The Growth-Minded CFO28 Okt 2025

Profitability vs Growth: A CFO’s Balancing Act (& Lessons Across Industries), with Cameron Kinloch

What happens when a finance leader who learned discipline in the consumer goods industry steps into the fast, unpredictable worlds of SaaS and AI?

In this episode of The Growth-Minded CFO, hosts Alex Louisy and Lauren Pearl speak with Cameron Kinloch, an advisor to boards, CFOs and CEOs through her company True Vantage Partners. Cameron shares lessons from her journey — from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — and what it takes to lead finance across radically different industries.

She explains how each stage of her career built a new “muscle”: the precision of fintech, the discipline of CPG, and the strategic bets of enterprise software. Together, the hosts and Cameron unpack what makes a great operator CFO — one who’s trusted by the CEO, grounded in data, and unafraid to get close to the business.Chapters

01:09 Meet Cameron Kinloch
03:06 Key Career Moments
03:23 Transitioning from Wall Street to Silicon Valley
09:35 The CFO Role Across Industries
12:31 Balancing Growth and Profitability
19:37 The Importance of Process in Startups
29:44 Building Relationships with CEOs
35:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Key Takeaways

Every CFO role builds a different muscle. Cameron shares how CPG taught discipline, enterprise software honed strategic bets, and fintech demanded precision and trust.
Operator mindset over reporting mindset. Modern CFOs don’t just deliver numbers — they build systems, visibility, and speed for the business.
Profitability and growth can coexist. Cameron explains how process and data, done right, actually accelerate execution rather than slow it down.
Trust is the foundation of CFO–CEO alignment. The best partnerships thrive on cadence, transparency, and shared accountability.
EQ matters as much as IQ. Today’s CFOs succeed not only through financial mastery but through empathy, communication, and leadership that inspires confidence.

📺 Subscribe for more episodes with founders, CFOs, and finance leaders.LINKS & RESOURCES

Try Upflow FRM (Financial Relationship Management) – get paid faster and keep customers happy: https://upflow.io
Watch the full interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QeNKdBab1I8?si=63Iv3I7eUrcD2bE5

👉 SUBSCRIBE for more real-talk with modern finance leaders.👉 SHARE this episode with a CFO or operator who needs to hear this.

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 ⁠⁠upflow.io

Want to get in touch? Reach out to our producer at joseph.sweeney@upflow.io

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(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 Juli 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 Juni 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 Juni 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 Maj 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 Maj 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