What does it really mean to be the CFO of a national sport, where decisions are public and trade offs are unavoidable? In this episode of Chat CFO, we sit down with Nimesh Kataria, CFO at the England and Wales Cricket Board, to talk about the reality of leading finance inside a national institution. Nimesh opens up about his move from media and broadcast into sport, the change from operating within a global matrix to taking full ownership, and what it means to balance financial rigour with safeguarding the future of cricket. This conversation was filmed ahead of the Ashes series, which Nimesh references during the discussion, before the outcome of the tour was known. We get into: - What it’s really like being CFO of England’s national sport - Moving from global media into full financial ownership at the ECB - Making investment decisions without endless cash - How finance leaders should approach AI and technology adoption - Managing accountability, pressure, scrutiny, and long term responsibility Chapters and Timestamps: 00:00 – What it means to be CFO of England’s national sport 01:06 – Nimesh’s journey into finance and media 03:16 – Leaving EY and choosing roles with purpose 05:10 – Building a career through opportunity, risk, and relationships 07:14 – Commercial finance, influence, and stakeholder management 08:50 – Career highlights from global media and sport broadcasting 10:37 – Leadership lessons, risk taking, and trust 13:30 – Moving from a matrix organisation to full ownership at the ECB 15:51 – Learning fast, leaning on networks, and adapting quickly 17:29 – Passion, accountability, and choosing the ECB role 19:37 – Balancing financial discipline with sporting values 21:42 – AI, technology, and the future of the finance function 24:18 – Collaboration across sport and governing bodies 26:14 – Accountability, preparation, and board confidence 29:01 – Shifting from reporting to long term strategy 33:21 – The future CFO pipeline and evolving finance careers 39:33 – Work, priorities, and managing personal trade offs 42:43 – Advice for aspiring CFOs and closing reflections ----------------------------------------------------------- About our guest Nimesh Kataria is Chief Financial Officer at the England & Wales Cricket Board, where he leads finance alongside responsibility for procurement and technology. Before joining the ECB, Nimesh spent over 15 years in media and broadcast, including senior leadership roles at Warner Bros. Discovery, where he served as CFO of the International Sports Division, overseeing Eurosport across EMEA and the TNT Sports joint venture with BT, as well as Finance Director for the UK business. Nimesh brings deep experience across commercial finance, end to end M&A, large scale transformation, and stakeholder management at board and executive level. You can connect with Nimesh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimesh-kataria-369b8b26/ ----------------------------------------------------------- About Chat CFO The Chat CFO podcast gives you insights from CFOs, COOs, and CEOs behind some of the most meaningful business decisions in recent years. Listen to honest conversations from leaders about what worked, what didn't, and what it really takes to lead when it matters most. Find more episodes and conversations with finance leaders on Chat CFO. https://www.youtube.com/@stoixChatCFO
