Unlocking Leadership Secrets: Dominique Highfield’s Journey with PurpleBricks from CFO to COO!

Leading with Purpose: Dominique Highfield’s Journey from CFO to COO at PurpleBricks

Embark on a captivating journey into the world of leadership with our special guest, Dominique Highfield. Join Chris and Mike as they delve into Dominique's remarkable journey from CFO to COO at PurpleBricks, offering insights and inspiration for aspiring leaders.

Discover the dynamic realm of strategic decision making and digital transformation as Chris and Mike explore Dominique's career trajectory. Be intrigued by her bold move to redefine the future of real estate and gain exclusive insights into her perspectives on conscious leadership. Stay tuned as Dominique shares her experiences and strategies for success in the ever evolving landscape of leadership.

Feel the desire to unlock the secrets of Dominique Highfield's success and apply her innovative approaches to your own leadership journey. Envision a future where strategic decision making and conscious leadership lead to transformative change and lasting impact. Picture the possibilities that arise when you embrace bold ideas and forge your own path to leadership excellence.

Tune in now, and immerse yourself in this compelling conversation with Chris, Mike, and Dominique Highfield. Learn from her experiences, gain valuable insights, and discover strategies for success in leadership and digital transformation.

Episode Quotes

What Dominique Highfield said…

• "I think I've done an alright job. And yeah, really excited from managing those p&l and business partners a p&l so than owning them. Is it a different take but yeah, I'm excited." (Discussing her new CEO role)
• "I think it depends on the business. But where am I? Absolutely, yes." (On if digital transformation is a priority)
• "You are the only one, this is not a dress rehearsal. We're only here once on this planet, once." (Encouraging leaving a toxic work environment)
• "London is not the centre of the country, not the centre of the world." (On unconscious biases in leadership decisions)
• "I think it comes back down to your tech leadership and your tech transformation in terms of who's winning at the moment." (On retail success factors)

What Chris Argent said…

• "I also presented that sort of transformation there as well, which was cool." (Discussing his week attending events)
• "I would love to believe that this is being recognised as central to all businesses... But I do still think that there's still a gap in terms of leadership support." (On digital transformation priorities)
• "People holding onto that a bit too much." (On the traditional CFO role)
• "It's not all about the numbers, right?" (Emphasising a balanced perspective)
• "My only thank you really this week is going out to Mike, another Mike Mike Goldsmith..." (Thanking the event host)

What Mike Rose said…

• "It's, it's, it's almost embarrassing. And then on the worksite, I went up to London this week and had some conversations with Hartman about science, innovation and technology." (Discussing his week)
• "I actually thought about that quite seamlessly." (Relating dog training to organisational transformation)
• "I'm still frustrated." (On the UK government's lack of HS2 planning)
• "When you're getting allies, or when you're coming up against a particular problem. It's thinking about things from their perspective, what's in it for them." (Advice on navigating work problems)
• "So yeah, I think that the reflection is very hard. People don't report good news. They only report bad news." (On finding positive news)

Episode Summary

The podcast began with introductions from hosts Chris Argent, Mike Rose, and guest Dominique Highfield, the new CEO of Purplebricks. They discussed their weeks, with Mike reflecting on dog training lessons relating to organisational transformation. Dominique then announced her career change from CFO to CEO of Purplebricks.

The discussion then turned to an article suggesting CFOs and CEOs need to learn more technical language due to digital transformation being a priority and technology becoming more embedded in businesses. Dominique and Chris agreed this was a priority, but Chris noted a gap in leadership support. They discussed the changing CFO role and how CFOs should complement CEOs rather than just focusing on costs.

Communication between finance and technical teams was highlighted as important. Expert teams should work as partners, not just points of contact, to deliver common goals. A McKinsey report arguing ESG can boost growth and profits through synergies was discussed. Dominique emphasised ESG's potential to drive long-term success, but Mike questioned the lack of explanation on how implementation leads to outcomes.

Chris warned against greenwashing tactics with ESG, while Mike raised concerns about it becoming a tick-box exercise. Stakeholder support and technology adoption were identified as important factors for ESG in finance. A disgruntled community member asked how to gain stakeholder support while feeling overwhelmed and lacking technology.

Dominique emphasised finding allies, business cases, and considering others' perspectives. She strongly encouraged prioritising one's own happiness over staying in a toxic work environment. Mike and Chris agreed the community can help navigate work problems through relationship building.

Discussion then turned to the UK government's lack of planning and financial value-driven approach to the High Speed 2 rail project. Dominique identified unconscious biases in prioritising short-term gains over long-term thinking in leadership decisions. Chris agreed more needed to be done to level up regions outside London.

They discussed retail challenges like at John Lewis, with Dominique believing the chairman's lack of retail experience was unfairly criticised and that tech leadership was key to success. Mike reflected on the challenges of finding good news to report. He wished luck to his dog's graduation the next day.

In summary, the podcast covered a wide range of topics including career changes, digital transformation, ESG, communication challenges, and leadership biases. The importance of stakeholder support, long-term thinking, community, and prioritising one's own well-being were recurring themes.

Episode Time Stamps

0:00-5:00 - Introductions and catching up on the week's events - Dominique Highfield's new role as CEO of Purplebricks

5:00-10:00 - Discussion of an article on CFOs needing to learn more tech language due to digital transformation priorities

10:00-15:00 - The changing CFO role and importance of communication between finance and tech teams - Dominique emphasises the importance of communication and prioritisation in the role of a CFO or CTO, rather than just technical expertise. 

15:00-20:00 - Potential for ESG to boost growth and profits, and challenges of implementation and greenwashing - ESG can add value by synergising growth and profitability, per McKinsey report.  

20:00-25:00 - Gaining stakeholder support for digital finance talent and prioritising one's own well-being - A disgruntled community member asks for advice on gaining stakeholder support for digital finance talent.

25:00-30:00 - UK government's lack of planning for High Speed 2 rail project and unconscious biases - Mike expresses his frustration with the UK’s government lack of planning and financial value-driven approach to High Speed 2 project.

30:00-35:00 - Leadership, tech adoption, and retail challenges like at John Lewis - Dominique believes that tech leadership is key to success in the industry.

35:00-40:00 - Difficulty finding positive news and wishing luck to Mike for his dog graduation

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