From professional sport to high-growth tech, ManyPets’ CFO Nicci Setchell has built a finance career around helping businesses scale while keeping the customer at the centre of every decision.
Setchell brings more than 20 years of finance experience across sport, technology and consumer businesses. She began her career at Tottenham Hotspur F.C., turning a childhood passion for football into her first professional finance role, before moving on to organisations including the NFL, Just Eat and several fast-growing tech companies.
She now holds the CFO position at ManyPets, a pet insurance provider, which has undergone a period of significant transformation. Working closely with CEO Luisa Barile, Setchell has helped guide the business through change while maintaining a strong focus on culture, customers and long-term sustainability.
Here, Setchell shares her unconventional path to becoming a CFO, what she believes makes a strong finance leader and how she balances a demanding role with life outside of work.
How did you become a CFO?
I didn’t study finance at university. I studied law because I wanted to work in football, and at the time, that felt like the best route. I quickly realised law was not for me, so I moved into accountancy through a commercial finance qualification.
Early in my career, I joined Tottenham Hotspur, which was a dream role. I got exposure to payroll, stock takes, and match-day operations. From there, I moved to the NFL, where I became an international controller and worked on growing the sport outside the US.
I then moved into tech because I wanted to understand hypergrowth, fundraising, and scaling businesses. I spent several years at Just Eat, where I grew alongside the company, helped build international finance teams, and was part of the IPO journey. After that, I founded my own business, went through fundraising, COVID and an eventual exit, which taught me more than anything else I’ve done.
After a period of contracting, I joined ManyPets initially as an interim CFO. It quickly became clear it was the right fit, and I took on the role permanently.
What skills or traits does a strong finance leader need?
For me, it starts with people’s leadership and candid communication. People are the biggest investment on the P&L, so being able to lead, support and motivate teams is essential.
I believe in being authentic and approachable. Strong relationships with employees matter just as much as relationships with the board. The people closest to customers often have the best insight into what the numbers are really telling you.
I also constantly ask how we can make things simpler. Simpler processes are better for employees, better for customers, and better for the business overall. Finally, curiosity matters. If you stop learning and adapting, you will get left behind.
What excites you most about your current role?
We work in a fast-moving, regulated environment, and what excites me is how thoughtful we are about using technology. We are using automation and AI in ways that improve speed and efficiency without losing the human touch.
We have built AI tools to help with claims processing and admin tasks, which frees up our teams to focus on customers when they need real support. That balance between technology and people is what makes the work interesting and meaningful.
What’s the biggest challenge facing your sector?
The UK vet sector is currently under investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority, and any changes that come out of that will impact pet insurance. I fully support the investigation if it delivers better outcomes for customers. The challenge is being ready to respond quickly while staying compliant and thoughtful. One of ManyPets’ strengths is our ability to adapt at speed while keeping the customer at the heart of decisions.
What single thing would make your job easier?
Clearer visibility between effort and value. Some investments are easy to measure, like marketing spend, but others, such as culture or employee experience, are harder to quantify even though they clearly create value. The challenge is knowing when to measure ROI deeply and when to move forward and trust the long-term impact. Finding that balance would make decision-making easier.
What is the best bit of business advice you’ve ever received?
Focus on what you are great at and get even better at it. Do not obsess over your weaknesses.
I often explain it using superheroes. Each one has its own strengths and superpowers. They succeed by leaning into them, not by trying to be someone else. The same applies to leadership.
Which book do you think every finance leader should read at least once?
Radical Candor by Kim Scott. It is about caring deeply for people while being able to challenge them directly. It promotes honest feedback delivered with empathy, which is critical for building strong teams and driving performance.
What do you do outside of work to protect yourself from burnout?
I discovered aerial hoop and aerial silks in my forties, and I absolutely love them. It’s fun and challenging, but completely different from my day job. I also have two young children, a dog, and a close group of friends who keep me grounded. Spending time with people I care about, exercising, and laughing are essential for balance.
What’s been your proudest achievement in your current role?
Helping ManyPets return to profitability after a difficult rebuilding year. The business moved from a significant loss to profit in a single year. The achievement belongs to the entire team, but being able to communicate that turnaround, recognise the tough decisions made, and remind people of the role they played was incredibly rewarding.
If you weren’t a CFO, what would you like to do?
I would join the circus. I would love to perform aerial work in some form, even if it were not professionally. It is creative, expressive, and the complete opposite of spreadsheets.
From professional sport to high-growth tech, ManyPets’ CFO Nicci Setchell has built a finance career around helping businesses scale while keeping the customer at the centre of every decision.
Setchell brings more than 20 years of finance experience across sport, technology and consumer businesses. She began her career at Tottenham Hotspur F.C., turning a childhood passion for football into her first professional finance role, before moving on to organisations including the NFL, Just Eat and several fast-growing tech companies.
She now holds the CFO position at ManyPets, a pet insurance provider, which has undergone a period of significant transformation. Working closely with CEO Luisa Barile, Setchell has helped guide the business through change while maintaining a strong focus on culture, customers and long-term sustainability.
