Why Growth Demands Smaller “Chunks” of Accountability | Toby Driver, CFO, Ideagen

Описание: In this episode, Jack is joined by Toby Driver, the CFO of Ideagen. They discuss Ideagen’s global GRC software platform and how recurring revenue, retention, and expansion metrics shape business health. Toby explains how scaling through acquisition forces finance leaders to rethink structure, reporting, and accountability—highlighting Ideagen’s move to a three-region operating model as a pivotal shift. The conversation also covers private equity expectations, the practical realities of M&A integration, and how finance supports go-to-market through pipeline rigor and revenue operations. Toby shares how AI is being applied to improve productivity and customer-facing workflows, and why CFOs should designate internal AI champions. He also reflects on leadership steadiness under pressure, the importance of empathy and transparency, and his book recommendation for leaders.

Thanks to our sponsor Intuit QuickBooks https://quickbooks.intuit.com/money/

Video Timestamps & Titles

0:00 — Episode Begins: Why CFOs Must Embrace AI

1:18 — The Myth of Technical Mastery Alone

2:28 — Guest Introduction: Toby Driver, CFO of Ideagen

3:14 — Early Career: Apprenticeship Path and Learning Curve

6:05 — Deal Advisory as a Door to Business Understanding

8:11 — Seeing Ownership Models: Public to Private Equity

10:17 — The Reality Check: Integration Is Harder Than It Looks

12:41 — “Finance Bingo Card”: Building Breadth Before the CFO Seat

14:29 — The Non-Finance Role That Accelerated Readiness

18:51 — Ideagen’s Purpose and Scale: Customers, Users, and Mission

22:15 — Resource Allocation: Customer-First Tradeoffs

23:51 — Metrics That Signal Health: ARR, Retention, Expansion

25:16 — Finance + Go-To-Market: Revenue Ops and Pipeline Discipline

30:27 — AI in Finance: Productivity, Controls, and Faster Close

42:25 — Finance Strategic Moment: Regional Model and Accountability

45:02 — First-Time CFO Reality: Managing Highs, Lows, Responsibility

48:06 — CFO Book Pick: Good to Great and the Flywheel

51:11 — Team Culture as a Non-Negotiable

52:27 — The Next 12 Months: Scaling Efficiently, Challenge + Support