The Return on Change: Ilana Esterrich & Vincent Messina on Fixing Broken Transformations
“If you really want finance to be strategic, you have to free up time, not just buy tools.”
In this episode, Chris and Mike are joined by Ilana Esterrich and Vincent Messina to talk about their upcoming book, The Return on Change: How ROI Killed CFO Transformation.
Vin shares how, after years selling to CFOs, he realised projects kept stalling or disappointing because both buyers and vendors fixated on ROI for tools, not on what people would do differently. His concept of return on change flips the focus: the real “investment” is the behavioural and process change, not the software licence.
From the CFO seat, Ilana describes multiple large-scale transformations where finance teams ended up with “very expensive old processes, just faster” – because organisations automated broken workflows rather than redesigning them. She talks about mapping messy “as-is” processes with swim lanes to expose hand-offs, delays and legacy checkpoints, then deliberately deciding what work to stop doing before selecting a solution.
Together they argue that:
Automation without letting go of work simply makes people exhausted faster.
The promise of a “strategic finance function” only materialises when leaders free up time and repurpose capacity.
Buyers and vendors need to get on the same side of the table, starting with a shared understanding of the organisation’s real problems.
A better question for vendors is: “How will you help us understand ourselves better before you show us your product?”
It’s a practical, people-first take on transformation that challenges the default “buy software, hope for the best” mindset.
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Author
“Chris Argent isn’t here to play by finance’s old rulebook - he’s here to rewrite it.” From challenging outdated corporate thinking to rallying finance leaders around a more connected, adaptable future, the founder of GENCFO is leading a quiet revolution in how CFOs and finance leadership work, think, and influence. Chris Argent, founder of GENCFO, is a finance leader redefining the role beyond business partnering. A self-described “reluctant accountant,” he’s built a global community for progressive accounting and finance leaders who value connection over competition and action over tradition. Chris believes the greatest risk to the profession is clinging to outdated norms, and that mindset and adaptability outpace any technological change. His work champions leaders who turn new ideas into real-world change, blending people-centred strategies with new ways of working and technology. In conversations, he challenges, provokes, and inspires - proving that the future of finance belongs to those ready to lead it together.