Chris Wilmot is CFO of Medius, a spend management software company that helps organizations automate accounts payable and manage business spending. He has held finance leadership roles across the UK, Australia, and the US, working in both corporate and private equity-backed businesses with experience spanning organic growth, acquisitions, and value creation.
In this conversation, Wilmot shares how international experience shaped his leadership style, explains the realities of managing acquisitions, and discusses how automation, AI, and high-quality data are changing the role of the modern CFO
You have lived and worked in the US, Australia, and the UK. How have those different markets shaped your approach to finance leadership?
Living and working overseas changed my perspective from being UK-focused to thinking much more globally.
Each region has different employment laws, tax rules, and customer and supplier payment behaviors, which gave me valuable experience that I still use today. It also taught me to be more adaptable and flexible when leading global teams.
Finally, understanding local cultures and customs helped me build stronger relationships with colleagues, which has been just as important as the technical aspects of the role.
Many CFOs today are expected to be more commercially involved than ever before. How do you balance financial discipline with business growth?
I’m naturally drawn to the commercial side of the business, so it’s important to have a strong financial control team managing accounting, working capital, and audit responsibilities.
At the same time, the business needs a robust financial framework that defines areas such as pricing, discounts, contracts, and approvals. Once everyone understands those boundaries, finance and commercial teams can work together more effectively.
The relationship between finance and the wider business is also critical. Regular reviews of performance, forecasts, and budgets help finance become a true business partner rather than simply reporting the numbers.
You have experience across both organic and inorganic growth. Which do you find more challenging to manage from a finance perspective?
Both can be challenging, but without doubt organic is more challenging.
Organic growth follows a longer-term strategy and budget, while every transaction is different. Many organizations have limited M&A experience, so it’s often necessary to bring in additional expertise.
An acquisition can also increase the size of a business almost overnight, which means finance, leadership, systems, and processes all need to be ready to support that change immediately.
M&A activity can look very different from the outside compared to what happens behind the scenes. What does the CFO’s role really look like during a deal? And what are the biggest risks to manage?
An acquisition adds a significant amount of work to an already busy CFO role, so having experienced internal teams or external advisers is important.
The CFO is involved throughout the process, from building the business case and reviewing due diligence to valuation, board discussions, financing approvals, and completing the transaction.
The deal itself is only part of the process. The real work begins after completion, when the business needs to be integrated and the expected value from the acquisition delivered.
What is the most underestimated challenge of integrating a company after an acquisition?
Systems and processes can be managed by experienced teams, but cultural integration is often the biggest challenge.
When a founder-led business is acquired, leadership, responsibilities, and ways of working often change. If those differences are not managed well, they can create conflict and reduce the value of the acquisition.
Clear communication, aligned incentives, introducing leadership teams early, and helping employees build relationships across both organizations all make the integration process much smoother.
Some industry leaders argue that too much repetitive or “boring” work is hurting the finance function and driving talent away. Do you see that happening, and what needs to change?
Yes, I do.
Research we conducted showed that people quickly lose focus when doing repetitive work, and many finance professionals said they had considered leaving the profession because of it.
Finance leaders have a responsibility to automate as much routine work as possible so teams can focus on analysis, decision-making, and adding value to the business. That makes the work far more rewarding.
What role should automation and AI play in freeing finance teams to focus on more strategic work?
Automation and AI have a major role to play, and that role will continue to grow.
Throughout my career, we’ve continually looked for opportunities to remove repetitive work and move people into higher-value activities. At Medius, we use our own accounts payable automation platform internally, allowing AI to automate much of the process.
It’s not about cutting corners. It helps free finance professionals to focus on more interesting and valuable work while continuing to explore new AI capabilities across every area of finance.
Spend management is evolving rapidly. What do you think finance leaders often overlook about how spend impacts business performance?
Finance teams need complete visibility over every type of business spend, whether it comes through accounts payable, expenses, or corporate cards.
Having that visibility helps organizations make better decisions, especially around contract renewals and supplier management.
The other area that cannot be overlooked is fraud. Fraud is becoming more sophisticated, so businesses need strong controls, effective systems, and AI-powered tools to detect unusual activity before it becomes a larger problem.
What will the CFO’s role look like five years from now?
I think the direction we’re already seeing will continue.
The CFO role is becoming increasingly strategic and commercial, supporting CEOs across a much broader range of decisions.
Data will also become even more important. CFOs will play a key role in making sure organizations have accurate, high-quality data that both people and AI can rely on for decision-making.
What keeps you curious about finance after so many years in the role?
I’ve enjoyed every finance role I’ve had, and I probably enjoy them even more today because experience helps me add more value to the business.
The constant changes in AI, automation, and finance keeps the role interesting because there’s always something new to learn and apply.
I also enjoy helping people develop. Watching members of my team grow, earn promotions, and eventually become finance leaders themselves is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
Chris Wilmot is CFO of Medius, a spend management software company that helps organizations automate accounts payable and manage business spending. He has held finance leadership roles across the UK, Australia, and the US, working in both corporate and private equity-backed businesses with experience spanning organic growth, acquisitions, and value creation.
In this conversation, Wilmot shares how international experience shaped his leadership style, explains the realities of managing acquisitions, and discusses how automation, AI, and high-quality data are changing the role of the modern CFO
