Overview
Financial Talent Executive Network (F-TEN®) is a six-month leadership development experience designed for finance leaders preparing for CFO responsibilities or transitioning into executive leadership roles.
Through practical workshops, executive coaching or mentoring, leadership assessments, peer learning and insights from experienced C-suite leaders, participants develop the skills, behaviours and confidence required to influence organisational strategy, lead through uncertainty and make high-impact decisions at the highest level.
This programme will give you 56 CPD hours in total.
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Key details
- Duration: Six months
- Location: London and online
- Start date: April 2027 - Enquire now for the 2027 cohort
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Participant profile
Participants typically hold Finance Director, Group Financial Controller, Director of Finance or Head of Finance roles or are new CFO’s less than 18 months in the role.
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Assessment
Gain insight into your leadership impact
The programme begins with a comprehensive 360-degree assessment that helps participants understand how their leadership style is perceived by colleagues, stakeholders and senior leaders.
Participants gain practical insights to:
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Practical workshops
Experience real CFO challenges before you face them
The workshops are built around the real challenges senior finance leaders encounter as they move towards executive and board-level positions.
Participants learn how to:
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Peer learning groups
Throughout the programme, participants will share their challenges with their peers in a confidential, supportive environment. Peers provide participants with insightful, objective viewpoints that will allow them to tackle the problem from a different perspective.
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Learn directly from Senior Executives
Participants gain unique access to CFOs, CEOs, COOs and Non-Executive Directors who share real-world experiences from the boardroom.
These sessions provide valuable perspectives on:
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Personalised support from experienced business leaders
Participants receive tailored support from experienced executive coaches, CFOs and senior business leaders who understand the realities of operating at board level.
These one-to-one sessions help participants:
Benefits for participants: Accelerate your journey to CFO
Participants leave the programme with:
- Greater confidence to operate at executive and board level
- Stronger strategic thinking and decision-making capability
- Enhanced leadership presence and influence
- A deeper understanding of boardroom dynamics
- Practical tools for leading change and transformation
- Personal support from experienced executive leaders
- A powerful network of senior finance professionals
- Increased readiness for CFO and executive leadership opportunities
Benefits for organisations: Strengthen your future finance leadership pipeline
F-TEN helps organisations:
- Develop future CFOs and executive leaders
- Strengthen succession planning strategies
- Retain and engage high-potential finance talent
- Equip leaders to contribute more effectively to organisational strategy
- Improve leadership capability across finance functions
- Develop leaders who inspire, motivate and empower others
- Bring fresh ideas and commercial thinking back into the business
- Build a stronger pipeline of board-ready finance leaders
Mentors
Below are just a small sample of the high-calibre mentors available. Participants choose the mentor they partner with on their F-TEN® journey.
Elona is the Chief Executive Officer of IRIS Software Group and is responsible for all operations across the Group. She has held several senior leadership roles in Big 4 and PE-backed businesses, including Mavenir, Acision, Arthur Andersen and Deloitte. Elona has also won numerous business leadership awards, including UK Tech Award’s Business Woman of the Year 2020.
John is Group CFO of the digital insurer, Hastings Group Holdings. Prior to this, he has been CFO of three other insurers and a bank. Two of these are FTSE 250, one has a UK debt listing, one was SEC listed and one privately owned. Prior to his CFO career, John was Group Financial Controller at Barclays plc and worked at other roles at Barclays and as a Partner at Ernst & Young LLP.
Michalis Imellos was the Chief Financial Officer at Coca-Cola HBC AG and Group Chief Financial Officer for Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Co. SA and Member-Management Board at Coca Cola HBC-Srbija AD (both are subsidiaries of Coca-Cola HBC AG). He is now a Non-Executive Director for the Coca-Cola HBC Finance BV .
Paul is the Chief Executive Officer of McDonald's UK & Ireland. During his 25 year tenure with the Fast food giant, he has excelled in various finance roles, including CFO. Paul has extensive experience in leading transformation projects and was shortlisted for HR Director's CEO of the Year in 2016 for his passion and commitment to people and talent development.
The transition from senior finance leader to CFO requires more than technical expertise. It demands strategic thinking, commercial acumen, executive presence and the confidence to influence at board level.
F-TEN helps organisations develop finance leaders with the skills and mindset needed to lead effectively in increasingly complex business environments. Participants apply their learning throughout the programme, delivering immediate value while building capability for future executive leadership roles.
For organisations focused on succession planning, leadership development and talent retention, F-TEN provides a practical pathway for developing the next generation of CFOs and business leaders
Interview with an F-TEN® mentor and mentee
Corporate Financier spoke to mentee Brad Petzer, recently appointed finance director of Monetize.com and his F-TEN 2013 mentor Ben Stevens, finance director at FTSE 100 group British American Tobacco plc.
Interview with an F-TEN® participant and sponsor
Read Richard McCord’s, Head of Finance at Centrica Energy Renewables account on why he enrolled on F-TEN® and why Tim Hinton, Finance Director at Centrica Power Generation, sponsored Richard to go on the programme.
McDonald’s UK & Ireland CFO: ICAEW F-TEN programme 'played an important part in my leadership journey'
Finance leaders face a myriad of challenges in 2022 but with the ICAEW’s F-TEN global leadership programme, new and aspiring CFOs can develop their skills to overcome them.
F-TEN leadership programme: enhancing skills with practical support
“Thanks to this programme, I’m not just a different CFO – I think I’m a slightly different person,” says Newable’s newly appointed CFO Rob Thompson.
Testimonials
F-TEN provided a solid foundation to take into next stage of my development. The mix of workshops, peer sessions and coaching was a good blend overall.
The actors were spot on having the perfect balance of awkward but real. I have attended some workshops where the role play is so false that it doesn't feel genuine. They created just the right balance of awkwardness too feel challenge with changing responses to allow the GROW tool to be used.
