Mable CFO's blueprint for women in finance

The Australian

7 hours ago

Having landed her first CFO job at just 29, Emma Clark knows a thing or two about building a successful career in finance.
Now Chief Financial and Operations officer at Mable, she has previously held executive roles at Redbubble Group, ANZ's Technology Division and Diners Club Australia.
In this interview, Emma discusses her career journey and shares her advice for aspiring finance leaders.
Q.What were the most important moments on your journey to CFO?
Clark: When I started at university, I set a goal to become a CFO, reach a target salary and buy my dream car by 30. It feels shallow now, but the fact that I set this goal was pivotal, because I didn't just meander around. I went and collected the skills and experience I needed to build towards it. If I didn't have that aspiration, I may still have achieved these goals, but it would have taken much longer.
I also decided early on to be a commercially minded CFO. Understanding yourself and knowing what type of CFO you want to be – your unique value proposition and how to develop it – is super important. I sought out people who could give me skills beyond finance, because to be a good commercial leader, you really need to understand how other people think.
Emma Clark is Chief Financial and Operations officer at Mable
Q.What's a non-financial skill that every CFO needs?
Clark: Public speaking stands you in amazing stead. One of my former bosses is the best public speaker I've ever met. He started coaching me pretty early in my career, which was pivotal. He'd put me up in front of a group, then at the end of it, he'd say, 'Here's where you nailed it, and here's where you lost them'. And even though I know it is a strength of mine, it's a skill I constantly refine with annual media training.
If you want a promotion, you need other non-financial skills like this. Investing in these has made the biggest difference to my career. I'm not the best technical accountant, but I can do other things that they can't. People want the full package in a CFO.
Q.What advice would you give to aspiring CFOs?
Clark: You need to be able to read the room. I think one of the challenges for finance professionals is that the numbers aren't always clear to others, even senior leaders. You can't just speak to them like you would to another finance professional. You really need to focus on the individual you're having the conversation with. Is this landing for them? Should I adapt my language or change the narrative?
You also need to understand people's motivations. In a group, work out where you can bring unique value to everyone's benefit. Know where you fit and what your superpower is.
Q.What's one challenge you've had to overcome to progress your career?
Clark: In job interviews, I tend to talk about what I don't know. During an interview for one CFO role, I said I hadn't done investor relations before, and it was brought up in every subsequent interview.
It was almost like disclosing issues to an auditor, only to have the same problems fed back to you at the end, like some big revelation. I realised no other candidates were going out of their way to say what they hadn't done before. I know now the importance of focusing on my strengths.
Q.What barriers do women face on the path to CFO?
Clark: One of the barriers is having children. When my kids were little, I spent my time at work feeling like a bad mum and at home feeling like a bad employee. You can feel like you are failing everywhere because you can't dedicate yourself wholly to just one thing.
Plus, it's not nine-to-five when you take up a senior role. Not just because of the work itself, but also the expectation that you'll travel, present at conferences, attend board meetings and be available for social occasions. There's all this stuff you can't say no to, but it takes you away from home even more.
I've seen my friends opt out of senior roles because they feel they would otherwise not provide enough value to their employer or have enough time to be present and engaged as mums.
Q.What advice would you give to organisations looking to support aspiring women?
Clark: It's about understanding these differences. I believe many women won't put their hand up for a job unless they feel they can do 100 per cent of it. Sometimes, we can be our own worst enemy.
Let's say you have two candidates, a man and a woman, who are equally skilled on paper. The man might tell you everything he can do, while the woman might tell you everything she can't. That doesn't make her less capable of doing the role. I would encourage employers to check their biases and understand that's just a style difference – it has little to no bearing on how well the person will ultimately perform the role.
Emma Clark is CFO at Mable.
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