The Growth-Minded CFO29 Apr 2025

What Makes a Great CFO in 2025? Insights from the Frontlines of CFO Hiring, with Dav Masaon

Bringing on a CFO is one of the most critical decisions a startup can make—but how do you know when it’s the right time? And more importantly, how do you find someone with the right skills to drive growth, manage complexity, and scale alongside your company?

In this episode of The Growth Minded CFO, hosts Alex and Lauren sit down with Dav Masaon, Co-Founder of executive search firm Zanda, to explore what it really takes to hire the right CFO in today’s fast-changing startup landscape.

Together, they dive into:

When and why to bring on your first CFO
The biggest hiring mistakes founders make
How the role of the CFO is evolving in the age of AI and automation
Why financial discipline is more important than ever
What differentiates a great startup CFO from a corporate one

Dav shares expert insights into the traits to look for in finance leaders—from scrappiness and stage-fit to international hiring nuances—offering practical tips for founders, investors, and finance leaders alike.

Whether you’re scaling a startup or refining your leadership team, this episode is packed with must-know advice for building a high-performing finance function in 2025.

01:06 Meet Our Guest: Dav Masaon, Co-Founder of Zanda

02:23 When to Hire a CFO: Key Considerations

08:49 The Evolving Role of the CFO

12:24 Challenges and Pressures Faced by CFOs

17:27 Financial Relationship Management: A New Era

19:14 Recruiting Trends and CFO Backgrounds

20:21 Challenges of Transitioning from Corporate to Startup CFO

20:57 Key Traits for a Successful Startup CFO

21:24 The Role of AI and Automation in Finance

22:32 Importance of Background and Experience for CFOs

24:58 Hiring the Right CFO at the Right Stage

27:48 Evaluating Candidates' Understanding of Startups

31:06 Pitching to Candidates Like Investors

31:20 Comparing US and UK Markets for CFOs

Subscribe for more insights on startup finance, leadership, and growth.

Connect with Dav on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davmasaon/

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexlouisy/

Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenepearl/

Find the full video version of this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JwItKrlAZjk?si=_5rvedB8vWv63iSA

The Growth-Minded CFO podcast aims to challenge the status-quo and explore how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO, 3-time Founder and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU) and Alex Louisy (FinTech CEO and Y Combinator graduate) speak with inspiring finance and business leaders who’ll share what great CFOs are doing to support high-performing organizations.

This podcast is powered by Upflow - a Financial Relationship Management platform enabling faster payments, stronger customer relationships and efficient growth for your business.

Join thousands of next-level finance leaders and go from chasing invoices to engaging customers. Find out more at https://upflow.io/.

Feedback or praise for the podcast? Want to get in touch? Reach out to our producer at joseph.sweeney@upflow.io

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Episoder(40)

Why "AR Automation" Was Never the Right Name: Alex Louisy on Building Financial Relationship Management

For three seasons, Alex Louisy has sat on one side of the mic, asking CFOs about the decisions that shaped their careers. In this episode, he switches seats.Lauren Pearl interviews her own co-host abo...

2 Sep 52min

Inside the CFO-Sales Partnership: How Real-Time Data Changes the Game, with Christina Liu

Most CFOs can see the final sales numbers. Far fewer have a clear view of what is happening inside the pipeline before those numbers land.As CFO of Sigma Computing, Christina Liu works closely with sa...

6 Aug 30min

From GE’s $100B Transformation to Klarna and DeepL: Lessons in Scaling, with Martino Cadoni

Martino Cadoni has had a front-row seat to some extraordinary moments throughout his career so far.At GE Capital, he was selected to help transform a business with more than $100 billion in assets, wo...

8 Jul 46min

Revisiting: Wall Street to SaaS CFO with Carla Cooper (CFO @ Contentful)

What does it take to be a truly great CFO today?It’s not just about balancing the books—it’s about driving strategy, managing risks, and telling the financial story in a way that inspires confidence.I...

25 Jun 43min

The CFO’s AI Playbook: How to Roll Out AI Across Your Company, with Ryan Roccon (CFO at Zapier)

AI is no longer just an experiment. For many companies, it is quickly becoming an expectation.But rolling it out across a business is a very different challenge from giving a few people access to a fe...

10 Jun 42min

Revisiting: Chris Ortega on What Makes a Great CFO (Hint: They're Not Just a 'Human Calculator')

In this episode, hosts Lauren and Alex sit down with Chris Ortega, the CEO and founder of Fresh FP&A.Chris shares his inspiring career journey, from his early passion for finance to roles at Ernst & Y...

28 Mai 37min

Why Every CFO Needs a Personal Brand (And How to Build One), with Wassia Kamon

Most CFOs don’t think about personal brand until they need something: a new role, a board seat, a stronger network, or a way to stand out.But by then, it might already be too late.In this episode of T...

14 Mai 38min

Revisiting: Ilana Esterrich (CFO @ Planned Parenthood) On Leading Beyond The Numbers

If your role as CFO stops at the numbers, you’re already behind.Ilana Esterrich, CFO at Planned Parenthood, breaks down what it actually means to lead in today’s environment—from building resilient te...

29 Apr 40min