Over the past few months, iMultiply has had the pleasure of hosting a series of ‘CFO to CEO’ dinners, bringing together finance leaders who are considering the next big step in their careers. Across three fantastic evenings, we’ve heard from accomplished CEOs who began their leadership journeys in finance. –Katerina Brown (CEO of Historic Environment Scotland), Shahida Imani (Co-Founder and CEO of Singular Photonics), and Andrew Dane (CEO of The Artisanal Spirits Company) – each offering candid reflections, practical advice, and powerful leadership lessons.
Here are some of the key themes that emerged from their stories:
1. You don’t need all the answers – but you do need self-awareness
A common thread throughout the conversations was the importance of self-knowledge. Whether it’s knowing your strengths, your values, or your personal limits, the move to CEO requires more introspection than you might expect.
“Know yourself, work on yourself, because all you have is you.” – Shahida Imani
“Find something you’re good at, something you enjoy – and keep doing it.” – Andrew Dane
As one speaker reminded us, being visible and taking risks are critical for growth. But those steps only matter if you’re clear on who you are and what kind of leader you want to be.
2. Leadership is lonely and that’s okay
Multiple CEOs spoke honestly about the isolation that can come with senior leadership. When you become the boss, your peer group shifts and that can be disorienting.
That’s why building strong networks, finding mentors, and even engaging with executive coaches can make all the difference. As Katerina noted, the transition is smoother when you have others to lean on – both for support and for challenge.
“Everyone is winging it a bit… and when you realise everyone feels like that, it’s cathartic. Lean into it.” – Andrew Dane
3. Emotional intelligence > technical mastery
Being a CFO gives you credibility and clout, especially around the boardroom table. But stepping into the CEO role means trading some of that technical depth for broader, human-focused leadership.
That includes:
- Leading through influence, not just control
- Making space for strategic thinking, not just numbers
- Managing your own emotions, confidence, and presence
- Understanding that vulnerability can be a strength, not a weakness
As Shahida Imani put it: emotional consistency and resilience matter just as much as performance metrics.
4. Culture is everything
This message came through loud and clear: get the culture right, or everything else wobbles.
Whether it’s protecting your own balance (and weekends!), creating psychologically safe environments, or keeping a watchful eye on corrosive attitudes, the CEOs we heard from all agreed: culture drives outcomes. And as CEO, you’re its chief custodian.
5. Practical transitions and power moves
For CFOs ready to make the leap, our speakers shared some tactical advice:
- Consider a COO role first—it helps bridge the gap between finance and broader business leadership.
- Get out of your comfort zone. Take a Board position, shadow an MD, or lead cross-functional projects.
- Hire someone brilliant to take over your finance function – you can’t lead the whole business if you’re still doing your old job.
- Surround yourself with talent – and trust them.
In Summary: the CFO advantage
CFOs are well positioned to become CEOs. They bring rigour, discipline, commercial insight and usually, the most financial clout in the room. But success at the top requires a shift in mindset: from being the person with the answers, to the one who creates space for others to thrive.
These dinners were filled with generous honesty, practical wisdom, and a bit of reassurance that you don’t have to be perfect – just ready.
We’re grateful to Katerina, Shahida, and Andrew for sharing their journeys with us. If you’re a finance leader exploring your next step, we’d love to welcome you to a future CFO to CEO event – have a look at out upcoming events.
