Confidence Building and The Power of Storytelling

Confidence Building and The Power of Storytelling

In this episode of The Potentia Playbook for CFOs, Dominique Highfield sits down with Scarlett McCabe, CEO of Debate Mate Training, to unpack the real power behind confident communication.   A "disruptive" student turned debate champion turned global social enterprise builder, Scarlett shares her journey and explains how the rise of AI is turning "soft" skills into essential ones.    Scarlett shares simple, actionable tools that everyone, no matter the role or industry, can use immediately. From structuring your message around what your audience needs to hear, to staying composed when your mind goes blank. If you’ve ever struggled to speak up in meetings, translate data into impact, or felt like you don’t quite belong in the room, this episode is packed with insights to help you own your voice and lead with confidence.

Your NED Career Move

In this episode of The Potentia Playbook for CFOs, Dominique speaks to former CFO and now portfolio Non-Executive Director, Anna Sedgley, about the journey from executive leadership to the boardroom. Anna shares the pivotal moves that shaped her career, the power of sponsorship, and her practical three-year framework for succeeding in senior roles. She also offers a clear-eyed view of what it really takes to secure NED positions and why they rarely happen overnight. They explore burnout, financial readiness before stepping away from executive life, and the shift from operational delivery to governance and oversight. Anna is candid about imposter syndrome, using AI to stay sharp, embracing gender as a strength, and choosing purpose-led roles in the non-profit sector. A grounded, practical conversation for CFOs thinking about what comes next.

From CFO to CEO

In this episode, Dominique Highfield speaks with Andrew Belshaw, CEO of Gamma Communications PLC, about his path from Big Four auditor to CFO and eventually CEO of a listed business. He reflects on moving from practice into industry, the importance of commercial experience, and the challenge of progressing internally when former peers become direct reports. Andrew shares a candid view of the CFO to CEO transition, including the shift from technical expert to leading functions outside your expertise, and why humility and asking the right questions matter. They also explore what makes a great CFO in different contexts, why the role is never one-size-fits-all, and how critical the CEO–CFO relationship is to business performance. Andrew discusses healthy disagreement, staying aligned externally, and Gamma’s IPO journey, offering practical insight into listing, governance, and building an investable story for the public markets.

CEO:CFO Relationship

In this episode of The Potentia Playbook for CFOs, Dominique Highfield speaks with Isabel Malbois, CEO of Neom Wellbeing, about what truly defines a great CFO from a CEO’s perspective. Isabel shares her journey from global corporate leadership at L’Oréal to leading a scaling, founder-led brand, and offers candid insight into the evolving expectations of modern finance leaders. The conversation explores the weight of decision-making in SMEs, the importance of trust in the CEO–CFO partnership, and why today’s CFO must be commercially immersed, strategically confident and visible at board level.

Insights from an Investment Banker

In this episode of The Potentia Playbook for CFOs, Dominique sits down with Mose Adigun, Investment Banker at J.P. Morgan and EMEA Tech M&A lead, to explore what truly differentiates CFOs in the eyes of investors. From preparing for fundraises and M&A to navigating heightened scrutiny in today’s market, Mose shares how data integrity, clarity of narrative, and operational grip underpin investor confidence. They discuss the growing importance of granular input metrics over headline outputs, how to be “ambitious but defensible” in forecasting, and why growth still drives valuation, albeit with a sharper focus on path to profitability. The episode also examines the CEO–CFO dynamic, evolving expectations around ESG and AI, and the leadership behaviours that help finance leaders build credibility, influence, and long-term trust.