The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Director of Billing Operations (from a larger enterprise)
3-5 years at Director level before VP considerationSkills to master
- Scaling billing processes for multi-£M revenue, leading large teams (20+), managing complex system migrations, and presenting operational performance to senior leadership.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully led a major billing system implementation from start to finish.
- Consistently delivered significant improvements in DSO and revenue leakage.
- Developed and mentored a strong leadership team within their function.
- Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional executive peers.
- 2
Head of Finance / CFO (from a smaller, high-growth company)
5-7 years as Head of Finance/CFO in a smaller firmSkills to master
- Full P&L ownership, broad financial strategy, investor relations, and building finance functions from the ground up. The challenge here is adapting to a larger, more matrixed organisation.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully raised funding rounds or managed an IPO process.
- Built and scaled a comprehensive finance function in a high-growth environment.
- Proven ability to manage all aspects of financial reporting and compliance.
- Strong grasp of operational finance beyond just accounting.
- 3
VP of Sales Operations / Revenue Operations (from a different industry)
4-6 years at VP level in a related revenue operations functionSkills to master
- Deep understanding of the sales cycle, CRM optimisation, and sales forecasting. The gap to bridge would be the depth of accounting and billing compliance knowledge.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully integrated sales and finance processes to improve revenue capture.
- Led significant CRM/CPQ implementations and optimisations.
- Demonstrated strong analytical and strategic planning capabilities.
- A clear passion for and understanding of the financial side of revenue.