There’s a point in many growing businesses where the conversation shifts.
It’s no longer just about managing performance month to month. It becomes about investment, scale, scrutiny and expectation. For CFOs, that shift often brings a new level of visibility and pressure, long before any deal is actually done.
That’s why we’re hosting The Investment-Savvy CFO, live in Manchester.
This event isn’t about predicting the future or chasing a transaction. It’s about helping finance leaders understand how expectations change as investment comes onto the horizon, and how to prepare themselves and their businesses well ahead of time.
Why we’re running this event
Through Incremental Edge, I spend a lot of time speaking with CFOs and leadership teams who are thinking about investment, even if it’s not imminent.
What comes up again and again is uncertainty.
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What are boards and investors really looking for from a CFO?
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How early should preparation start?
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What actually builds confidence, and what creates friction later on?
The answers are rarely found in frameworks or checklists. They come from experience, honest discussion and learning from people who’ve been through it.
That’s exactly what this event is designed to create.
What the conversation will focus on
The Investment-Savvy CFO centres on a live panel discussion exploring how CFOs and leadership teams prepare their businesses for investment, and how the finance role evolves before, during and after that journey.
The panel brings together three important perspectives:
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An investor viewpoint from a private equity consultant at Palatine, offering insight into how investment readiness is assessed and what boards and investors look for as businesses scale.
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First-hand experience from CFOs and FDs who have prepared businesses for investment and operated in investor-backed environments.
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A board-level and capability lens from a specialist finance leadership recruitment partner, focused on how expectations of CFOs change as scrutiny increases.
Together, the discussion will explore what good looks like in practice, where finance leaders can strengthen their position early, and the small but important shifts that make a big difference when investment conversations start.
This isn’t about theory. It’s about what actually happens.
Format and flow on the day
The morning will be structured as a live panel discussion with audience Q&A, giving attendees the chance to dig into the topics that matter most to them.
After the panel, we’ll move into a dedicated networking lunch. This is a key part of the event, creating space to continue the conversation, meet the speakers and connect with other CFOs and finance leaders who are facing similar challenges.
It’s intentionally designed to be focused, valuable and respectful of people’s time.
Why the room matters
One of the things I care most about with Incremental Edge, whether it’s the podcast or live events, is the quality of the room.
Not transactional networking. Not surface-level conversations.
But generous, thoughtful discussion. The kind where people share what they’re learning, make introductions freely, and leave with relationships that genuinely matter.
That’s what we’re aiming to create in Manchester.
Event details
The Investment-Savvy CFO
Incremental Edge Live
📅 Friday 6th March
⏰ 9.30am–1.30pm
📍 Everyman Cinema, Manchester
Save your seat
If you’re a CFO or finance leader thinking about investment now, or know it’s on the horizon, this is a conversation worth being in the room for.
👉 Seats are limited – save your seat here.
And if you know someone who would benefit from being part of this discussion, please do pass it on.
Small steps. Big impact.
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