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Closing Strong, Charging Forward
Even as the temperatures dropped, Zanda’s momentum kept us fired up. Here’s what November looked like!
London | New York
Welcome to the November Edition of the Zanda Newsletter!
We can’t believe the year is almost over!
Even as the temperatures dropped, Zanda’s energy kept us fired up. November was packed: we hosted two incredible CFO Roundtables in New York, sparked meaningful conversations, published insightful blogs, and supported some exciting upcoming partnerships.
Our co-founder also paused to reflect on H2 hiring trends, sharing key takeaways for CFOs and finance leaders in the startup world.
We’re thrilled to finish the year strong and we can’t wait to hit the ground running in 2026, even more energised and ready for what’s next!
We’d be super grateful, if you find these newsletters insightful to share them with your network. Also, remember to reach out if you have a Finance leader requirement or need any advice on how to elevate your finance function.
Enjoy this month’s edition and if there is anything you would like to see included, get in touch with [email protected]
What's included in this Edition?
The CFO Edit | Georgia Wilson
In November, we spotlighted Georgia Wilson, whose journey from technical finance specialist to first-time CFO is anything but linear.
After building her expertise across Deloitte, Shell, Centrica, and Global Switch, she realised the leap to CFO wasn’t about ticking every box, it was about confidence, curiosity, and stepping into opportunities before she felt “ready.”
Georgia shares the pivotal coaching moment that reframed what was possible, the role that pushed her out of her comfort zone, and the personal challenges that shaped her leadership more than any job description ever could. She opens up about imposter syndrome, navigating rapid learning curves, and discovering that the path to CFO is equal parts technical foundation, strategic thinking, and the courage to speak up, even on day one.
If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re “ready,” Georgia’s story is a reminder that readiness rarely arrives fully formed. Sometimes, it’s built one bold step at a time.
Dive into the full conversation to explore how she carved her path, what she learned along the way, and the advice she wishes she’d had earlier in her career.
New York Events | Recap
Over the past few weeks in New York, we had the incredible opportunity to bring together 25 CFOs from startups to established businesses for two CFO Roundtable sessions, hosted in partnership with Adam Nelson and Ben Winn from FirstMark.
The insights from these conversations were nothing short of inspiring, offering a rare window into how today’s finance leaders think, collaborate, and drive impact.
Here’s the 3 top takeaways from the discussions:
Lead with Curiosity: The best CFOs ask the questions that matter, exploring metrics, trade-offs, and consequences to drive smarter decisions.
Collaboration Over Competition: Knowledge-sharing, benchmarking, and peer support were at the heart of these sessions, creating a community built on collective intelligence.
Investors as Strategic Partners: CFOs transform financial reporting into meaningful dialogue, focusing on transparency, trust, and long-term alignment
During the conversations, it wasn’t just the expertise that impressed, it was the mindset. The most impactful CFOs are shaping the future of finance by thinking deeply, collaborating openly, and engaging strategically.
If you are a CFO and want to join future CFO Roundtables or events in New York, reach out to our co-founder Dav.
T-Shaped CFO | Zanda Blog
In our latest Zanda blog, we explored the “T-shaped CFO”, a framework showing how top finance leaders combine deep expertise with wide-reaching influence across the company.
It’s a lens that helps founders figure out when they need a CFO, what kind they need, and how to recognise someone who can elevate the business rather than just report the numbers.
Key takeaways include:
Why technical finance skills are just the foundation
How soft skills can make or break influence
Why knowing the business beyond finance is essential
Whether you’re a founder thinking about your first CFO hire or a finance leader planning your next move, this blog will help you see how the T-shaped model can reshape your hiring, your leadership, and your roadmap for scale.
HPNA x CEO of Self | Partnership
Carl Tishler, founder of HPNA, has been a guest at a number of our CFO Roundtables in 2025 and they launching a new cohort of their CEO of Self moving into 2026. HPNA, an academy dedicated to training and equipping high performers in Executive Self-Management. HPNA provides the structure, tools, and community leaders need to step confidently into the role they call CEO of Self.
We couldn’t be more excited to join forces with Carl, whose depth of experience and passion for human performance make this partnership truly special. His career spans roles including Chief Investment Officer, CFO, COO, CPO, and both Executive and Non-Executive Board Director positions. Each vantage point offered him unique insights on what helps people excel and what holds them back.
These insights led Carl to build CEO of Self, a transformative program designed to help professionals make career performance and self-care equally important priorities. The program offers a clear structure, repeatable process, and a supportive community to help individuals sustain high performance without sacrificing wellbeing.
Please reach out to Carl on LinkedIn if you are interested in hearing more.
Through the Founder’s Lens | Market Insights
As we head into the final month of the year, our co-founder Andrew had the opportunity to reflect on the hiring market for CFOs and finance leaders in the startup environment across the UK and Europe. Here’s what he observed:
“Q3 and Q4 has had steadily improving momentum with demand for CFOs and finance leaders significantly increasing from the beginning of November. It is a hot market for CFO and finance leader hiring as we head into December as clients either look to kick off new searches or move fast, concluding on current processes.
This provides us with some positive signs going into 2026 with more businesses hiring with positivity and growth in mind. That said it is still a highly a competitive market for candidates with lots of CFOs and finance leaders looking for a new role meaning that clients can be particularly focused on wanting to tick every single box.”
Curious about what is happening in New York’s hiring market? Make sure to tune in to our December edition, where our co-founder Dav will share his perspective on the evolving hiring market in New York.
Current Opportunities
In this episode we have highlighted just a handful of our newest jobs, if you would like to apply for any of these roles please send an email to [email protected]
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If you have a similar role you are currently recruiting for, register your vacancy here!
