What should a CFO prioritize when stepping into a business already under pressure?

In this episode of The Growth-Minded CFO, Alex Louisy and Lauren Pearl speak with Niels Boon, CFO of Cint, a Stockholm-Nasdaq listed tech company and the world’s largest survey exchange.

Niels joined Cint as the sixth CFO in four years, at a time of leadership change, debt pressure, public market scrutiny, and an unfinished post-merger integration. What followed was not just a financial turnaround - it was a story about rebuilding trust, stabilizing operations, and leading teams through sustained pressure.

In this conversation, Niels shares how the CFO role changes when a business is fragile, why radical candour builds credibility, and how fixing unglamorous structural issues can unlock real performance.Chapters:

01:08 Meet Niels Boon: A Journey to CFO
02:07 Niels' Career Path and Early Interests
04:14 First Steps in the Tech World
05:19 Becoming a CFO: The Learning Curve
11:46 Navigating Global Expansion and Compliance
15:58 Joining Cint: A Time of Change and Pressure
21:14 Refinancing Challenges and Financial Restructuring
22:04 Cultural Clashes and Team Motivation
23:13 Legal Entity Rationalization and ERP System Integration
25:05 The Importance of Communication and Credibility
27:17 The Shift to Profitable, Sustainable Growth
29:05 Onboarding Best Practices for CFOs
35:20 Positive Outcomes and Lessons Learned

In this episode, Niels covers:

How to build trust with investors, lenders, and boards when the numbers aren’t yet on your side
Why the CFO often becomes the stabilizing force during leadership change
How to prioritize in complex post-merger environments
The importance of listening before acting when stepping into a new role
Leading finance teams through pressure without burning them out
Why modern CFOs don’t always come from traditional finance backgrounds

As Niels puts it: “What is important is what you see on the surface, and then you need to find out why that problem is so persistent.”This is a practical, honest look at CFO leadership when the stakes are high and the margin for error is thin.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ONNt63tbED0?si=6AMhdCirK-4gbeSR

If you’re a CFO, finance leader, or aspiring executive navigating change, turnaround situations, or high-pressure environments - this episode is for you.

Subscribe for more conversations with growth-minded finance leaders shaping the future of the CFO role.

The Growth-Minded CFO podcast challenges the status quo and explores how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO, 3-time Founder, and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU) and Alex Louisy (Fintech CEO and Y Combinator graduate) talk with inspiring finance and business leaders about what it takes to support high-performing organizations.

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