Managing Director, Cooper Parry Digital | Head of Early Stage, Tech & High Growth |

I lead the CP Digital business, supporting clients with their Digital needs. Responsibilities include all M&A and growth, alongside our Private Equity partners. 

I also lead market activity for CP in the Venture Capital ecosystem (funds & founders).

Our specialist team works with Founders, CFOs and Boards of early stage, scale-up and high growth businesses, navigating challenges spanning accounting, finance, tax, audit, technology, and deal support. 

We are highly active in the scale-up ecosystem and have worked as the accounting partner for leading organisations and communities whilst also building our own community platforms, TechCFO and VentureCEO.

Having started my career at PwC, I went to on to establish and build a successful early stage focussed firm, Acclivity Advisors (which was acquired by Cooper Parry in Jan’23).

Along the way, I wrote the best selling book 'The Finance Playbook for Entrepreneurs', so that entrepreneurs of ALL backgrounds could benefit from the very best teachings.  

My unique experiences and skills have afforded me a number of Board positions across industries within public & private sectors. 

At present, these include:

1. Middlesex County Cricket Club (Board Observer, Chair of Growth Committee)
2. Queen Elizabeth's Global Schools (Chair, International Schools)
3. Labrys (Advisor to the Board)
4. HM Revenue & Customs - ABAB (Board Member)

As well as the above, 

I advise Government on how to innovate for SMEs & entrepreneurs through consultative committees and forums.

All of these roles have shown me the value of sharing what I know beyond my own sector;

And so, I enjoy speaking at universities, schools, accelerators and incubators on a wide variety of relevant entrepreneurship related topics.

Asif Ahmed

I help bootstrapped, venture capital and private equity-backed startups and scaleups hire transformational CFOs and finance leaders who drive growth, unlock investment, and navigate complexity.

As Co-founder of Zanda, I’ve spent 20+ years in executive search for finance leadership - working alongside founders, boards, and investors to place CFOs who can be both strategic visionaries and hands-on operators.

From Series A to pre-IPO, I’ve seen first-hand that the right CFO doesn’t just “run the numbers” - they accelerate valuation, improve capital efficiency, de-risk the journey and provide that much needed co-pilot to a CEO. 

My role and Zanda’s key mandate is to make sure you identify and secure the best individual available to you.  

What I’m known for:
- Deep understanding of the evolving CFO role in high-growth, investor-backed companies
- Exceptional network across the CFO, VC, and PE ecosystem in the UK, US, and Europe
- Data-led search processes that reduces time-to-hire by over 50% vs industry average
- Market intelligence on CFO compensation, hiring trends, and leadership behaviours

Beyond search, I share regular insights on CFO hiring trends, leadership archetypes, and founder–CFO partnerships to help our ecosystem make better hiring decisions and build stronger finance functions.

If you’re a founder, investor, or finance leader in a VC or PE-backed business and you want to talk talent strategy, market trends, or your next critical hire - let’s connect.

Our values; Unleash Ambition. Deliver With Purpose. Ignite Connection.

Andrew Waters

“I keep getting rejected for my first CFO role.”

I hear this statement weekly. 

Its super tough to hear as quite often I know the individual would nail the CFO role as they have a great balance of the hard and soft skills required.  

In most instances we hear this statement from FDs or VPs of Finance at strong Series B–D or PE-backed scaleups. 

So I start with a simple question:

👉 What type of CFO role are you actually targeting and where do you truly add the most value?

The answer is usually:
“An early-stage, high-growth startup.”
Okay. Let’s dig in.

🤔 Have you:
1️⃣ Led or materially influenced a fundraise?
2️⃣ Scaled a business through a real inflection point?
3️⃣ Implemented AI or automation to streamline finance and ops?
4️⃣ Owned board and investor communication not just presented numbers?
5️⃣ Provided a Co-pilot relationship to a Founder / CEO?

This is where the gap appears.
 👉 “I’ve done most of that… but I haven’t led fundraising.”

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
At Series B–D, fundraising experience is not optional.
It’s the #1 reason strong VPs of Finance get screened out of CFO roles.
CEOs and boards don’t hire CFOs just for technical excellence.

They hire them to:
 • Build the investor narrative
 • Lead capital raises
 • Manage banks and investors
 • Protect runway
 • Drive value creation
 • Create optionality (raise, M&A, IPO)

So the real question becomes:
❓How does a VP of Finance build CFO-level credibility?

What I advise before applying:
✅ Get closer to fundraising
Support decks, data rooms, Q&A, and scenario models. Sit in the room and learn the language.
✅Own the board story
Not just numbers, context, trade-offs, risks, and decisions.
✅Build strategic muscle
Move beyond reporting into ROI, capital allocation, value creation and growth strategy.
✅Use AI and automation visibly
Modern CFOs scale insight, not headcount.
✅Be honest about readiness
Sometimes the right move isn’t CFO yet it’s an earlier-stage role where you earn the title through experience, not timing.

Becoming a CFO is rarely about being “good enough.” It’s about being ready for what the business actually needs next. 

This is often why the Series A stage provides an excellent fit.

Co-Founder | I help VC and PE-backed startups and scaleups hire transformational CFOs.

Be the CFO your CEO needs!!

4️⃣ practical tips from a recent CFO Edit blog to help you strengthen that CEO–CFO partnership. You can read the full blog, 🔗 in the comments below.

What would be your 5th tip?

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