The weekly newsletter for forward-thinking finance leaders, especially those who leverage Xero and its ecosystem.
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Your weekly go-to guide to transform your finance function into a strategic powerhouse.

Welcome CFO Techstack Community 👋,

In last week’s newsletter, we wrapped up The Fractional CFO Playbook by zooming out. Over the series, we heard from finance professionals redefining what it means to go fractional—from solo specialists to full-stack teams. In the final piece, we pulled together their most powerful lessons and practical next steps for those considering the leap.

 

This week, we’re kicking off a brand new series: Beyond the Numbers—a practical guide to using social media as a finance professional. Whether you're freelancing, fractional, or full-time, social media has become a powerful lever to expand your influence, build your skills, attract opportunities, and connect with your community. 

 

FEATURED ARTICLE

Beyond the Numbers: Why in-house finance professionals should embrace social media

When people think about social media and personal branding, they often picture entrepreneurs, fractional CFOs, or accounting firms promoting their services. It’s easy to assume that if you're part of an in-house finance team — whether as a Financial Controller, Group Finance Manager, or CFO — platforms like LinkedIn don't really apply to you.


But that’s no longer the case.


Finance is evolving. In today’s business world, finance leaders are not just responsible for the numbers; they are strategic voices, internal influencers, and external representatives of their companies. Building a strong presence on social media isn’t about self-promotion — it’s about positioning yourself as a trusted expert, expanding your professional opportunities, and future-proofing your career.


That’s why we're launching Beyond the Numbers — a new CFO Techstack series focused on how in-house finance professionals can smartly use social media platforms like LinkedIn to grow their influence, strengthen their network, and stay ahead.

 

Why social media matters for in-house finance professionals

 

Social media, particularly LinkedIn, has become one of the most valuable career tools available to finance professionals today — regardless of whether you're selling a service or not.

 

Here's why:

  • Credibility and Visibility:
    By sharing insights, engaging with industry discussions, and highlighting your expertise, you build a reputation as someone who understands both the financial and strategic side of business. This can elevate your standing inside your organization and position you for future leadership roles.

  • Professional Development:
    LinkedIn isn't just a broadcast platform — it's a learning platform. Following thought leaders, joining relevant groups, and staying on top of new trends like AI in finance, ESG reporting, and regulatory changes can sharpen your skills and broaden your perspective.

  • Career Mobility:
    Opportunities often come from visibility. A strong presence on LinkedIn can lead to invitations to speak at events, chances to collaborate across industries, and even open doors to future career moves — all while you’re still focused on excelling in your current role.

  • Community and Connection:
    Finance can sometimes feel isolating, especially at the leadership level. Engaging with a broader professional community provides a space to share ideas, challenges, and solutions, making you part of a bigger conversation about the future of finance.

 

Curating your feed for growth

 

For in-house finance professionals, how you consume content on social media is just as important as what you consume. Platforms like LinkedIn offer a constant stream of insights, market updates, regulatory changes, emerging technologies, and peer experiences — but only if you approach it intentionally. By actively curating your feed to follow relevant voices, industry experts, and leading finance communities, you can turn social media into a powerful tool for continuous learning and professional development. 


Thoughtful consumption helps you stay ahead of shifts in the finance landscape, sharpen your strategic thinking, and deepen your understanding of where the industry is heading. In a role where decisions increasingly require both technical expertise and broader business awareness, building smart social media habits is an essential part of being an effective and future-ready finance leader.

 

 

What the Beyond the Numbers series will cover

 

Throughout this series, we’ll take a practical, finance-specific look at how to use social media as an in-house professional — without feeling like you're turning yourself into a "brand" or spending hours crafting posts.

We'll explore two core aspects of using platforms like LinkedIn effectively:

  • Reactive social media use:
    How to consume content strategically. We'll cover how to follow the right people, join conversations that matter, stay informed without feeling overwhelmed, and build a curated feed that supports your professional growth.

  • Proactive social media use:
    How to engage thoughtfully and consistently. We'll share simple strategies for commenting, posting, and participating in ways that feel authentic — and don't require you to constantly "be online."

Along the way, we’ll also tackle common challenges, like:

  • Curate your feed intentionally
  • How to engage with industry trends and thought leaders
  • Create a sustainable daily or weekly routine for continuous learning
  • How to find your voice as a finance professional.
  • How to sustainably build a presence without it becoming a burden.
  • How to deal with imposter syndrome or fear of saying the “wrong” thing online.

Real-world insights from finance leaders

 

Finally, to make this series even more actionable, we’ll hear directly from finance leaders who have embraced social media as part of their professional toolkit. They’ll share how they started, what’s worked (and what hasn’t), and their advice for others looking to step beyond the numbers and into the broader business conversation.


Whether you're looking to sharpen your skills, curate your feed to fuel your growth, grow your influence, or simply future-proof your career, Beyond the Numbers will give you the tools and confidence to leverage social media in a way that feels right for you.


The future of finance leadership isn’t just about technical expertise — it’s about communication, connection, and visibility.

    COMMUNITY INSIGHTS

    🎤 How I stacked it

    Jacqui Trumper, Director at Black Cat Accounting Pty Ltd, reveals her tech stack

    Black Cat Accounting provides efficient accounting and tax services to businesses of all sizes and across all industries. The firm has a particular focus on supporting startups and guiding new business owners through the complexities of launching and running a new venture.

    JT

    Committed to delivering high-quality work, clear communication, and a smooth client experience, Black Cat aims to make tax and business management less stressful and more time-efficient.The team also brings expertise in cloud computing, software, and process improvement—leveraging technology to help businesses maximise efficiency and productivity.

     

    Jacqui told us, “I started Black Cat Accounting about three years ago, after spending around 13 years working at other firms. I wanted to focus more on software, automation, and efficiency—areas my previous employer wasn't prioritising. No two days are exactly the same, of course, since my work depends on deadlines. Right now, we’re heading into a perfect storm of deadlines over the next two months, so most of my time is spent on business tax returns, BASs, and figuring out when I’ll squeeze in tax planning and everything else. That said, I still make it to the gym every night—health is important.”

     

    Here’s what Jacqui and her team are using:

      1. Mayday for Intercompany: Mayday is my latest acquisition. I signed up to help improve efficiency for a particular client group where one company on-charges costs to several others—and so far, I like it. What used to take a few hours in calculations and documentation now takes less than one. I’m only a couple of months in, so I’m sure I can cut that down even further once I’m fully up to speed.
      2. Content Snare for Client Documents: This is one of my favourites—questionnaires, but done really well. It’s used to collect information and documents from clients for any purpose. Previously, this meant sending an email, remembering to follow up, checking what had been sent, creating a new list of what was missing, and repeating the process. Content Snare handles all the follow-ups for me and makes it easy to see exactly what the client has provided—and what they haven’t. It also makes things clearer for the client, so they know exactly what to send and get it right the first time. I’ve saved a massive amount of time and frustration with this one app alone.
      3. Cimplico for Workpapers: Cimplico is my other favourite—workpapers. It integrates seamlessly with Xero client files and allows workpapers to be prepared in a standardised way across the entire firm. It also makes reviewing work prepared by others much easier. It was developed by accountants, and they have big plans for automation that I’m really excited about.
      4. Ignition for Proposals and Payments: Quotes, engagement agreements, payment processing—it’s all handled through Ignition. All of my clients are quoted up front. The quote is sent to them, they sign it, and payments are taken automatically from their bank account or credit card. No more chasing unpaid invoices, which I can’t stand. Quotes are often one of the first impressions clients have of my business, and when done properly, I believe they add real credibility.
      5. AccountKit for Workflow: AccountKit does a lot of different things, here are the features I use the most. First, managing my workflow—I’ve tried many options over the years, but this one works best for me. And second, equipment finance—setup only takes a few minutes, and then all the entries are automated for the life of the loan.
      6. Annature for Electronic Signatures: I used to hate asking clients to print, sign, scan, and email—it always felt so inefficient. Now, even my least tech-savvy clients can sign everything quickly and easily. Annature also handles ID verification and securely collects TFNs from new clients, which solves the problem of protecting clients from themselves—so many still think it’s okay to send their TFNs via email or SMS.

    Keen to share how you stack it? Email to  hein.vanzyl@getmayday.com

    THE STACK EXCHANGE

    🧵 This week's top threads, from The Stack Exchange

     
    The Stack Exchange is a Slack forum for connecting with peers, sharing insights, and staying updated on apps and industry events—helping you transform your finance function into a strategic powerhouse.
     
    Here are this week's top 3 discussions from The Stack Exchange:
    1. Has anyone recently migrated from MYOB to Xero?
    2. Why does Xero show a higher total FX loss than expected.
    3. We’ve been trying to roll out an AP module with OCR and PO matching across larger entities, looking for any and all ideas.
       
    Keen to join? Sign up here >

    NEW IN THE WORLD OF CFO SOFTWARE

    🗞️ News from the stack-o-sphere

     

    • Spendesk partners with Dust to give employees tailored and data compliant AI solutions. Learn more.
    • Tugger launches new portal to cut reporting complexity. Learn more.
    • Roveel releases new dashboards for faster insight and bigger impact. Learn more.

    WHAT THE DATA SAYS

    📊 Stat of the week

     

    50% of finance teams still take over a week to close the books

     

    Research by CFO

    UPCOMING EVENTS

    🗓️ Save the date

     

    7 accounts receivable mistakes and how to fix them

    Wed, 21 May, 11am BST

    Late payments continue to be a major challenge for businesses, affecting cash flow, increasing financial risk, and consuming valuable time. But many late payments aren’t just caused by "bad payers" — they result from common but preventable mistakes in the accounts receivable process. This webinar will explore seven key mistakes businesses make and practical strategies to address them. 

     

    IRL: The Fractional CFO Opportunity: New research and discussions 

    Thu, 22 May, 4pm BST, 📍 30 Golden Square, Soho

    As firms shift from compliance to CFO-style advisory, this event explores what’s driving the change — and how modern payment systems unlock strategic value and efficiency. Hear from industry peers, enjoy curated drinks in the heart of Soho, and take away actionable insights.

     

    Master your month-end

    Wed, 30 April, 11am AEST

    We're showing you how to achieve a day 1 month-end and start offering proactive, real-time advisory to your clients. Most accounting firms take five days or more to complete month-end. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Join us for a "how-to" webinar with Tyler Caskey and Daniel Foo from The Bean Counters, where they’ll share their proven framework for achieving a streamlined and stress-free month-end close.

     

    MORE OF THE GOOD STUFF

    And lastly, our top picks!

     

    🎧 Podcast: Why Every Entrepreneur Needs a Fractional CFO , ep. 240, CFO Weekly

    📝  Article: Why Vertical AI in Financial & Professional Services Will Create $1 Trillion Enterprise Value

    😆  Joke: What does an accountant say when getting on a train? Mind the GAAP.

    Why not forward this newsletter to someone you think would enjoy it?🙏

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