For Bertrand de Leusse, finance leadership is as much about courage as it is about numbers. A trained engineer turned CFO, he brings an analytical mind and a pragmatic edge to his role at Creditinfo Group, the global credit information and risk-management firm he’s helped steer for the past three years.
His career – from business development at IBM and HP to finance leadership at Sony France – has given him a unique view of how data, people and decisions connect across borders. Now leading a business that operates in more than 30 countries, he’s focused on building trust, alignment, and resilience in an environment where change is constant.
Here, Bertrand shares how bravery, independence and clarity have shaped his approach to finance – and why staying grounded, both at work and at home, keeps him balanced through it all.
How did you become a CFO?
I have an engineering background, which is not typical for a CFO. I started in business development at IBM and HP and, over time, I became more interested in finance, particularly how understanding customer financials could shape solutions. I moved into controlling at CGI, then became CFO at Sony France and, since then, I’ve held CFO roles across several industries before joining Creditinfo three years ago.
What skills or traits do you think a good finance leader needs?
For any leader, building the right team is critical. For a CFO, I’d say bravery and independence are essential. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I realised how important it is to be brave and make tough decisions quickly. Independence matters because you need to support your CEO while still bringing your own perspective. If you only agree or only oppose, you’re not providing real support.
What excites you the most about your current role?
Creditinfo is a private-equity-backed company, so we work very closely with our shareholders. There’s a strong alignment within the management team and with the investors about where we want to go. That alignment makes it exciting because you feel you can achieve a lot when everyone is working together.
What is the biggest challenge facing your sector right now?
Data. There are huge opportunities to connect financial and operational data, especially with AI, but the results are not yet where we want them to be. Expectations are high but, for now, it’s frustrating not to have the full insights we know are possible. I believe this will improve in the coming years, but at this stage it remains a challenge.
What single thing do you think would make your job easier?
Our company operates in 30 countries with small teams spread across continents. Working remotely makes it difficult to fully understand how changes impact people. If we could meet more often in person, monthly or quarterly, it would help a lot. Tools like Teams are useful, but they don’t replace face-to-face interaction when driving change.
What is the best bit of business advice you’ve ever received?
Be brave. Face challenges when they happen instead of waiting for them to sort themselves out. During Covid, I was CFO of an IT company and we were worried about cashflow with the pandemic. We had to make tough decisions quickly. Acting decisively helped us get through and later we were able to adjust. That lesson has stayed with me.
Which book do you think every finance leader should read?
I don’t read many leadership or finance books. For me, the greatest inspiration comes from people I’ve worked with. Leaders who had a vision and could drive change. Seeing them in action has been more powerful than anything I’ve read in a book.
What do you do outside of work to prevent burnout?
I do sports twice a week, play tennis and spend time with my wife and three children. We go hiking, get outdoors on weekends and I find that change of pace very important. I’ve also learned to listen to myself. It’s about knowing when to rest so you can stay balanced.
What’s been your proudest achievement in your current role?
With my team, we’ve started to transform the way we report, communicate and understand the business at ground level. We’re not finished, but we’ve already made progress and shifted the mindset of the team to be more open to change. That makes me proud.
If you weren’t a CFO, what would you be doing?
I’d like to write novels. It’s something I wanted to do when I was younger and I still hope to try again one day. I enjoy creating characters and imagining their interactions. It’s a completely different kind of challenge.
For Bertrand de Leusse, finance leadership is as much about courage as it is about numbers. A trained engineer turned CFO, he brings an analytical mind and a pragmatic edge to his role at Creditinfo Group, the global credit information and risk-management firm he’s helped steer for the past three years.
His career – from business development at IBM and HP to finance leadership at Sony France – has given him a unique view of how data, people and decisions connect across borders. Now leading a business that operates in more than 30 countries, he’s focused on building trust, alignment, and resilience in an environment where change is constant.
Here, Bertrand shares how bravery, independence and clarity have shaped his approach to finance – and why staying grounded, both at work and at home, keeps him balanced through it all.
