The Unconventional CFO: Why Strategy Might Matter More Than Accountancy

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What if you didn’t come up through audit? What if your first finance job wasn’t even in finance?

There’s a version of the CFO path that still gets talked about like it’s the only route. Starting with technical training, move through the right finance roles, climb the ladder step by step.

But there’s a point in some careers where the straight line isn’t the right one. Where strategy starts to matter more than structure. Where the questions you ask shape more than the answers you give.

That’s the bit that doesn’t always make it onto CVs. Not the official responsibilities or the bullet points, but the shift that happens when you realise your edge isn’t in following the framework, it’s in challenging it.

This conversation with Katie Brewis, Strategy & Commercial Finance Director at Google, shines a light on what an unconventional path into finance leadership really looks like. Starting out as an economist, spending years in consulting, and only later adding technical finance qualifications into the mix, Katie’s route challenges the assumption that the CFO role is reserved for the classically trained. It’s a story about bringing strategy and operations together and why the ability to ask better questions often matters more than having all the answers.

“You might expect me to say you don’t need an accounting qualification because I don’t have one,” Katie said, half-laughing, but making a point that landed. And she’s right. Her route to finance leadership hasn’t exactly followed the traditional UK CFO template. It usually takes a more straightforward route, often starting out in audit and gradually progressing through formal qualifications, with a consistent focus on traditional finance responsibilities.

She started her career as an economist in the energy sector. While the work was intellectually rewarding, it left her wanting more of a hands-on role. That curiosity took her to Bain & Company.

Building at Google

Katie joined Google in 2014 in a finance planning and analysis role. It was a good match for her background in strategy and numbers, but it also opened the door to a more operational set of responsibilities. Since then, the business and her role have evolved. Early on, it was all about bringing order to fast growth. Then came the stage where things needed to move faster despite growing complexity.

Right now, it’s a combination of both ends of the spectrum. Some teams are still in hypergrowth, others are settled and need refined financial support. Katie has seen both ends, and that mix shows up in how she leads.

The qualification question

Katie’s view on qualifications isn’t dismissive, but it is considered. In fact, she began working through her CIMA qualifications recently. For her, it wasn’t about ticking a box, it was about strengthening the foundation.

“You need to know a bit about what’s going on under the surface to know where to push,” she said. Understanding accounting at a deeper level helps her ask the right questions and engage meaningfully when it counts.

She found herself being more cautious, less jokey, more deliberate. That’s not easy for someone who thrives off bringing warmth and energy.

“But it made me appreciate why some leaders seem more ‘corporate’. When you’re leading at scale, you sometimes have to be.”

Side steps with purpose

Over time, Katie’s made sideways moves too. Her interest in climate and sustainability wasn’t always something she could bring into work. But at Google, she took that interest and turned it into something real, from internal carbon pricing projects to regional sustainability strategies. It’s given her a fresh challenge and extended her skillset into less familiar territory.

Strategy or technical: what matters more?

She doesn’t see it as either-or. Technical skills are essential, especially in complex financial environments. But what often makes the difference is how you think.

Her approach is always to ask why. Whether she’s reviewing systems, resource allocation, or growth plans, she applies a broader lens. For Katie, strategy isn’t a separate layer, it’s a mindset that shows up in how every task gets tackled.

It’s fuzzy. But that’s the point. Her job is helping people make sense of that fuzziness and back it with numbers where possible.

To connect with Katie or explore more of her experience and insights, head over to Katies LinkedIn profile.