Q&A: Andrew Cooke, CFO, Maviga

1. Rise early or work late?
I’m normally in the office between 8am and 8.30am each morning. Unless I’m dealing with a special project or visiting other sites then I aim not to finish too late.

2. Training preferences: on the job or formal?
Definitely on-the-job training. Maviga operates in many jurisdictions so there are always new technical areas to become familiar with. I’m certainly not someone who prefers to be stuck in a classroom or away on courses.

3. What’s your management style?
I like to set an environment where people know exactly what is required with a focus on quality of output. I aim to provide clear leadership but encourage discussion and feedback. I’m a pretty direct person and I don’t like to waste time.

4. Does delegation come easy?
Reasonably easy. I’m sure a lot of FDs are always trying to resist the urge to do most tasks themselves but I am lucky to have recruited my own finance team at Maviga. It’s definitely easier to delegate to capable individuals.

5. Who do you rely on most?
Past experience has told me that it can be dangerous to rely on anyone too much as that’s often where problems begin. However, my finance team is very competent and I certainly rely on them to handle most of the day-to-day tasks. We all inevitably rely on our IT systems but that really is more often a source of frustration.

6. Boardroom or restaurant?
Boardroom. We’ll often have working lunches or presentations over sandwiches here. I find this more productive – and our rural office location rather limits the option of having working lunches away from the office.

7. What technology would you never be without?
I couldn’t function without MS Excel. My iPad and iPhone are also essential for remote working and when visiting other offices.

8. Are you an FD for life?
I don’t think so. There are so many things to do in this world that it is difficult to imagine being restricted to one role for my entire career.

9. What keeps you awake at night?
Not much, as I generally sleep very well.

10. Critical advice to aspiring FDs?
As an FD, there are a lot of exciting opportunities to lead the development of the business. However, it’s essential to always ensure that the core processes and controls are working properly and efficiently first. It’s impossible to move forward if those fundamentals aren’t right.

Andrew Cooke is the CFO of Maviga