points: stepping from finance into running the property function by bringing commercial modelling skills to capital investment decisions, then expanding into supply chain and IT by putting a hand up for cross-functional projects. ·Navigating administration and delisting: working through the restructure of a household brand, recognising that sharp downturns lead to slow rebuilds rather than V-shaped recoveries, and understanding how debt structure can push even beloved brands into trouble. ·Getting the CFO title through contracting: taking a contract CFO role to break through the barrier where businesses won't take the punt on someone without the title, even when you've done the work as an FC. ·Expanding into the US market: managing the complexity of 330 million consumers while dealing with constant tariff announcements that require reworking entire pricing models overnight, understanding why so many Australian brands fail despite the lucrative opportunity. ·Transitioning across reporting standards: moving from Australian ASX-listed to Taiwan-headquartered to German-listed businesses, navigating IFRS interpretations that differ across markets and learning to communicate financial positions differently for each ownership structure. David is an expert in the Retail and E-Commerce world, so if you're looking to step beyond traditional finance roles or navigating business restructuring, this episode is one you definitely do not want to miss. Stream the full episode now on Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts.

    41 min
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About

Most finance people never get mentors who have lived and learnt through capital raises, IPOs, administrations or ACCC scrutiny. The CFO Track changes that. I am Tom Hunter, and every week I sit down with top Australian CFOs to unpack what happened and what they learned. Clear steps, real lessons and as always, free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and LinkedIn Live.

Information

  • Creator
    Tom Hunter
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Tom Hunter
  • Show Website
    The CFO Track

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