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

04/18/25 • 29 min

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:

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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 [email protected] to discuss featuring your expertise on a future episode.

Until next week, keep reading, keep listening!

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

Until next week, keep reading, keep listening!

Previous Episode

Manuel Nesta -Transformative Leadership: From Transactional Finance to Strategic Advisory

Join host Sumith and guest Manuel Nesta, a senior finance professional based in Perth, Australia. Manuel shares insights from his career journey and current role as CFO at Acquire, a software company specialising in natural resources and ESG compliance.

Key points:

The evolution of finance from transaction processing to strategic advisory
Digital transformation and automation in finance departments
How AI is revolutionizing financial processes and decision-making
The growing importance of ESG reporting in the natural resources sector
Leveraging finance expertise to drive business strategy and growth
Mindset transformation needed when adopting new technologies
Insights on the role of immigrants in Australia's finance sector
Practical advice for aspiring accountants and finance leaders

The conversation explores how finance functions are evolving from transactional roles to becoming trusted business advisors. Manuel discusses digital transformation in finance processes, the critical role of AI and automation, and the increasing importance of ESG reporting in driving better decision-making and strategic growth.

Drawing from his unique background in mountain climbing and family business, Manuel offers perspectives on mindset transformation when adopting new technologies. The episode also examines the contributions of immigrants in Australia's finance sector and includes valuable advice for aspiring accountants and finance leaders.

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

Until next week, keep reading, keep listening!

Books To The Boardroom - Navigating Finance Transformation: Insights from Scott Walkinshaw, CFO of New North Feed

Transcript

Scott Walkinshaw

[00:00:00]

[00:00:00] Sumith Dissanayake: Welcome back to Book to the Boardroom podcast, season three CFO, catalyst. Today my guest is Scott Wilkins Show. Scott is the CFO at New North Feed, Western Australia's largest vehicle equipment, transport and crane company. Scott, it's great to have you on our podcast.

[00:00:21] Scott Walkinshaw: Thank you, Simmons. Great to be here.

[00:00:23] Sumith Dissanayake: