Forty seats: a monthly call with a CFO, plus career tools

Why this exists

The advice you need is sitting two floors up, and you can't get to it.

Which team to join. When to move. What to say when your boss takes credit. Almost nobody gets to ask a CFO. There's no format for it. This is the format.

What we end up talking about

Mostly the things nobody puts in a course.

Getting out of the work you're good at, into the work that gets you promoted

Asking for a raise or a title: the words, the timing, the meeting

Reading an offer properly: title, reporting line, what they are not saying

MBA, CFA, CA or none. What each is worth, and to whom

Getting noticed when you're not the loudest person on the team

A manager who blocks you: fix it, wait it out, or leave

What people two levels above are judging you on, that nobody tells you

Who you'll be talking to

Gaurav Mehta

Group CFO of a ten agency network in Kuala Lumpur. Twenty years in finance across Dentsu, WPP, Publicis and American Express, in India and abroad.

Dentsu WPP Publicis American Express

I've hired finance people, promoted them and passed them over. Most of what I'll tell you is what got said in those meetings.

Join if

You're in a finance career, at any stage

Analyst, accountant, assistant manager, manager. Any of it.

You're technically fine but unsure what the next move should be

You'd ask more questions if asking didn't feel like a favour

Don't, if

You want a job referral. I do not place people.

You want technical training in IFRS, tax, or Excel

You want someone to fix your resume and nothing else

You want to be told your current plan is fine

What people say

In their words.

A quick chat for 25 minutes helped me get so much clarity on my thought process. Everyone needs a mentor like Gaurav.
Mithun B

It was crisp. Solutions were given and not stories. The money spent turned out to be a profitable investment.
Sanhita Banka

Always action oriented guidance layered on top of personal experiences. I am able to see real time results.
Pavithra

An eye opener and very action oriented conversation. I come out of this with a strong question mark on so many of my existing beliefs about work life and finding jobs.
Janani KN

He is very patient while listening to my concern, and very helpful in advising how I proceed from my current trajectory.
SriHarsha

The way the response was structured, and that there was a no nonsense approach.
Rahul Datta

The simplicity and directness of the inputs, with the relatable experiences, helped me appreciate past advice a lot more.
Neel Majithia

Practical tips provided in a straightforward way. Absolutely wonderful and illuminating session.
Abhimanyu

The solution was not just theoretically provided. He helped me implement it practically.
Anonymous

Lots of learnings and takeaways. Really inspired by his clear thought process and simplistic yet realistic guidance.
Nitin Verma

Very candid in sharing his thoughts, with wonderful reflections from his career that I could learn from. A very effortless and productive conversation.
Ashish Jain

Gave a bit of clarity that what I want, and the path I am seeking, is correct.
Neha

He understood my concerns clearly and provided valuable inputs on the areas to improve and the action plans to work on.
Sreeram R

His vulnerability and willingness to share his struggles made our conversation real.
George Verghese

I appreciate his practical, results focused approach. He listens patiently and offers actionable solutions to our questions and concerns.
Sunil Patel

Very structured and comprehensive approach, leading to a customised evaluation and useful tips.
Harshit Baxi

The open discussion and detailed actionable pointers were quite insightful, and helped me build my focus for the future.
Ashwini Vartak

He gives great insights and advice, coupled with his personal career stories.
Mayank Khatri

A patient listener who gives amazing inputs on career progression and personal branding.
Vasanthi

Really candid and open conversation. Insightful and practical.
Samarth Bhargava

He understood what I was looking for and gave me his perspective, which was very insightful and informative.
Sunil

An enjoyable conversation that rejuvenated my career goals and how I should approach them.
Bhaskar Banerjee

Got to know about certain skills, and got a fresh perspective about various things. Felt motivated.
Anuja Guglani

Very genuine and humble, with a strong orientation to help. The recommendations were appropriate and easy to follow.
Rishi Gupta

The way he listened to my queries, and the guidance he has given, will shape my career.
Dhirendra Tiwari

I loved how well educated you are regarding your work. Overall, an amazing session. I have learnt a lot.
Shruti