Episode 124
21st September, 2026
ChatCFO Podcast
What Makes a Great PE-Backed CFO? 2 Veterans Answer
Alex Gersh and Carrie Hutchinson discuss what the CFO role demands in 2026, from resilience and trust to transformation, M&A and choosing the right first CFO seat.
About Alex Gersh and Carrie Hutchinson
Alex Gersh has led a Nasdaq IPO at Sportradar, the merger of Betfair and Paddy Power and the £2.7 billion sale of Evelyn Partners to NatWest. He began his career in audit at Ernst & Young and later moved to Saint Petersburg to run finance for a Motorola joint venture.
Carrie Hutchinson is a transformation and turnaround CFO with more than 30 years of experience in private equity and consumer businesses. Her work includes negotiating £800 million of capital expenditure builds at Gatwick Airport and delivering exit readiness across several private equity-backed deals.
Chat CFO gives you insight and real stories from the people behind the numbers.
We speak to the industry and finance leaders behind some of the most meaningful business decisions in recent years. Listen to honest, authentic conversations about what worked, what didn’t, and what it really takes to lead when it matters most.
Exclusively partnered with
Unity Advisory is a next-generation CFO advisory firm, grounded in experience and built to evolve. The firm supports complex, ambitious mid-market organisations with integrated, AI-enabled solutions across finance operations, tax, transactions, digital and transformation.
Free from audit conflicts and legacy constraints, Unity Advisory helps leadership teams move faster, scale with confidence and deliver sustainable enterprise value.
Have a story worth sharing?
If you’ve navigated tough decisions and want to join the conversation, we’d love to hear from you.
Watch or listen to our episodes here