GrowCFO Show Kevin Appleby

Randy Wootton is an experienced technology executive with over 20 years of experience in corporate leadership roles. He joins Kevin Appleby as a guest on the GrowCFO Show ahead of appearing as a panellist at the GrowCFO Global Finance Summit. He has served as CEO of three startups: Rocket Fuel, Percolate, and Maxio. Randy spent 8 years in the U.S. Navy before transitioning to the corporate sector with Microsoft and Salesforce. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master's in Great Books.







At Maxio, Randy leads a business that helps B2B SaaS companies unlock their next stage of growth. Maxio's Billing and Financial operations platform is designed to meet the unique financial challenges of B2B SaaS companies. This includes billing, subscription management, revenue and expense recognition, and SaaS analytics.







Throughout his career, Randy has developed expertise in go-to-market strategies and helping technology companies scale. He advocates using AI to transform industries like marketing, finance, and accounting. He is passionate about leveraging technology to solve business problems and drive efficiency.







In conversation with Kevin, Randy discussed his experiences with AI and machine learning, including using it at a previous company for programmatic advertising. He shared how he now uses AI tools like ChatGPT to research and write articles. Randy and Kevin also discussed AI's potential impacts on industries like content creation, accounting, and finance. Specifically, they touched on how AI could address labor shortages in accounting by automating data processing and freeing up professionals for higher-level work.







Randy and Kevin outlined future AI use cases and will expand on these at the upcoming GrowCFO global finance summit. Previous podcast guest Aneal Vallarupali, CFO at Airbase also features in this session.









https://youtu.be/Aqahr5LvetA









Links









* Randy Wootton on LinkedIn







* Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn







* Maxio







* GrowCFO Show #171: What’s in Store for Fintech in 2024 with Aneal Vallurupalli, CFO at Airbase







* GrowCFO Global Finance Summit









Timestamps







Career progression from military to CEO of 3 startups. (0:10)







AI and business leadership with a seasoned CEO. (2:19)







AI's impact on content creation, including the use of chatbots for research and writing. (7:03)







AI's impact on the accounting profession, including automation, labour shortages, and new roles. (12:07)







Charting the Future: Expert Perspectives on Finance and AI Trends at the Global Finance Summit (17:44)







Find out more about GrowCFO







If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favourite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Google Podcasts, a href="https://open.spotify.

Chris Tredwell joins regular host Kevin Appleby on the GrowCFO Show. Chris is the Chief Sales Officer at ERP software provider Aqilla. Chris leads GrowCFO's Future of the Finance Function series of webinars and will be presenting the opening keynote at the upcoming Global Finance Summit on 15-16 May 2024.







Aqilla is a mid-market, Cloud-based, Accounting / Postmodern ERP solution that sits above well-known entry-level SME products such as Xero, Quickbooks and Sage. It has the capabilities of products like SunSystems (Infor FMS), SAP Business One, Netsuite, Microsoft Dynamics, Intacct and many others but at a fraction of the complexity and cost.







Chris and Kevin discussed how AI and automation are rapidly changing the finance function. They talked about the limitations of legacy on-premise accounting software and how modern cloud-based solutions are needed to take advantage of new technologies.







Speeding up month-end close remains a challenge for most businesses, and Chris and Kevin believe this is the biggest opportunity for automation in finance.







They emphasized the importance of real-time data access and analytics to drive better business decision-making. They also discussed the importance of benchmarking processes, having a single source of truth for data, and focusing on a few key actionable insights rather than excessive data









https://youtu.be/llPpRcJtsps









Links









* Chris Tredwell on LinkedIn







* Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn







* Aqilla







* GrowCFO Global Finance Summit









Timestamps







The Global Finance Summit. (0:11)







Cloud-based accounting software for mid-market businesses. (3:25)







Modernizing finance software for efficiency and time savings. (9:08)







AI in finance, automating tasks and improving accuracy. (13:58)







Focussing on real-time data and decision-making. (18:32)







Data accuracy and a single source of truth in business reporting. (23:24)







Modernizing finance functions with a focus on technology and automation. (28:17)







Find out more about GrowCFO







If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favourite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.







GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. 







Premium members can also access our extensive training centre and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enrol in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programmes here. 







You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

Anthony Perrozi is an independent finance transformation advisor, author and coach. Anthony shares his vast experience and practical insights on how finance teams can evolve from mere reporters of results to crucial drivers of business value. He stresses the importance of mindset in transforming finance teams and lays out how to establish a project approach that optimizes existing processes and pinpoints areas needing improvement.







Anthony talks about his journey to becoming a full-time finance transformation expert. Anthony started in accounting but realized there was more to learn outside the textbooks. This led him to take on systems implementation roles and eventually lead transformation projects.







Anthony shared some common pitfalls like not committing enough resources to transformations. Organizations also struggle with requests for proposals that don't consider the level of effort needed. We discussed the need for client-side advisors to provide strategy and ensure different departments work together smoothly.







Anthony's approach involves listening sessions with subject matter experts to understand their pain points and map out processes. Fixing these is key before adding new technology like automation. Process improvement is so important for efficiency gains.







When it comes to automation and AI, Anthony stressed the importance of aligned processes and resources first. We can't just layer technology on top of broken processes. Robotics process automation is commonly used in early automation efforts.







Driving the need for change often comes down to issues like errors and wasted time on non-value activities. A big future challenge will be increasing understanding of what transformation really means and how to do it effectively. Our finance transformation bootcamp aims to help with that.









https://youtu.be/wijdStudh5g









Links









* Anthony Perrozzi on LinkedIn







* Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn







* GrowCFO Finance Transformation Boot Camp







* GrowCFO Global Finance Summit









Timestamps







Introducing finance transformation with expert Anthony Perrozzi. (0:11)







Finance transformation and intercompany accounting. (2:27)







Finance transformation challenges and solutions. (5:45)







Improving business processes through client-side advisors. (11:58)







Process improvement for business efficiency. (18:08)







Transforming businesses through automation and AI. (24:10)







Transforming finance teams and education. (31:21)







Find out more about GrowCFO







If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favourite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.

Remote working is becoming ever more popular. Besides the trend of working from home, existing workers may want to move to other countries, either for a short period or long term, and the business may want to take advantage of the skills pool available by recruiting further afield. While there are many advantages of remote work, it also opens up new issues in legal and fiscal compliance. John Lee joins Kevin Appleby on the GrowCFO Show to discuss the problem and show how his company, Work From Anywhere, gives an effective solution.







John Lee speaks 6 languages and has travelled to 60+ countries. Over the last 20 years he has lived in Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Thailand. His previous start-up, CultureMee, an intercultural communication platform, won “Best Travel Technology Product” at the Global Youth Travel Awards in 2018. Prior to CultureMee, John held senior finance roles in FTSE listed CRH Plc. There, he travelled to over 150+ locations over a 10 year period and got to see first hand the challenges of dealing with complex corporate tax, individual tax and employment law across multiple jurisdictions.







Work from anywhere: solving the compliance problem







The conversation covered the challenges of managing compliance in remote and hybrid workforces. John Lee discussed his background in finance and startups, and how he enjoys working remotely with his family while navigating complex global tax laws.







John highlighted various tax, legal and employment risks companies face with international employees, such as visa requirements, individual and corporate tax, social security, and permanent establishment risks. Different countries have varying rules that can lead to penalties if not properly managed.







Kevin and John discussed the challenges of approving remote work locations and hiring overseas employees. John's platform provides real-time risk assessments and compliance checklists to help businesses navigate these issues. It also saves companies time and money compared to external advisors.







Other topics included evolving hiring models like employers of record and contractors, roles popular for remote work, and the future of work being more agile and flexible. John is excited by AI's potential but emphasizes human oversight for reliability in their legal/compliance domain.







GrowCFO members can take advantage of a range of member discounts, including an exclusive 10% discount on a Work From Anywhere subscription









https://youtu.be/dopfdelaWv0









Links









* John Lee on LinkedIn







* Work From Anywhere







* Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn







* 10% discount for GrowCFO members







* Episode 147 Hybrid Working: Getting the Best from Your Finance Team with Alex Triplett, CFO/COO at Appfire









Timestamps







Introducing John Lee (0:11)







Remote work challenges and solutions. (2:39)







Tax and employment risks for multinational companies. (6:37)







Hiring models and workforce strategies in international expansion. (10:37)







Hiring overseas risks and solutions. (14:36)

Tim Merryweather joins Kevin Appleby on the GrowCFO Show ahead of a Webinar in April about how to value your business. Tim is an experienced CFO. He describes his career journey, including working in London, Singapore, and the Middle East, and highlights his practical experience in valuing and acquiring businesses.







Tim and Kevin discussed Tim's early experience at Mouchel, a highly acquisitive former FTSE250 company with a high valuation multiple. They talked about valuing a business being acquired, with Tim explaining that they looked at market indications, valuation metrics, and the combined business's worth.







Tim emphasizes the importance of securing relationships and staff during the acquisition process to maximize value. Companies that make frequent acquisitions may increase risk profiles, leading to a lower valuation multiple.







When dealing with Private Equity, valuation multiples are based on earnings visibility and forecastability. The quality of a company's management team is a key factor in determining its valuation multiple. Valuing early-stage businesses requires balancing DCF techniques with market experience and size of opportunity as cashflows are uncertain.









https://youtu.be/juhLmo9r5mg









Links









* Tim Merryweather on LinkedIn







* Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn







* GrowCFO Business valuation webinar









Timestamps







Business growth and expansion with a South African finance leader. (0:11)







Career progression in finance, from controller to CFO. (3:25)







Valuing a business through acquisition. (8:19)







Acquisition strategies and valuation multiples. (13:35)







Private equity valuation techniques and market trends. (18:05)







Startup valuation and investment strategies. (22:37)







Find out more about GrowCFO







If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favourite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.







GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. 







Premium members can also access our extensive training centre and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enrol in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programmes here. 







You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

In the final part of the series on scaling FP&A, Catherine Marks brings together her old team from Virgin Media O2 to discuss the merger of the two organisations and what this meant for the finance teams within each merged company.







Regular podcast host Kevin Appleby chats with Catherine, formerly Head of Group FP&A at Virgin Media O2 and now FP&A and Team Training Lead at GrowCFO. They are joined by Julie Parker, who before the deal, was Pre-merger Planning Integration Lead, Finance at O2 and remains in the merged organisation as Head of Finance Integration & Transformation; Tom Writer, who took on the role of Head of FP&A - Consumer Commercial in the merged organisation; and Ed Dannan formerly Central Finance Director at Virgin Media, now CFO at Voneus Broadband.







The conversation covered key challenges and strategies for integrating finance teams after a merger or acquisition. The guests discussed their experiences bringing together Virgin Media and O2, highlighting cultural differences, resource allocation challenges, and the importance of speed during integration while managing change.







Other topics included measuring synergies, navigating systems integration, and maintaining motivation. The group agreed that having a clear integration strategy and dedicated leadership is crucial to avoid uncertainty during the transition period. Communicating authentically and focusing on both outputs and people aspects were also emphasized as important factors for success.









https://youtu.be/lnSXr6up3tw









Links









* Catherine Marks on LinkedIn







* Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn







* Julie Parker on LinkedIn







* Tom Writer on LinkedIn







* Ed Dannan on LinkedIn







* Episode 175 Scaling FP&A 2 Choosing the Right FP&A Tools







* Episode 174 Scaling FP&A 1 Building Your FP&A Team







* GrowCFO FP&A Competency Framework







* GrowCFO FP&A Bootcamp









Timestamps







Scaling FP&A with guests from Virgin Media and Phineas. (0:11)







Post-merger integration challenges and strategies. (3:17)







Merger challenges in the telecommunications industry, including cultural differences and resource allocation. (6:59)







Cultural challenges after merging two companies. (9:12)







Cultural differences in mergers and acquisitions. (14:17)







Implementing change in organizations, managing uncertainty. (15:49)







Challenges and strategies for merging financial systems. (18:01)







Merger planning, baseline, and operational metrics. (20:07)







Communication and team alignment.