Scaling With Discipline: Marie Charpentier on Strategy, Failure & Finding Fit
“Scaling fast is easy. Scaling with discipline is what makes a business sustainable.”
In this episode of It’s Not All About the Numbers, Chris and Mike are joined by Marie Charpentier, CFO of Credit Solutions, for a candid look at leadership during high-growth phases. Marie unpacks what “scaling with discipline” really means — balancing ambitious growth targets with the cultural, operational, and people impacts that come with rapid expansion. She explains how finance leaders can’t just chase numbers but must help shape a sustainable strategy, bringing employees along for the ride instead of leaving them behind.
The conversation also touches on failure, confidence, and culture fit. Marie shares how past missteps have shaped her leadership style, why honesty during the hiring process is non-negotiable, and how finance can — and should — be a true business partner, not just a back-office function. From leading both HR and finance to pushing for finance teams to understand products and customers, she reframes the CFO role as a strategist and change leader at the heart of scale-up success.
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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 From challenging outdated corporate thinking to rallying finance leaders around a more connected, adaptable future, the founder of GENCFO is leading a quiet revolution in how CFOs and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 Chris believes the greatest risk to the profession is clinging to outdated norms, and that mindset and adaptability outpace any technological change.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.