Empowering Tomorrow's
Business Leaders

Redefining the CFO role with a future-focused approach—embracing Strategy, Insights, and Growth for sustainable success.

Introduction

  • The traditional role of the growth-stage CFO is morphing rapidly

  • Two new roles are appearing

    • Chief Strategy Officer

    Chief Insights Officer

  • Both are about laying the foundations for the future and nurting that growth
    •  
  • Either can include the traditional Most-Senior Finance Officer activities
    •  
  • Both go well beyond that with a laser focus on the future
    •  
  • Existing and up-coming business leaders grow into their roles

    • A Subtly Different Focus

    Chief Strategy Officer

  • Focus on driving and supporting growth
    •  
  • Close partnership on commercials
    •  
  • Works with CEO, Chair and investors
    •  
  • Looking at how best to build value and return at exit
    •  
  • Covers M&A and/or active evaluation of internal investment options
    •  
  • Consideration of operational and tax implications of growth opportunities

    • Chief Insight Officer

  • Actively supporting growth through data-informed decision making
    •  
  • Owns operational and commercial datasets from all sources
    •  
  • Works with CEO, CPO/CTO, CRO and COO
    •  
  • Responsible for identifying trends and implications early
    •  
  • Evaluates options providing alternatives to enhance profit and runway 
    • Both encompass the traditional MI/BI and reporting roles around finance and operational matters and may cover back-office areas such as admin, legal, HR and facilities

    The Agile "CFO"

    Agile doesn’t only apply to software development. Finance, strategy and insight need to adopt its core principles too.

    For us, as seasoned professionals in these disciplines, our version of the Agile Manifesto reads:

    Insights & Implications over reporting and data

    Practical Actions over rigid compliance to policy

    Commercial Collaboration over technicalities and process

    Responding to Change over simply following “the plan”

    That’s the mindset that we bring to working with the C-Suite Stars of tomorrow.

    Explaining Our Thinking

    Three routes for three situations

    In each case, the programme and schedule are tailored to the individual, the business and their growth trajectories.

    Coach

    Addresses areas that need strengthening
    •
    Work on specifics
    •
    Focus on technical and practical solutions
    •
    Providing techniques and approaches

    Mentor

    Enhancing existing capabilities
    •
    Imparting experience
    •
    Help and guidance to get to solutions
    •
    About finding effective approaches rather than giving specific solutions

    Develop

    Prepare and protect both the individual and the business
    •
    Growing into the next level of the role
    •
    Combines elements of Coach and Mentor
    •
    Tends to be longer term

    That’s the mindset that we bring to working with the C-Suite Stars of tomorrow.

    Who Do We Work With?

    The people

    • Existing CFOs actively looking to grow with their businesses
    • Finance Directors making the step up to CFO
    • Investors who are investing in their investee teams
    • Board Chairs and CEOs looking to get the most from their C-Suite teams

    The Business

    • Growth Stage (Seed+ to Series C)
    • From across the tech sector
    • Ambitious and visionary
    • Backed by respected funders
    • Often internationalising
    • With founders at the core of the team
    • Facing the practical pains that come with growth

    Enquire with us

    Tel: 01223 655353

    Email: info@castaing.co.uk

    Office: Saxon Business Park,
    Littleport, Cambridgeshire CB6 1XX

    Legal:

    Privacy:

    mindlabs.media 2025