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Your customers are not lying in your surveys. They simply do not know why they do what they do. Cop a copy of my books NOW: https://mybook.to/TheAI-PoweredFuture https://mybook.to/HumanLedFinance Host live webinars and restream them to LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook: WebinarGeek (paid link): https://webinargeek.com/product?red=kdemsc Get paid to put your expert judgement to work training AI: Ethos (paid link): https://agent.askethos.com/refer/nd01w7e2eelw Earn from your professional expertise on frontier AI projects: Mercor (paid link): https://t.mercor.com/neABb Turn customer insight into a boardroom-ready deck in minutes: Gamma (paid link): https://try.gamma.app/f2d4kygskm1h Automate the analytic grunt work so your team can focus on the human questions: Make (paid link): https://www.make.com/en/register?pc=kingdemspodcast Johanna Faigelman is a cultural anthropologist, speaker and the founder and CEO of Human Branding, the Toronto consultancy she launched in 2006 to apply anthropology to business strategy. She is the pioneer of Applied Anthropology Thinking (AAT)™, studied at York University and ran planning at a large advertising agency before going out on her own. Human Branding now has more than 40 people working across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America, with clients including 11 of the world's top 20 pharmaceutical companies and brands such as Nestlé, Visa and Logitech. She is an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Ontario finalist, an EY Winning Women 2025 honoree and a 100 Women to Know Winner 2026. In this episode: Why Johanna works on the principle that roughly 80 per cent of decision making sits at the unconscious and subconscious level (her working rule, not a cited study)Why she places almost zero value on the answer to a direct questionEvery business problem is a human problem: why doctors who say in surveys they will prescribe a drug still do notApplied Anthropology Thinking (AAT)™, the approach she created when she founded Human BrandingThe Who Say Do principle: who people are, how they say things and what they actually doTen years with no holidays: the unglamorous reality of building a bootstrapped consultancyWhy saying no protects a company's vision more than saying yesHow Human Branding uses AI: a closed model built about five years ago, with Johanna reporting 30 per cent efficiency gains overall and 80 per cent on analytic grunt workWhere they differ: Ademola asks what AI will do better than humans in anthropology, and Johanna is not convinced it will do anything better, only that it frees people for the human workHer one piece of advice to women founders: your difference is your advantage Johanna Faigelman, cultural anthropologist and founder and CEO of Human Branding, on consumer behaviour, decision making, Applied Anthropology Thinking, bootstrapping and human-led AI, on The King Dems Podcast and Diary of a CFO with Ademola Odewade. What is Applied Anthropology Thinking? It is Johanna Faigelman's approach to using anthropology's methods, especially ethnography, to uncover the hidden drivers of customer behaviour and turn them into marketing and strategy. She built Human Branding around it in 2006. Can AI replace market research? Johanna's view is no. AI speeds up the analysis of transcripts and data, but the insight that changes behaviour depends on human wisdom that is often not captured in language at all. More from Johanna Faigelman: https://humanbranding.com · linkedin.com/in/johannafaigelman Hosted by Ademola Odewade: chartered accountant, author of Human-Led, AI-Powered Finance (foreword by Professor Dave Ulrich) and Founder of K-DEMS Consulting. Diary of a CFO. Finance leadership, unfiltered. Ranked in the global top 2.5% of podcasts. This description contains paid links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. #BusinessAnthropology #HumanLedAI #DiaryOfACFO #KingDemsPodcast

The voice you hear when you speak is not the one your team hears. Cop a copy of my new book NOW: https://ademolaodewade.com Turn communication expertise into paid advisory work — Ethos (paid link): https://agent.askethos.com/refer/nd01w7e2eelw AI labs pay highly-skilled experts — Mercor (paid link): https://t.mercor.com/neABb Build your next board deck in minutes — Gamma (paid link): https://try.gamma.app/f2d4kygskm1h Automate the admin and spend the time rehearsing — Make (paid link): https://www.make.com/en/register?pc=kingdemspodcast David Pope is an executive voice coach based in Hong Kong for 32 years. He started in 1980s London at a Soho production company making music videos for Wham!, Dire Straits and A-ha, then joined the BBC as an assistant film editor. He founded All Voice Talent in 2010, has spent more than 30,000 hours in recording studios and coaches leaders from law firms and financial institutions in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Australia, the Middle East and London. About 20 years ago he was told that growing his business meant leaving the studio for stages and workshops. He did, made mistakes in public and built the confidence he now teaches. In this episode: - The three most common executive presence faults: speaking too fast, a monotone delivery and filler words - Why a slightly slower pace reads as authority when you present results, and rapid delivery reads as nerves - The emphasis pause before a key figure, such as a 33% rise, so the number lands with the room - The rhetorical question pause before the answer - Chunking: mark a script with slash marks and stress one word per chunk, what Pope calls "audio punctuation" - Speakers who think they paused for five seconds usually paused for half a second - Gravitas is a balance of authority, energy and warmth, not a booming voice - In Center for Talent Innovation research, 5% of senior leaders named appearance and 28% communication as core to executive presence; the majority named gravitas - Pope's Voice Influence Framework: voice, presence and messaging - Pope says charisma can be developed; Ademola argues it is largely natural More from David Pope: https://www.allvoicetalent.com linkedin.com/in/popedavid Hosted by Ademola Odewade — chartered accountant, author of Human-Led, AI-Powered Finance (foreword by Professor Dave Ulrich), and Founder of K-Dems Consulting. The King Dems Podcast. Growth Mindset, Leadership, AI and Business Insights. Ranked in the global top 2% of podcasts. Diary of a CFO. Finance leadership, unfiltered. Ranked in the global top 2.5% of podcasts. This description contains paid links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. #ExecutivePresence #FinanceLeadership #DiaryOfACFO #KingDemsPodcast

Most finance teams start closing the month before the month has even finished. Cop a copy of my new book NOW: https://ademolaodewade.com Turn audit and finance expertise into paid advisory work — Ethos (paid link): https://agent.askethos.com/refer/nd01w7e2eelw AI labs pay highly-skilled experts — Mercor (paid link): https://t.mercor.com/neABb Build the design partner deck in minutes — Gamma (paid link): https://try.gamma.app/f2d4kygskm1h Esther Adeogun spent over a decade in audit and assurance across KPMG Nigeria, WYZE, Sapro, PKF Littlejohn and RSM UK, working between Lagos and London. She audited multinationals with US, Canadian and Australian parent structures. She then left professional services to found Valdore Systems and Intelligence Limited (VSIL), a pre-product platform building what she calls an intelligent operating layer: financial intelligence, controls and real-time visibility embedded directly into business workflows rather than applied after the fact. The pattern that convinced her was not jurisdictional. Across Lagos, London and multinational engagements she kept meeting the same problem. Organisations had invested heavily in software, yet finance teams still ran on spreadsheets, manual reconciliations and judgement applied outside the system. Some of her design partners begin their July month-end work in the second or third week of July in order to report to management by 4 August. That is time taken away from professional judgement and scepticism, and Esther argues the gap between activity and visibility is the thing worth closing, not the accounting concepts underneath it. In this episode: The one sentence she would give a Fortune 500 CEO: an intelligent operating layer embedding financial intelligence, controls and real-time visibility into business workflowsThe exact shift from auditor to founder, moving from "what went wrong" to "why did the system allow this to happen in the first place"Why real-time reporting does not overturn the historical cost concept, and what she actually means by real-timeWhat SAP, Oracle and Microsoft would say in response, and where the design philosophies genuinely divergeWhere AI earns its place, and the deterministic, rules-based work that should stay conventional software"Consulting is largely constrained by people and time" and why that pushed her to SaaS instead of another consulting firmThe four eras of accounting: paper, spreadsheets, ERP, and AI-assisted decision-makingWhether the Big Four look the same in 2035, and why she thinks firms evolve rather than disappearNigeria rewards technical skill, the UK rewards relationships, and what that cost her to learnWhy she no longer believes progress is linear, and what experimentation replaced it withRapid fire: the biggest misconception about AI, the biggest misconception about accounting, and the technology she is watchingHer legacy test: not to be remembered for building software but for helping build better businesses More from Esther: LinkedIn (personal): linkedin.com/in/esther-adeogun-0b9118125 LinkedIn (company): linkedin.com/company/valdore-systems-intelligence-ltd Hosted by Ademola Odewade — chartered accountant, author of Human-Led, AI-Powered Finance (foreword by Professor Dave Ulrich), and Founder of K-Dems Consulting. The King Dems Podcast. Growth Mindset, Leadership, AI and Business Insights. Ranked in the global top 2% of podcasts. Diary of a CFO. Finance leadership, unfiltered. Ranked in the global top 2.5% of podcasts. This description contains paid links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. #AIinAccounting #ContinuousAssurance #DiaryOfACFO #KingDemsPodcast

Most transformation programmes fail because the organisation is quietly protecting the very thing you are trying to change. Cop a copy of my new book NOW: ⁠⁠https://ademolaodewade.com⁠⁠ Turn transformation experience into paid advisory work — Ethos (paid link): ⁠⁠https://agent.askethos.com/refer/nd01w7e2eelw⁠⁠ AI labs pay highly-skilled experts — Mercor (paid link): ⁠⁠https://t.mercor.com/neABb⁠⁠ Build the culture diagnostic deck in minutes — Gamma (paid link): ⁠⁠https://try.gamma.app/f2d4kygskm1h⁠⁠ Zhanna Zhuravleva grew up in Georgia and lived through war as a child, then built her career across Russia, Israel and the UK. She completed two master's degrees — finance and human resources — followed by postgraduate study, and taught finance, management and philosophy at a university in St. Petersburg. She started in industry as a Kaizen team leader and went on to lead HR and cultural transformation across organisations of more than 1,000 people in 40 countries. She is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, has run over 3,000 sessions with leaders, and founded Awake Conscious Play, a school of conscious leadership and leadership transformation. Early in her career she ran a textbook transformation — designed framework, defined KPIs, strong governance. Six months later almost nothing had changed. The organisation was not governed by its processes; it was governed by informal power. Everything since has been built on that finding. The 30% improvement in employee satisfaction and 10% reduction in turnover she reports came from no single initiative — a culture hub that put interns and juniors into the improvement process, people partners trained in coaching, and one-to-ones where the feedback actually changed the next decision. In this episode: Change fluency — why transformation is not a project with a start date and an end dateThe "inner game": why a fintech's people-first programme stalls because the tension is giving leaders their identityThree signals that tell you inside a week whether a culture is healthy — quality of disagreement, speed of bad news, and the gap between the official story and the underground storyDiagnosis before prescription: the first 30 days run across Ken Wilber's four quadrants, not a rush to launch programmesThree types of values — declarative, conscious, unconscious — and which layer actually decidesWhy Meta making AI token consumption a performance metric produced engineers burning tokens instead of better decisionsWEF Future of Jobs: 170 million roles created against 92 million displaced — recalibration, not replacement"AI is electricity with intelligence" — why this is an electricity moment rather than an internet oneThe 4D Compass for building trust: self, soul, soft, spiritWhy engagement surveys measure compliance — a purple, tribal culture scores high on engagement and low on trustWhat she protects if the HR budget is halved: leader development, and a culture diagnosis every yearThe mistake founders make at 100 employees — still leading as though there are 20Zhanna's recommendation for every CEO is Spiral Dynamics by Don Beck and Christopher Cowan. Her conscious leadership programmes — including Lila, the transformational game she has adapted for leaders and runs offline and online — are at: ⁠⁠https://awake-play.co.uk/⁠⁠ Upcoming cohorts: ⁠⁠https://awake-play.co.uk/upcoming⁠⁠ Connect with Zhanna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhanna-zhuravleva-chartered-fcipd-03a0a622a/⁠⁠ Hosted by Ademola Odewade — chartered accountant, author of Human-Led, AI-Powered Finance (foreword by Professor Dave Ulrich), and Founder of K-Dems Consulting. The King Dems Podcast. Growth Mindset, Leadership, AI and Business Insights. Ranked in the global top 2% of podcasts. Diary of a CFO. Finance leadership, unfiltered. Ranked in the global top 2.5% of podcasts. This description contains paid links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Business valuation isn't a multiple of EBITDA. Cop a copy of my new book NOW: ⁠https://ademolaodewade.com⁠ Turn expertise into paid advisory work — Ethos (paid link): ⁠https://agent.askethos.com/refer/nd01w7e2eelw⁠ AI labs pay highly-skilled experts — Mercor (paid link): ⁠https://t.mercor.com/neABb⁠ Build the buyer deck in minutes — Gamma (paid link): ⁠https://try.gamma.app/f2d4kygskm1h⁠ Mark Mills OBE started Cardpoint plc from scratch in 2000. Two years later it floated on AIM at a £7 million valuation. By 2006 it was turning over £100 million a year on £19.8 million of EBITDA, and he exited in 2007 at £175 million. He now sells other people's businesses. One owner was told his company was worth £3 million. Mark sold it for just over £10 million. Nothing changed in the accounts — what changed was who the business was presented to, and why they needed it. In this episode: - Why bids from strategic buyers don't resemble a multiple of EBITDA - The £3m-to-£10m sale, and the buyer maths that produced it - Rule one of any business model: recurring income — learned from a payphone business that died in the 1991 recession - How Mark and his CFO reverse-engineered £100m of revenue onto a sheet of paper, then landed within 2% - Why "in three years" is a useless target and "by 31 August 2029" is not - Solving a working capital problem by finding a bank with too much physical cash - The one metric he never ignores when assessing a company for sale - FARM — why people work for Fun, Achievement, Recognition, then Money, in that order - Selling to strangers, and why referrals cannot scale a business - What AI actually changes about client acquisition and KPI monitoring - Realistic exit timelines: 12 to 30 months, not six Mark's book is Making Your Mark: How I Built a Fortune From £1.50 — and You Can Too. He offered listeners a free signed copy — email him at ⁠[email protected]⁠ with your address and he'll send one out. More from Mark: www.mark.co.uk · ⁠linkedin.com/in/markrichardmills⁠ Hosted by Ademola Odewade — chartered accountant, author of Human-Led, AI-Powered Finance (foreword by Professor Dave Ulrich), and Founder of K-Dems Consulting. The King Dems Podcast. Growth Mindset, Leadership, AI and Business Insights. Ranked in the global top 2% of podcasts. Diary of a CFO. Finance leadership, unfiltered. Ranked in the global top 2.5% of podcasts.This description contains paid links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. #BusinessValuation #ExitStrategy #DiaryOfACFO #KingDemsPodcast

What happens to financial judgement when AI, cognitive bias, uncertainty and executive pressure collide in the boardroom? In this episode of Diary of a CFO, Ademola Odewade sits down with Dr. David Rock, Co-Founder and CEO of the NeuroLeadership Institute and originator of the field of neuroleadership, for a powerful exploration of the neuroscience behind executive decision-making. This conversation goes beyond accounting and financial strategy. It examines the brain behind the numbers. Dr. Rock explains why even highly intelligent executives can make poor decisions under pressure, why recognising your own cognitive biases is harder than most leaders realise and how AI can either strengthen human judgement or encourage cognitive surrender. One principle captures the conversation perfectly: “Human in the lead, not human in the loop.” In this episode, you will learn: Why leadership creates three major cognitive challenges: capacity, self-regulation and social cognitionHow pressure and uncertainty can affect executive decision-makingWhy technical competence does not eliminate cognitive biasHow CFOs and finance leaders can use AI without outsourcing critical judgementWhy accountants, lawyers, marketers and other executives can interpret the same business information through completely different mental modelsHow the SEEDS framework helps teams identify patterns of biasHow the SCARF Model explains Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and FairnessWhy stronger decision processes can matter more than relying on individual objectivity aloneWhy one of the most important jobs of a modern leader is simply to create clarity About Dr David Rock Dr. David Rock is Co-Founder and CEO of the NeuroLeadership Institute and the originator of the term neuroleadership. His work applies cognitive science to leadership, organisational behaviour and human performance. He is the author of Your Brain at Work and the forthcoming Good with Humans, which explores the neuroscience behind human motivation and the SCARF model. Connect with Dr David Rock NeuroLeadership Institute: https://www.neuroleadership.com/ NILES AI: https://www.askniles.ai/ Book: Good with Humans: Listen to Diary of a CFOSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JswbC0rNzS14f8dnj4sj0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/diary-of-a-cfo-financial-strategies-for-smart/id1820947348 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DiaryOfACFO

Sponsored by BetterHelp. Start your growth journey with a credentialed therapist and get 10% off at ⁠https://betterhelp.com/kingdems Ashley Stahl believes the future of work will not simply be about AI replacing humans. The bigger risk is being replaced by someone who knows how to use AI better than you. In this episode of Diary Of A CFO, Ashley Stahl joins Ademola Odewade for a powerful conversation about career reinvention, artificial intelligence, leadership, personal branding, intuition, entrepreneurship and finding meaningful work. Ashley’s own career has been anything but linear. She moved from national security into career coaching, entrepreneurship, authorship and helping experts turn their ideas into powerful signature talks. Her journey demonstrates why the skills developed in one chapter of your career may become your competitive advantage in the next. One of Ashley’s central ideas is simple: you cannot think your way into career clarity. You have to explore your way into it. Careers are experiments. Reinvention requires the willingness to test, learn, fail, recalibrate and move again. We explore: Why successful careers are no longer linearHow to know when your career is genuinely misalignedThe difference between your values and your skill setWhy career transitions should not automatically be fearedHow Ashley moved from national security into entrepreneurshipWhy a TEDx talk transformed her careerHow storytelling can create business opportunitiesWhy intuition matters in leadership and business decisionsThe difference between intuition and impulsivenessHow executives can create space for better decisionsWhy clarity comes from experimentation rather than overthinkingHow transferable skills can power career reinventionHow AI will reshape careersWhy employees who learn to leverage AI could outperform those who resist itWhy follower count may be one of the most overrated personal-brand metricsHow executives can build authority through ideas rather than viralityAshley explains that her TEDx experience became a major catalyst for her new career and showed her the commercial and professional power of developing a signature message. And on AI, her message is especially important: AI still requires strong prompts, strategic thinking and people who understand how to deploy it effectively. If you are a CFO, finance leader, executive, entrepreneur or ambitious professional wondering how to remain relevant as AI transforms work, this conversation is for you. 🎧 Diary Of A CFO explores the strategies, technologies and leadership principles shaping the future of finance and business. 🛠️ Explore the tools we use to create, grow and scale our podcasts and digital ecosystem: https://kingdemspodcast.com/tools

Sponsored by BetterHelp. Start your growth journey with a credentialed therapist and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/kingdems How can CFOs and business leaders turn AI investment into measurable financial value? Oluchi Ikechi-D’Amico, Founder and CEO of Fully Bossed, joins Ademola Odewade on Diary Of A CFO to explain why successful AI transformation requires more than purchasing technology. Organisations must change behaviours, strengthen leadership capabilities and connect AI adoption to measurable outcomes such as revenue growth, cost reduction, operational efficiency and return on investment. Oluchi spent nearly two decades advising CEOs, boards and major financial institutions. Her experience includes senior roles at Accenture and EY-Parthenon, more than 30 transformation and M&A programmes and transactions with a combined value exceeding $15 billion. In this episode, you will learn: Why many organisations invest billions in AI without achieving the expected ROIHow CFOs can measure the business value of AI adoptionThe difference between adopting AI and enabling behavioural changeHow AI can reduce costs, improve efficiency and create new revenue opportunitiesWhy transformation programmes fail without effective leadershipHow to define the right KPIs before investing in business transformationWhy human judgement, storytelling and executive presence remain essentialHow Oluchi evaluated the risk of leaving an EY partner role to build Fully BossedWhat major M&A and organisational transformation programmes involveWhy leadership is defined by impact rather than job title Oluchi’s message to finance leaders is clear: AI can generate the report, but it cannot replace your ability to challenge the assumptions, defend the analysis and influence decisions in the boardroom. This conversation is essential listening for CFOs, finance directors, CEOs, founders, investors and transformation leaders seeking to generate measurable returns from AI. Watch the full video episode:https://youtu.be/ob5n15FUbaM Connect with Oluchi Ikechi-D’Amico:https://www.linkedin.com/in/oli-ikechi/ Discover Fully Bossed:https://fullybossed.com/ Explore the tools and resources I use to power my podcasts, business and content at: ⁠https://kingdemspodcast.com/tools Follow Diary Of A CFO for financial strategies, AI insights and practical leadership lessons for smarter business growth. What is the biggest barrier preventing organisations from achieving a return on their AI investments?

Sponsored by BetterHelp. Start your growth journey with a credentialed therapist and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/kingdems Eric Chu, CFA, CEO and co-founder of TradeDesk Securities, joins Diary Of A CFO to explain how busy professionals can use AI to research investments more efficiently without outsourcing their judgement. For professionals with investable income but limited time, this conversation offers a practical framework for thinking about AI, financial regulation, risk management and long-term investing. Eric built his career across investment banking, hedge funds and data centre development before co-founding an SEC-registered broker-dealer designed specifically for working professionals in their 30s and 40s. His experience during the 2008 financial crisis, including receiving a job offer from Bear Stearns that disappeared when the firm collapsed, shaped the disciplined approach to risk that now underpins TradeDesk Securities. You will learn in this episode: Why AI’s biggest advantage for investors is time, not information (23:11)What happens inside a data centre when you send an AI prompt (20:38)Why Eric describes the Bear Stearns collapse as his first real lesson in humility (14:27)The regulatory requirements TradeDesk Securities follows as a FINRA and SIPC member (18:17)Why individual investors may have a structural advantage over professional fund managers (28:03)How Eric and his team build trust in a highly regulated financial industry through direct expertise (31:44)Where AI in finance could go next, including sector-specific AI engines (33:58)Eric’s honest and non-committal perspective on cryptocurrency as an asset class (38:07) Guest: Eric Chu, CFA, is CEO and co-founder of TradeDesk Securities, an SEC-registered broker-dealer created to help working professionals invest using AI-powered insights and portfolio tools. He holds an MBA from NYU Stern and has spent almost 20 years working across investment banking, hedge funds and public company finance. His experience includes senior roles developing and financing data centre platforms across Asia. Links Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-chu-cfa-7159567/Guest company: https://www.tradesk.co/ Diary Of A CFO ranks in the Global Top 3% on Listen Notes and reaches audiences across 130+ countries. Explore the tools behind our podcast network: https://kingdemspodcast.com/tools #DiaryOfACFO #AIInvesting #Investing #FinancialStrategy #ArtificialIntelligence #WealthManagement #RiskManagement #FutureOfFinance

Sponsored by BetterHelp. Start your growth journey with a credentialed therapist and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/kingdems What separates leaders who achieve success from those who create lasting impact? In this episode of Diary Of A CFO, host Ademola Odewade sits down with Lameen Abdul-Malik, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, transformation advisor, lawyer and former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) leader, to explore how leaders build systems, develop future leaders and create impact that lasts for generations. From Nobel Peace Prize-winning work to Africa's development, healthcare transformation and leadership, this conversation is packed with practical lessons every executive can apply. Drawing on more than 25 years of international leadership, Lameen shares lessons from helping establish Zambia's first cancer hospital, contributing to the Nobel Peace Prize-winning work of the IAEA and advising governments, CEOs and institutions across Africa. He explains why great leadership is measured not by titles or recognition, but by the lives transformed and the systems left behind. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why impact matters more than outputs and activity• How world-class leaders build systems instead of chasing recognition• The leadership lessons behind the Nobel Peace Prize journey• Why succession planning determines whether leadership truly succeeds• How to measure qualitative impact alongside quantitative metrics• Why mindset always comes before skillset and toolset• Lessons from building Zambia's first cancer hospital• The biggest opportunities for Africa's future development• How to define success on your own terms instead of society's expectations• Why humility, service and courage are competitive advantages for modern leaders Guest Links: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lameen-abdul-malik/📖 Book: IMPACT Framework Power Your Growth With The Same Tools We Use: We run the Diary Of A CFO and The King Dems Podcast ecosystem using best-in-class AI, business, finance, productivity and media tools trusted by founders and executives. Explore our complete tool stack:https://kingdemspodcast.com/tools Smarter tools. Better growth. Bigger wins. Hosted by Ademola Odewade, MBA, ACA, BSc (Economics) If you enjoyed this episode, please follow Diary Of A CFO on Spotify and leave a rating. Your support helps us educate, inspire and empower more leaders across the world. #DiaryOfACFO #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #ExecutiveLeadership #NobelPeacePrize #Transformation #Impact #Africa #Innovation #CFO #SystemsThinking #BusinessGrowth #Economics #Legacy

Sponsored by BetterHelp. Start your growth journey with a credentialed therapist and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/kingdems Why do brilliant business strategies fail despite strong financial plans, ambitious targets and carefully designed performance measures? Dr. Suzy Burke argues that strategy may live in a slide deck, but culture lives in what happens on Tuesday morning. Dr. Suzy Burke is an organisational psychologist, four-time founder, former Fortune 20 executive, co-founder of Accountability Inc. and lead author of Headamentals: How Leaders Can Crack Negative Self-Talk. In this practical conversation with Ademola Odewade, she explains why CFOs and business leaders must look beyond financial performance to understand the culture, accountability and human behaviour driving the numbers. In this episode, you will learn: Why brilliant strategies fail faster and more expensively inside broken culturesHow CFOs can identify cultural problems before they become financially expensiveWhy accountability should be a daily operating habit, not a disciplinary toolThe three areas to examine when inheriting a struggling organisationHow clarity, visible scorecards, named owners and weekly check-ins improve executionWhy metrics only create value when people take ownership of the outcomesHow healthy cultures surface bad news before it damages performanceWhy senior executives receive less honest feedback as they riseHow psychological safety strengthens decision-making, innovation and executionWhy measurement bridges the gap between vision and financial performanceHow leaders can balance short-term pressures with long-term sustainabilityWhich human capabilities AI cannot replaceHow AI can reduce administrative work and preserve time for judgement, relationships and trustWhy a leader’s negative self-talk can influence the performance of an entire team Dr. Burke also shares lessons from Xerox, her approach to sustainable culture change and the systems leaders can use to turn strategy into measurable execution. This conversation is a powerful reminder that financial results do not exist independently of people. Culture shapes behaviour, behaviour shapes execution and execution ultimately shapes the numbers. Connect with Dr. Suzy Burke: Website: https://www.suzyburke.phd/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzy-burke-phd-ab77071a Headamentals: https://headamentals.com/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Headamentals-Leaders-Defeat-Negative-Self-Talk/dp/1774585898 Discover Diary Of A CFO: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DiaryOfACFO Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JswbC0rNzS14f8dnj4sj0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/diary-of-a-cfo-financial-strategies-for-smart/id1820947348 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/3e37b332-e747-4fda-9295-fa9d5e922463/diary-of-a-cfo-financial-strategies-for-smart-business-growth Newsletter: https://newsletter.kingdemspodcast.com/ Tools and resources: https://kingdemspodcast.com/tools Hosted by Ademola Odewade, MBA, ACA, BSc (Economics), Chartered Accountant, former Big Four professional and founder and CEO of K-Dems Consulting Ltd. Subscribe, share this episode with a CFO or business leader in your network and tell us: What is the clearest sign that an organisation’s culture is beginning to damage its financial performance? #CFO #FinancialLeadership #OrganizationalCulture #StrategyExecution #ArtificialIntelligence

Sponsored by BetterHelp. Start your growth journey with a credentialed therapist and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/kingdems What does it take to become a strategic CFO in the AI era? Wassia Kamon explains how finance leaders earn boardroom trust, influence business strategy, build visible authority and maintain human accountability as technology accelerates financial work. Wassia is a CFO, finance educator and 2025 Atlanta Business Chronicle CFO of the Year. In this candid conversation with Ademola Odewade on Diary Of A CFO, she moves beyond technical finance to reveal the judgement, relationships, resilience and intentional visibility that shape trusted financial leadership. In this episode, you will learn: • Why the modern CFO must understand marketing, HR, technology and the wider business model, not only accounting and reporting. • How CFOs earn trust by listening first, understanding why existing processes exist and connecting finance with business priorities. • Why visible expertise can shorten the time required to build credibility before an interview, board meeting or strategic conversation. • How joining a nonprofit or professional board can reduce boardroom fear and strengthen executive judgement. • Why founders should treat debt as a strategic financial tool while understanding its cost, risk and purpose. • Which finance activities AI can automate and why accountability, controls, explanation and final judgement must remain human. • Why finance professionals who ignore AI may face the same disadvantage as graduates who never learned Excel. • How executive presence can be developed through observation, listening, composure and disciplined focus. • Why mentorship, continuous learning and intentional personal branding can accelerate a finance career. • How ambitious leaders can pursue professional impact without allowing achievement to consume their health, family or identity. About Wassia Kamon Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA, is Chief Financial Officer at Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs. She was named the 2025 Atlanta Business Chronicle CFO of the Year in the community service category and is a two-time CPA Practice Advisor 40 Under 40 honoree. She also serves as Guest Faculty for the Wharton Online FP&A Certificate Program and hosts The Diary of a CFO. Connect with Wassia Website: https://www.wassiakamon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wassiakamon The Diary of a CFO: https://thediaryofacfo.com Explore Diary Of A CFO YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DiaryOfACFO Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JswbC0rNzS14f8dnj4sj0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/diary-of-a-cfo-financial-strategies-for-smart/id1820947348 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/3e37b332-e747-4fda-9295-fa9d5e922463/diary-of-a-cfo-financial-strategies-for-smart-business-growth Podcast hub: https://kingdemspodcast.com Newsletter: https://newsletter.kingdemspodcast.com LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/19417009/ Tools behind the network: https://kingdemspodcast.com/tools Diary Of A CFO ranks in the Global Top 3% on Listen Notes and reaches audiences across 120+ countries as part of The King Dems Podcast Network. Help us move towards the Global Top 1% by following, rating and reviewing the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Affiliate disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. We may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Sponsorship does not determine our editorial conclusions.

Sponsored by BetterHelp. Start your growth journey with a credentialed therapist and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/kingdems Company culture is not just an HR responsibility. It is a financial performance driver. Arthur Carmazzi explains why CFOs and executive leaders who understand organizational psychology make better decisions, build stronger teams and create more resilient businesses. In this episode of Diary Of A CFO, Ademola Odewade sits down with Arthur Carmazzi, globally recognised as one of the world's leading experts on organisational culture and creator of Directive Communication Psychology. Together they explore how finance leaders can move beyond spreadsheets to build organisations where communication, trust and accountability become measurable competitive advantages. You'll learn:• Why culture directly impacts profitability and business performance • How CFOs influence organisational culture beyond finance • The hidden financial cost of poor leadership communication • Why psychological safety improves execution and innovation • How neurodiversity can become an executive advantage • Practical leadership frameworks for finance executives • Why AI should enhance executive judgment rather than replace it • How communication psychology improves decision making Whether you're a CFO, finance director, founder, CEO, board member or aspiring executive, this conversation provides practical leadership insights that extend far beyond finance. The strongest businesses are not built by numbers alone. They are built by leaders who understand people. Diary Of A CFO reaches business leaders across 120+ countries and is ranked among the Global Top 3% of podcasts on Listen Notes. ⭐ Help us reach the Global Top 1% by following the show and leaving a rating on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Power your business with the same tools we use: https://kingdemspodcast.com/tools Connect with Arthur CarmazziLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurcarmazzi/ Website: https://www.carmazzi.net Connect with Ademola OdewadeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ademola-isimeme-ai-odewade-b883a0382/ Subscribe to The AI-Powered Executive: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7420737045377105920 Join our LinkedIn Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/19417009/

Sponsored by BetterHelp. Start your growth journey with a therapist and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/kingdems What makes a brand trusted, remembered and chosen in the AI era? David Aaker explains brand equity, branding strategy, purpose-driven branding and how leaders build emotional connection in crowded markets. David Aaker is widely recognized as one of the most influential thinkers in modern branding. In this powerful conversation with Ademola Odewade on Diary Of A CFO, he explains why branding is not just a logo, campaign or slogan. It is a strategic business asset that shapes loyalty, trust, differentiation and long-term business growth. This episode explores why many companies lose brand power through short-term thinking, why AI can either strengthen or weaken brand strategy, why purpose-driven brands outperform transactional brands and why storytelling remains one of the most powerful tools in leadership, finance and business growth. David also breaks down the Aaker Brand Vision Model, brand equity, memory anchors, emotional connection, category creation and how entrepreneurs can build powerful brands without massive advertising budgets. Whether you are a CFO, CEO, founder, finance leader, consultant or entrepreneur, this episode will help you think beyond quarterly performance and build an organisation that compounds value through trust. Key insights from this episode: Why brand equity is one of the most valuable business assets an organisation can buildHow brand loyalty transforms branding from a marketing activity into a leadership responsibilityWhy AI in marketing can unintentionally encourage dangerous short-term thinkingHow purpose-driven branding creates long-term value, customer trust and competitive advantageWhy storytelling is more persuasive and memorable than data aloneHow emotional connection strengthens customer loyalty and sustainable business growthHow AI can help entrepreneurs develop stronger brand positioning and messagingWhy category creation is more powerful than competing on priceThe leadership principles behind building authentic, trusted brands Guest: David Aaker Host: Ademola Odewade Podcast: Diary Of A CFO Connect with David Aaker LinkedIn: Search "David Aaker" YouTube: Search "David Aaker branding" Subscribe to The AI-Powered Executive Want more executive insights on AI, finance, leadership and business growth? Subscribe to The AI-Powered Executive, Ademola Odewade's LinkedIn newsletter, where every week we distil world-class conversations and practical frameworks into actionable insights for leaders. Subscribe here:https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7420737045377105920 Build Your Authority With the Podcast Authority Engine™Want to become the trusted voice in your industry? The Podcast Authority Engine™ helps founders, executives and professional services firms build authority, generate high-value opportunities and become the obvious choice through strategic podcasting, SEO, AI search optimisation, PR and thought leadership. Learn more:https://kingdemspodcast.com/services The King Dems Podcast ecosystem ranks in the Global Top 2% on ListenNotes, reaching audiences in 120+ countries. Help us reach the Global Top 1% by following the podcast and leaving a rating on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Power Your Growth With The Exact Tools We Use We run our podcast and business ecosystem using best-in-class AI, productivity, finance and media tools trusted by founders and executives around the world. Explore our recommended tools:https://kingdemspodcast.com/tools Smarter tools. Better growth. Bigger wins.

Sponsored by BetterHelp. Start your growth journey with a therapist and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/kingdems How should CFOs and business leaders prepare for a world of rising geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and rapid technological change? In this episode of Diary Of A CFO, Ademola Odewade speaks with globally respected forecaster, investor, strategist and author David Murrin about the macroeconomic forces that could reshape financial leadership over the next decade. Drawing on decades of research into history, geopolitics and financial markets, David explains why understanding long-term cycles may be one of the greatest competitive advantages for today's finance leaders. Together, they explore how the changing balance of power between China and the West, artificial intelligence, global debt, market psychology and geopolitical risk could influence business strategy, capital allocation and organisational resilience. In this episode, you'll learn: Why geopolitical risk should be on every CFO's agendaHow the rise of China could reshape the global business landscapeWhy history often repeats itself in financial markets and world affairsHow market psychology influences investment decisions and economic cyclesWhat AI means for finance, productivity and competitive advantageHow leaders can build resilience during periods of uncertaintyWhy strategic thinking matters more than ever in a rapidly changing worldPractical insights for founders, CFOs, investors and senior executives navigating global disruption Guest Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-murrin-06406820/ Website: https://www.davidmurrin.co.uk/ About Diary Of A CFO Diary Of A CFO is ranked in the Global Top 3% on Listen Notes and features world-class conversations on finance, leadership, strategy, AI and business growth. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show, leave a rating on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and share it with a colleague. Your support helps us continue bringing insights from some of the world's leading business minds. Power Your Growth Discover the AI, finance and productivity tools we use to build our global podcast ecosystem: https://kingdemspodcast.com/tools Explore more episodes: https://kingdemspodcast.com