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Academy of Professional Development

Network of Finance Leaders (NFL)

Develop future Finance Directors ready to lead with confidence and impact

NFL is designed for senior finance professionals preparing for Finance Director roles. The programme develops the confidence, strategic thinking and leadership capability needed to lead teams, influence decisions and progress into senior leadership positions.

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Statistic

Develop from Finance Manager to strategic leader

Overview

NFL is a six-month leadership development experience designed to help finance professionals transition from operational delivery to strategic leadership.

Combining workshops, mentoring, coaching, peer learning and personal assessments, the programme helps participants strengthen their leadership impact, broaden their commercial perspective and develop the skills needed to contribute more effectively to organisational strategy and performance.

This programme will give you 46 CPD hours in total.

  • Key details
    • Duration: Six months
    • Location: London and online
    • Start date: April 2027 - Enquire about the 2027 cohort
  • Participant profile
    Participants are typically senior finance managers, finance business partners, or newly promoted Finance Directors (less than 18 months in the role).
  • Assessment

    Gain insight into your leadership impact

    Participants complete a comprehensive 360-degree assessment that provides valuable feedback on their leadership strengths, development opportunities and personal brand.

    This helps participants:

    • Increase self-awareness
    • Understand how they are perceived by colleagues and stakeholders
    • Build credibility and influence
    • Create a clear development roadmap for future leadership roles
  • Practical workshops

    Develop the skills finance leaders need most

    NFL workshops focus on the leadership challenges faced by ambitious finance professionals as they progress into Finance Director and senior leadership positions.

    Participants learn how to:

    • Lead and motivate high-performing teams
    • Influence stakeholders and business leaders
    • Strengthen communication and executive presence
    • Think strategically beyond day-to-day operations
    • Improve business partnering and decision-making
    • Balance financial insight with commercial leadership
  • Peer learning groups

    Learn alongside leaders facing similar challenges

    NFL creates a trusted environment where participants can share experiences, challenge thinking and learn from peers across industries.

    This collaborative approach helps participants:

    • Gain fresh perspectives
    • Test ideas in a safe environment
    • Learn from real-world leadership experiences
    • Build a valuable professional network that extends beyond the programme
  • External input from an experienced finance professional

    Throughout the programme participants will learn from CFOs and Financial Directors across various industries. Our accomplished experts will share their experiences and examples of how they have overcome some of the challenges participants will face in their career.

  • Personal one to one guidance from a professional coach or mentor

    Learn from experienced finance leaders

    Participants receive personalised guidance from experienced finance leaders, coaches and former Finance Directors who understand the realities of leadership progression.

    Through mentoring and coaching they can:

    • Explore real workplace challenges
    • Build confidence in leadership situations
    • Strengthen stakeholder influence
    • Develop their leadership style
    • Accelerate readiness for more senior roles

Benefits

Benefits for participants: Accelerate your path to Finance Director

Participants leave the programme with:

Greater confidence as a leader
Stronger communication and influencing skills
Enhanced strategic and commercial thinking
Improved ability to lead and develop teams
Greater confidence working with senior stakeholders
A powerful network of finance leaders across industries
Practical tools to support career progression
Increased readiness for Finance Director and senior leadership roles

Benefits for organisations: Build your next generation of finance leaders

NFL helps organisations:

Develop future Finance Directors and senior leaders
Strengthen succession planning initiatives
Improve leadership capability across finance functions
Retain and engage high-potential finance talent
Equip leaders to influence strategic business decisions
Strengthen team performance and collaboration
Bring fresh ideas and commercial insights back into the organisation
Build a stronger pipeline of future leadership talent

Coaches and mentors

Below is just a small sample of the high-calibre coaches and mentors available on the NFL programme. Participants choose who they want to partner with on their NFL journey. 

Oliver deacon
Oliver Deacon Former Finance Director at Microsoft

Oliver is an accredited business and personal coach (ACC) certified with the ICF. He has coached Finance Directors and aspiring finance leaders from a number of tech companies, including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, smaller start-ups, and Big 4 accountancy firms (Deloitte, PWC). Before coaching, Oliver was a Finance Director at Microsoft and led numerous international teams for FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies.

Helene Brichet Herbinet
Helene Brichet Herbinet Former UK CFO, Capital One

Helene is the former CFO of Capital One UK and EVO Payments. She brings three decades of senior experience in blue-chip multi-nationals such as PWC, Barclays and Visa, in Finance and commercial functions including corporate strategy and investments & partnerships. She also led strategic programmes, including the first-ever external acquisition by Visa Europe. Her credentials cover delivering business transformation to support organisation growth, building value-add finance teams, leading through change and investing in people’s growth and development. Helene is currently a NED on the Board of Financial Services firms and a Trustee. She is an accredited Executive coach and mentor.

Richard Draisey
Richard Draisey Chief Executive Officer, SeaBird Technologies

Richard Draisey is a British born business executive with a background in finance, strategy and leadership. Richard started his career at Menzies LLP then joined the fast-paced world of Formula One with McLaren Racing to work his way up to Director of Finance and most recently transitioned to SeaBird Technologies as CEO. Richard has mentored and been mentored for the last 15 years and enjoys the mutual learning and growth that occurs in relationship.

Marie Holive
Marie Holive Former MD and CFO, NBC Universal UK

Marie is currently a NED and Senior Advisor for various companies, from start-ups to big tech and banks. Previously, she was the former MD and CFO of NBC Universal UK. During her eight-year tenure, she delivered the digital transformation of a global business, successfully led culture change, and drove double-digit profit growth of a £0.5Bn business. Before joining NBC Universal, Marie worked for GE and McKinsey & Company.

Why organisations invest in NFL

Today's Finance Directors need more than technical expertise. They need strong leadership capability, commercial awareness and the confidence to influence business decisions.

NFL helps organisations develop finance professionals who can move beyond operational delivery and contribute strategically across the business. Participants apply learning throughout the programme, driving immediate value while building capability for future leadership roles.

For organisations focused on succession planning, talent retention and leadership development, NFL provides a practical pathway for developing confident, commercially minded Finance Directors.

What past delegates say about the programme

This has been the most life changing course I have ever been on. I have taken so much from the day - I can’t wait to get back to the day job and start to use the new skills and techniques to drive my team forward.

Image of Aykut Cinar

Interview with an NFL graduate

Aykut Cinar, Finance Director at Diploma PLC, explains the impact NFL has had for him.

Read the case study

Image of Jessica Ryman

Interview with an NFL graduate

Jessica Ryman, Finance Business Partner at Create UK, explains the advantages of the programme.

Read the case study

Image of Andreea Cocos

Interview with an NFL graduate

Read Andreea Cocos', Head of Finance at Sucden Financial Limited account on why she enrolled on NFL.

Read the case study

Image of Aaron Beck

Interview with an NFL graduate

Read Aaron Beck's, Financial Controller at Seajacks UK Ltd account on how he has benefitted from NFL.

Read the case study

Barclays logo Capital One logo Costa logo Mclaren logo Rio Tinto logo Aspen insurance Plus Net logo McCarthy Stone logo

Build your future finance directors

Discover how NFL can strengthen your leadership pipeline and develop high-potential finance talent.

Discover more by calling +44 (0)20 7920 3509 or registering your interest below.


Register your interest

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