Get set to kickass in the boardroom
How to become a Finance Director
The only training programme dedicated to shaping the next generation of top-tier finance directors within the recruitment industry. Our purpose is to help transform high-potential financial leaders into influential board-level executives. We achieve this goal by giving you the tools and resources you need to succeed: strategic thinking, leadership skills, and a relevant peer network.
The programme has been developed with empathy by finance professionals who understand the challenges and isolation often faced in senior finance roles and have been on the same journey you are now on.
We are here to help support your career progression and prepare you to be the best FD you can be.
Welcome to Aspiring FDs
“This is the course that I wish had been available to me when I first joined the industry. We have received incredible feedback from our programme and I’m delighted to hear it’s made such an impact on people’s professional progress.”
Paul Glynn, Founder
The inspiration came from first-hand experience of making the move from Finance Controller to Finance Director as well as working with Finance teams in SME recruitment businesses.
Whilst consulting, I met many well-qualified finance professionals who had been promoted to the role of Head of Finance as the business had grown. Well-deserved promotions, but there was a problem. They were often inexperienced at running a team and there was a knowledge gap between what they knew and what was now expected of them & the Finance dept.
Why I developed the Aspiring FD’s training programme
The key issues I found were:
- Lack of training and development in place to support them
- No senior Finance person to learn from
- No coach or mentor to help personal development
- CEO wanted more from their HOF but did not know how best to unlock their potential.
The solution:
To draw on my own personal journey to Finance Director and develop a specific programme that helps fill the knowledge gap and accelerate learning to make the step up to senior finance leader easier.
In 2016 the Aspiring FDs programme was launched and since then we’ve supported 100+ finance professionals fulfil their ambitions and evolve into industry leading FDs.
About Paul
Paul has over 15 years' experience working with SME recruitment businesses and has developed a reputation for sector expertise and customer service.
After years running finance teams in high growth recruitment businesses , Paul founded Aristar Financial Consulting in 2011. Aristar is an innovative outsourced financial management service focussed on helping great SME recruitment businesses transform and grow.
In 2016, Paul launched Aspiring FDs, a development programme to help financial professionals working in recruitment businesses to operate successfully at board level.
Following the success of Aspiring FDs, in 2018 Paul launched the Recruitment FD Network, a group who meet regularly to keep up to date with market developments, as well as networking with like-minded professionals.
Paul lives in Surrey with his wife, young twins and black Lab. He loves to travel, play squash and is currently attempting to learn magic (he won't be giving up his day job anytime soon)!
