Working better with your finance team: A practical guide from Stephen Daintith, the Chief Financial Officer of Ocado Group PLC, interviewed by Dr Grace Kite (see full video interview below)
Want to get finance on your side? Here's what actually works: Start every conversation by explaining what you're trying to achieve and how you'll measure it. Finance teams love concrete numbers -customer acquisition, repeat purchases, and brand health surveys are your best friends.
Test small first. Run control samples to show early results before asking for bigger budgets. This builds trust and gives you proof points for scaling up. Schedule monthly check-ins rather than waiting for year-end reviews—finance appreciates being kept in the loop, and you'll spot issues early.
Keep your growth projections realistic. Overpromising kills your credibility fast. If possible, get a finance-savvy person on your marketing team who can translate between both worlds and speed up approvals.
The golden rule? Involve finance from day one. Position marketing as a long-term brand investment, not a quick win. Be ready to double down on what's working and kill what isn't based on real data. Finance teams respect marketers who think like business partners, not just creative spenders.
Bottom line: transparency, evidence, and realistic expectations will transform your relationship with finance from adversarial to collaborative.
See the full video below:
