Chief Financial Officer | Finance Transformation, M&A & Global Finance Leadership | Sydney-based
A commercially astute and highly credentialled Chief Financial Officer with over 20 years of C-suite and senior finance leadership experience across Australia, India, Asia, the USA, New Zealand, and the UK. CPA-qualified (Fellow) and MBA-educated, this is a finance executive who combines deep technical expertise with genuine strategic and commercial leadership — and a proven track record of delivering transformational outcomes at scale.
With over $200M in documented transformation benefits, cost savings, and M&A value delivered across SaaS/AI, ASX-listed, government, and higher education environments, this candidate brings the breadth, depth, and board-level credibility that define a truly exceptional CFO. Currently serving as a Non-Executive Director across two organisations, they bring governance experience that further strengthens their value as a senior finance leader and board advisor.
Key Strengths & Experience:
- Financial Transformation & Benefits Delivery:
A demonstrated track record of designing and delivering large-scale transformation programmes — including a $50M programme that generated $106M in benefits and $100M in projected savings, and contract renegotiations delivering over $200M in additional value across supplier lifecycles
- M&A & Investor Relations: Deep, hands-on experience across the full M&A lifecycle — from due diligence and deal structuring through to integration and synergy delivery — alongside leading equity and debt raises and managing investor relations for an ASX-listed organisation
- Global Finance Leadership: End-to-end accountability for finance functions spanning Australia, India, Asia, the USA, New Zealand, and the UK, including statutory reporting, treasury, FP&A, financial operations, taxation, and regulatory compliance across multiple jurisdictions
- Sector Breadth: Extensive experience across SaaS and generative AI, ASX-listed travel, federal and state government, higher education, and utilities — bringing commercial versatility and the ability to navigate complex, regulated environments with confidence
- Finance Systems & Digital Transformation: Proven capability leading cloud-based ERP implementations, finance digitisation programs, and enterprise technology deployments — consistently delivering on time, within budget, and with measurable process improvement outcomes
- Board & Governance Experience: Active Non-Executive Director with board roles across healthcare and conservation sectors, including Chair of a Finance and Governance Committee — bringing a governance perspective that complements executive finance leadership
- Qualifications & Credentials: Fellow CPA Australia, Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA), MBA, Graduate Diploma in Innovation & Design Thinking (MIT, Tuck & Columbia affiliation), and Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
An immediately available, Sydney-based finance executive of exceptional calibre — equally at home shaping strategy at board level and building the operational foundations that make it work. A compelling choice for organisations seeking a CFO with global experience, transformation credentials, and the commercial acumen to drive meaningful growth.
Additional Information:
Permanent opportunities
Salary expectation: $230k+
Sydney-based
Immediately available
Want to meet this candidate? Contact James Purtell on 02 9220 3400 / 0423 700 837 or email
jamesp@coxpurtell.com.au
