From Satellite Dishes to CFO

I didn't take a conventional path into finance. What followed was eight years building the financial and operational backbone of one of the world's largest private software companies.

A man standing behind a wooden table, wearing a navy blue jacket, white shirt, and a watch on his left wrist, in a well-lit indoor space.

I dropped out of university at nineteen. For about a year afterwards I installed satellite TV dishes for a living.

I was on a roof one afternoon when I asked myself a question I still think about. What am I doing with my life. I did not have a good answer. That question is what sent me into accountancy.

I got a job at a small firm in Bristol and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in four years. It usually takes six. I moved into audit and progressed quickly. In 2011 I moved to Sydney and joined a mid-tier firm. By 2015 I was a Senior Manager, on a clear path to partnership.

I turned it down.

The decision that changed everything

Partnership was not the life I wanted. I took a pay cut and joined an eight-person technology startup as its only finance hire. It was a crash course in what building a company actually involves. Finance, operations, fundraising and investor relations, all at once, with nobody to hand any of it to. No qualification prepares you for that.

The startup wound down after about a year. Around that time I found a role on Seek: Assistant Financial Controller at a small design company called Canva.

I joined in June 2016. Within a few months the CFO left and I stepped into the finance lead role. I became CFO about eighteen months later. I held that job for eight years.

Eight years inside hypergrowth

Over that period revenue grew from roughly $10M to more than $2B, and the company stayed free cash flow profitable the whole way. The team went from around 50 people to more than 4,000, across dozens of countries. Canva's valuation moved from $100M when I joined, to $1B in 2018, and eventually to $26B after a US$1B+ capital raise in 2023 that I led. That process looked a lot like a mini IPO. A US investor roadshow, and close work with some of the world's largest investment banks.

I sat on the executive leadership team and worked closely with the founders across product, marketing, sales, operations and investor relations. I also led the financial and operational side of several acquisitions.

That level of exposure to hypergrowth is rare, particularly in Australia. In 2023 I was named Australian CFO of the Year, and spoke at Morgan Stanley's Annual Spark Conference.

A man with dark hair, a beard, and light skin is sitting at a desk in a modern office, wearing a navy blazer and white shirt, with a thoughtful expression, resting his chin on his hand and looking to the side.

What comes after

For eight years my identity was tied up in being the CFO of Canva. Stepping away in 2024 meant giving up more than a title. I had to work out who I was without it, and that took longer than I expected.

What came out of it was clearer thinking about what I want to do next. I invest in pre-seed and seed-stage technology companies. One of the first was Adora, an AI-native product mapping platform started by former Canva operators, which has since raised a US$7M seed round led by Blackbird Ventures. I also advise a small number of founders on finance and scaling.

Outside technology I own Gwalia United FC, formerly Cardiff City Ladies, and currently the only Welsh club competing in the English football system. Women's football is still early in its professionalisation. That is most of why it interests me.

The core of what I want to do next is to bring the financial and operational discipline I built at Canva into another company, at CFO level.

None of this was planned. It was a series of decisions that seemed sensible at the time, made over a long period. I did not know where any of them led.

Track Record

The line items behind eight years scaling Canva's finance function through hypergrowth.

2016–2024 Head of Finance, then Chief Financial Officer, Canva.
2016–2024 Grew revenue from $10M to $2B+, free cash flow positive throughout.
2016–2024 Grew the team from 50 to 4,000+ employees across international markets.
2016–2023 Guided the company's valuation from $100M to $1B in 2018, and on to $26B.
2023 Led a US$1B+ capital raise: US investor roadshow, run in partnership with major global investment banks.
2016–2024 Oversaw the financial and operational side of multiple strategic acquisitions.
2023 Australian CFO of the Year.
2023 Speaker, Morgan Stanley Annual Spark Conference.

Background

I invest in early-stage technology companies and venture funds, with a particular interest in founders building products with strong distribution potential. I also work with a small number of founders as an advisor on finance, growth and strategy.

Outside technology I own Gwalia United FC, currently the only Welsh club competing in the English football system. It combines a commercial opportunity in one of the fastest growing sports in the world with a commitment to developing Welsh talent and the women's game in Wales.

Selected press and media coverage.

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An illustration of a large white logo with four curved shapes forming a symmetrical pattern centered over a background of multiple overlapping blue digital screens or apps, displaying various text and menu items.
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Selected investments

Building something interesting? Or hiring at CFO level?

I'm open to conversations about CFO roles, board positions, and advisory work with technology companies. I'm also happy to hear from founders and journalists.