What does our CFO actually think makes a successful business?
In Episode 9 of Off Script, Pete Meikle sits down with Abi Krone to get behind the spreadsheets and explore the person behind the CFO title.
Abi talks about her unconventional route from studying environmental science, through Deloitte and audit, to accidentally finding herself at FleishmanHillard and eventually becoming CFO. It's a career she describes as not particularly planned, but very intentional about its direction.
They also get into the human side of leadership. Abi reflects on becoming a parent while taking on a senior role, why it taught her to set much clearer boundaries, and why flexibility at work should be about recognising that everyone has a life outside the office, whether that's children, caring responsibilities or simply something that's important to them.
And, of course, they talk money. Abi explains why brilliantly run accounts start with happy teams, happy clients and great work, rather than a spreadsheet. And she shares a brilliantly simple lesson about knowing the value of what we do: if someone orders a steak, you wouldn't expect them to pay for a salad.
From hybrid working and difficult commercial decisions to billability, boundaries and the dream of swapping spreadsheets for a beachfront coffee shop, it's a refreshingly human conversation about what it really takes to run a healthy business.
