Why do ERP programmes feel so painful, even when they are meant to make things better?
In this episode of Chat CFO, we sit down with Gareth Bennett, Finance Transformation Lead at News UK, and John Ashworth, Finance Transformation Director at The Crown Estate.
Gareth and John share their experiences from the sharp end of ERP and finance transformation. They talk openly about what goes wrong before and after go-live and how leaders keep momentum when programmes run for years rather than months. The episode explores ERP as a business change problem, with honest reflections on accountability and what finance leaders need to get right if change is going to stick.
Chat CFO is supported by Unity Advisory - https://unity-advisory.com/
-----------
Chapters + Timestamps:
00:00 – Meet the guests and why ERP divides opinion
01:13 – Is ERP dead or just misunderstood?
03:48 – Data is the real prize in modern ERP
04:15 – What must be true before starting ERP
06:29 – The danger of trying to deliver everything at once
09:35 – Why design sign-off is harder than it sounds
12:28 – Change management that actually works
17:38 – Change fatigue and leadership pressure
23:58 – Who should sponsor ERP, CFO or CTO?
28:19 – One partner or many?
50:01 – One piece of advice before your first ERP programme
—————
About Our Guests:
Gareth is a finance transformation leader with experience working inside fast-moving, high-profile organisations. At News UK, he has been closely involved in modernising finance platforms and ways of working.
His background combines strong financial foundations with hands-on delivery of large system change, helping finance teams move away from manual effort and towards operational confidence that supports the wider business.
You can connect with Gareth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethcbennett/
John is a senior finance transformation leader with a track record of leading complex, enterprise-wide change. His experience spans large, regulated organisations where finance, technology, and operating models intersect at scale.
At The Crown Estate, he is responsible for delivering finance transformation that supports a diverse portfolio of assets and long-term national value creation.
You can connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-r-ashworth/
—————
About Chat CFO:
Chat CFO is a podcast featuring honest conversations with CFOs, COOs, and CEOs about the decisions that impact businesses. The focus is on what leadership looks like in practice, including what worked, what didn’t, and what leaders learned along the way.
Produced by STOIX, Chat CFO is proudly supported by Unity Advisory as headline sponsor. Together, STOIX and Unity Advisory share a focus on creating space for experience-led conversations that go beyond surface-level commentary.
With Unity Advisory on board, the podcast continues to expand its reach across the C-suite.
Chat CFO is for CFOs, aspiring CEOs, and finance leaders who want insight from people who have been there, made the decisions, and lived with the outcomes.
—————
About our hosts:
This episode of Chat CFO is hosted by Neil French and Carolyn Cole.
Neil is the Co-Founder of STOIX. Over the last 19+ years, he’s worked closely with leaders across interim and permanent mandates, often in moments of transition: new ownership, new strategy, broken teams, or first-time leadership hires. He works with CFOs, CEOs and investors navigating scale, complexity and change, typically in PE-backed, VC-backed, listed or founder-led environments.&nbs
