Getting Financial Transformation Right: A CFO's Perspective

Amartya: Welcome to Episode 12 of Inside the CFO Office. Today's conversation is about getting financial transformation right, working across industries, and how modern CFOs are thinking about tech and AI. And I couldn't think of a better person to join us than Scott, CFO and Corporate Secretary at Plurilock. Scott, great to have you here.

Scott: Thanks, Amartya. Happy to be here.

Amartya: Let's kick things off with your journey. You started out in finance and moved across some very diverse industries. How did that evolve?

Scott: I started straight into industry after school, not the audit route. I joined Schneider Electric and got to see every part of finance—accounting, consolidations, FP&A, and business partnering. That last piece was huge. It taught me that finance isn't just about numbers—it's about understanding how the business really works. You can't be a strategic CFO without knowing how your company makes money.

Amartya: That's a great point. And business partnering early on really sets the foundation. Now, let's talk about transformation. You've led multiple ones. What stands out?

Scott: At Plurilock, we pivoted from being a pure software firm to offering cybersecurity services. That meant restructuring costs, integrating acquisitions, and setting up shared services. We had to move fast, clean up the back office, and do it all with a lean team. Another example—early in my career, I joined an FP&A team that struggled with forecasting. People were working late into the night every cycle. I took a step back, mapped out the process end to end, automated what I could, and enforced accountability. We went from 3AM submissions to finishing by noon. That taught me that transformation doesn't always need to be massive—small process fixes can be just as powerful.

Amartya: I love that. And I think a lot of finance professionals underestimate the value of micro-transformations. When you led the pivot at Plurilock, how did you manage the alignment across stakeholders?

Scott: Culture plays a big role. At Plurilock, we're entrepreneurial—we get things done. So there wasn't much resistance. But in larger orgs, you've got to bring people along. The hard part isn't the execution—it's the alignment. And the truth is, if you're not evolving your business, you're falling behind. The pace of tech change demands continuous transformation, not one-and-done efforts.

Amartya: Absolutely. And your career's been anything but one-dimensional. You've worked in gaming, cannabis, energy, cybersecurity. That's a lot of switching. What's your approach when entering a new industry?

Scott: I look at two things

Amartya: That's a really practical lens. Let's shift to technology—how do you think about your CFO tech stack today?

Scott: I've learned the hard way—alignment is more important than perfection. It's better to have a decent system that everyone uses consistently than five great ones that no one touches. So I focus on tools that are simple, scalable, and integrate well with our existing stack. Flexibility is key, especially around pricing and user access. I always ask

Amartya: It never does. And we're in a time where AI is starting to creep into all these tools. How do you see AI playing out in finance?

Scott: We're still in the early innings. My general advice? Use AI first. Instead of Googling or asking around, just throw it into a prompt and see what comes back. I've used it to draft legal clauses, write job descriptions, even spin up internal processes. I've seen friends use transcripts from meetings to auto-generate SOPs. These are small things, but they save hours. Over time, AI won't be optional—it'll just be part of how we work. Like email or Excel.

Amartya: Couldn't agree more. The trick is taking a step back and asking, "Is there a better way to do this?" That's often where automation or AI fits in. But it's hard when you're deep in execution mode.

Scott: That's where focus comes in. I always tell people—spend 30 minutes a week thinking about how you work, not just what you're working on. That's strategy. One of my first jobs in accounting, we were reconciling intercompany manually—printing things out, crossing them with pens. It took four hours. I dropped it into Excel and sorted it in five minutes. That's the kind of thinking people need to practice.

Amartya: Love that. Let's wrap up with some advice. For someone early in their finance career, what are two or three things they should focus on?

Scott: First—build your skill stack. And I don't just mean technical skills. Learn how to negotiate, communicate, manage emotions. Those are critical as you move into leadership. Second—wherever you are, do your job well, then ask for more. That's how you grow. You either get promoted or you build a stronger resume. And finally—know where you want to go. If your goal is to become a CFO, look at job descriptions and reverse-engineer the skills you need. Then go after them.

Amartya: That's gold. And I especially love the point about emotional intelligence. Finance interacts with every team—sales, ops, tech, HR. The pressure's high and emotions are real. You've got to learn how to manage that energy.

Scott: Exactly. Emotions drive decisions—yours and others'. If you can manage that well, you're already ahead.

Amartya: Brilliant conversation, Scott. Thanks so much for sharing your journey and perspective. Tons of actionable takeaways here for finance professionals at every stage.

Scott: Thanks, Amartya. I really enjoyed it.