Hello I’m Matthew Needham
I’ve been a CFO or head of finance (in multi $bn organisations) for two decades. Starting as a finance graduate at Rolls-Royce, I’ve spent my entire career in the finance profession, with 2/3rds of that spent in multinational organisations. My work has taken me across the UK, Europe, USA, Asia and Australasia and I now […]
Why Finance Business Partnering isn’t Working in your Organisation
Many CFO’s complain about the lack of engagement with the other parts of the business. Many Business leaders complain that Finance doesn’t understand their business. This is despite having a Finance Business Partner Some Business leaders rate their Finance Business Partner, but not the services from Finance. So what’s going on? If Finance recognise that they […]
What is Finance Business Partnering?
Over the last 20 years, the term Business Partnering has become more common in Finance functions around the world. What a Finance Business Partner is Not In many cases it’s an aspirational title, rather than a role a finance professional plays. Because all too often, to give the illusion that Finance are partnering with the […]
What Happens In The First 2 Hours
The only way I can create a truly great client experience is to understand you and what you need. My discovery process is designed to help me understand your challenges, values and goals, so I can create a great outcome. I’m not a mind reader or a psychic! So, when I start working with a […]
The Challenge of Cutting Costs
Is slashing your budgets really the hero move, or could it be the silent killer in disguise? You can’t read or watch the news without it mentioning the villain of inflation or its ugly sidekick, interest rates and organisations of all shapes and sizes left as the unfortunate victims. In this environment, cutting costs isn’t […]
How HR and Finance Can Build Influence Together
This is a summary of an article published in Human Resources Magazine New Zealand, Autumn 2025 At first glance, HR and Finance may seem like they operate in completely different worlds. One focuses on people, culture, and engagement, while the other prioritises numbers, spreadsheets, and cost control. But as I explored in my recent Human […]