Navigating Finance Transformation: Insights from Scott Walkinshaw, CFO of New North Feed

In this episode of the Books to the Boardroom Podcast, Season Three CFO Catalyst, I welcomed Scott Walkinshaw, CFO of New North Feed, Western Australia's largest vehicle equipment, transport, and crane company. Scott shared how businesses face tremendous pressure today - squeezed between clients demanding more for less and staff wanting flexible arrangements. Technology is the key to doing more without adding overhead.

Scott had a fascinating journey, including meeting the Queen at 19 as an apprentice mechanic, working as a bouncer, and eventually finding his way to finance after his grandmother's advice. "Numbers make sense to me," he explained.

We laughed about how our families still think CFOs are just tax accountants at shopping centers! Scott reflected on finance's evolution from number-crunching to strategic partnership, with automation handling transactions so people can focus on adding real value.

Scott is a big fan of cloud technology, enabling work from anywhere while eliminating infrastructure costs. Though automation helps with workloads, compliance requirements keep increasing, requiring specialized tools and proper planning.

Looking ahead, Scott believes humans will always be crucial in finance. His advice for upcoming CFOs emphasises emotional intelligence alongside technical skills - understanding people and staying curious are essential in our evolving profession 

Thanks for tuning in to Books to the Boardroom! If you enjoyed today's episode, take your leadership journey further:

🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
🔔 Never miss an episode—follow us on LinkedIn and your favourite podcast platform
📱 Share your takeaways with #CFOCatalyst

Are you a CFO with insights to share or know someone who is? We're always looking for financial leaders to join us on the show—reach out at [e-mail] to discuss featuring your expertise on a future episode.

Until next week, keep reading, keep listening!