I met Sara Daw in an office building less than a mile from my home in Wiltshire. I really couldn’t believe there was someone so successful in business and I’d not heard of them – yet they were literally in my own backyard! It’s one thing which I love about the business sector, it’s full of surprises, energy, talent and stories which often just pop up and you don’t have to go far to find those stories. Sara is the Group CEO of the CFO Centre group, based in my home town of Swindon.
What is the CFO Centre?
It’s a company which provides fractional finance support for businesses across the world. Many businesses don’t 
need or want a full-time financial director and we bridge that gap by working with individuals all over the world who will bring vital expertise to ambitious businesses which want to grow.
Who are your experts?
We work with around 750 self-employed experts globally and 350 in the UK, who we know are good at what they do as we have a rigorous selection process. We provide them with back office and sales support, training they might need and they are all vetted. They become very active in their own business community using the skills and the back-up of our organisation. We have regional directors to oversee them across various territories and we have a revenue stakeholder model. We currently have a turnover of around £60 million with ambitions to grow even more. One important factor for us – we really care about our team, in the office and those out delivering exceptional service, no matter where they are in the world.
How did the business begin?
It began in 2001 when our founder and executive chairman Colin Mills, who lived in Swindon, wanted freedom from the corporate world. His father had sadly passed away and he was re-assessing his life and priorities. He wanted to do finance differently and that’s what he set out to do. Like many business owners he started from home and grew from there.
When did you enter the picture?
I worked for large corporates and I’m a qualified Chartered Accountant with an MBA from London Business School. I am quite academic as well as being a practical accountant. I worked for an investment bank and had a great early career but then began to feel that it didn’t work around my personal life. I had my first child, was still travelling and felt like I was at a bit of a loss. I decided to set myself up as a part-time FD to work around my personal life and in making this decision I came into contact with Colin in 2005. We’ve grown the business ever since. I’m now a parent to three beautiful daughters and I hope I’ve shown them over the years that they can be what they want to be and do what they want to do.
You’ve recently won a prestigious award?
Yes, it’s wonderful to be recognised for your achievements especially when you’ve spent much of your career, under the radar. I was named one of the E2E Female 100 Track for 2024 – this award in partnership with E2E and the Independent – showcases the top 100 female-led or founded businesses which have shown exceptional growth over the last three years. I came in at number 28 with an employee growth rate of 32 per cent – and we’re very proud of that.
Shalini was very kind about me and I had no idea I was even being considered. This is what she said:
“The E2E Female 100 has allowed us to highlight the amazing companies throughout the UK with a turnover of £25 million plus. These are companies that despite a challenging economy and a challenging few years, have generated exceptional turnover results and are continuing to grow at a rapid rate.”
*E2E is a community of successful entrepreneurs run by Shalini Khemka CBE who has featured on SME Today here https://www.smetoday.co.uk/in-profile/how-shalini-khemka-seeks-to-empower-entrepreneurs/
Tell us about your new book?
As I’ve said, I’m academic and I love doing research and this book is part of that love, I’m planning on writing more. It’s called ‘Strategy And Leadership As A Service – how the access economy meets the C-Suite’.
I wanted to explore the fact that C-Suite talent can be accessed – and is being increasingly accessed – through a fractional model and I believe this is disrupting and changing businesses all over the world. We have lived this at the CFO Centre Group and this book puts some academic rigor behind our practical experience.
Business and the world of work is changing and our business model works. I wanted to explore why it works and how it works. There are other businesses which have adopted similar models such as AirBNB and Netflix for example. It’s often referred to as the ‘access’ economy business model ie. You don’t own it, you access it however it ‘feels’ like you own it. It’s a subtle yet very important difference.
This type of business model creates a more intimate relationship with the customer (client or consumer) as there’s more of a sharing culture, a feeling of belonging and intimacy. We have created this at the CFO Centre Group and we’re building on it to grow our business. We have created a culture where our team of experts can chose their own priorities yet have the confidence that we are behind them, supporting them. It’s a powerful mix.
You are also CEO of the Liberti Group – what is that organisation?
It all stems from the same ethos – providing fractional professional expertise to businesses across many disciplines which also helps those professionals to make their own choices around their lives. Liberti now sits above the CFO Centre Group.
We typically work with entrepreneurs or owner-managed businesses of between £2m and £100m turnover who want to grow and want access to the best talent – in a way that suits them. It’s worked in finance and we believe it can, will, and does work in other essential business practices too.
What does the future hold for you and the business?
Growth. We are absolutely planning on rolling out our brand into more countries (we are working in 17 countries at the moment) and we will do this through the Liberti Group and the CFO Centre Group. Personally I’m exploring a doctorate with Warwick Business School as I’m fascinated by the ‘future of work’ piece and alternatives to ‘traditional’ employment.
*Sara’s book can be found here – http://bit.ly/3XCKcaL
Interview and Article by feature writer Fiona Scott.
