Ask A CFO Episode 23: Emilia Bunea, Author and Former CFO, ING Insurance Europe

Why It Matters

Bunea’s experience shows that CFOs must evolve beyond number‑crunching to master stakeholder relationships, a shift that determines the strategic impact of finance functions and informs talent development across the industry.

Key Takeaways

• Embrace resilience from early hardships to drive finance leadership.
• Early CFO roles rely on expertise, not extensive stakeholder management.
• Mistakes become growth catalysts when ego is set aside.
• Transition to senior CFO demands rapid development of political acumen.
• Academic shift can follow a “light‑bulb” moment questioning career aspirations.

Summary

The Ask a CFO episode features Emilia Bunea, former CFO of ING Insurance Europe and author of *Leadership for the CFO*. Bunea recounts her journey from a math‑focused upbringing in communist Romania to investment banking, an early CFO appointment at age thirty, and her eventual move into academia and research on finance leadership.

Key insights include the role of resilience forged by hardship, the reliance on expert power and technical expertise in early CFO roles, and the abrupt transition to a relationship‑focused position where politics, stakeholder management, and culture become central. Bunea shares concrete missteps—such as promoting a young accountant too quickly, leading to burnout—and emphasizes the need to separate personal ego from professional errors.

Memorable moments include the “Congratulations, you are a relationship manager now” revelation described by a fellow CFO, the light‑bulb performance‑review moment that prompted her to question the CEO path, and her decision to pursue a PhD after two decades in senior finance. These anecdotes illustrate how personal reflection and mentorship can redirect a finance career.

The discussion underscores that modern CFOs must cultivate political acumen, foster psychological safety, and view mistakes as learning opportunities. Bunea’s book distills interviews with 200 finance leaders into actionable guidance, suggesting that the next generation of CFOs will need to balance technical mastery with relational leadership, and that academia offers a viable avenue for seasoned executives to influence the field.

Original Description

In this episode, Sophie Jackson speaks with Emilia Bunea, a former CFO turned accomplished academic and author. They discuss key insights from Emilia’s new book, Leadership for the CFO, a must-read for anyone aspiring to become a CFO or excel in a finance career. They also explore Emilia’s career journey, experiences and advice for finance professionals.

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• Leadership for the CFO: Influence. Motivate. Inspire. (https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-CFO-Influence-Motivate-Inspire/dp/1032903090/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.w7zcTdz4wkvhDPKo26RQAvkCfc7S2OdzDw-ff52jhKZuF47wjb16RKOSf5biCTOheqq2s8rcohrxyhLfPh7mb9p6h1s6481gUtMAPgaTAii5se6de352rlzC896EduYXk3FgkF4H9hOgfpXzkRdydQbX479jKejNh6QtrGkBA7Lf2MZPon7W606P73QYfAAxNKnwm1leiFCkcBqxZOnQFBjLcy3Z2IurPd8I2EDR00U.GvCpPKDRt0hjaBw2BKu7asXhLQFYVX3R8mIeBgB_g8Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=leadership+for+the+cfo&qid=1772616440&sr=8-1) - Emilia's book Leadership for the CFO is available to buy online.