Rachael Hewitt

From teenage mum to transformational CFO, Rachael Hewitt’s journey is anything but conventional. After being told she’d never amount to much, she defied the odds—working her way up from accounts payable clerk to CFO of a fast-scaling, acquisition-driven retail business. Today, she leads with purpose, pace, and people at the heart of it all.

We spoke to Rachael about resilience, risk-taking, and how building a brand-new finance function from scratch became the most rewarding challenge of her career.

A path defined by grit

Rachael’s early career was shaped by a powerful inner drive.

“I had my first child at 17. People said I’d ruined my life. That became my fuel. I was determined to prove them wrong.”

With two children and no university degree, she pursued a business and finance HND, then self-funded her CIMA qualification while raising a family. Her break came when Manchester Metropolitan University offered her a part-time accounts payable role—after she volunteered to work for free just to get a foot in the door.

From there, she steadily climbed through commercial finance roles at Turning Point and other organisations, driven by curiosity and a clear focus: add value, learn fast, and seek out challenge.

Reimagining finance at EG Group

Rachael joined EG Group in 2021, just as the company emerged from the pandemic. It was a time of structural change and opportunity:

FP&A was almost non-existent. The business had gone through years of rapid acquisition. Interest rates were rising, and de-leveraging was becoming essential.

As Head of FP&A, she had a blank canvas in a global business. Rachael implemented structured forecasting, rolled out new tools, built a high-performing team, and helped lead the divestment of most of the UK business to Asda. That deal set the stage for her next step.

Leading EG On The Move

When the remaining UK business was carved out and relaunched as EG On The Move, Rachael was appointed CFO. The opportunity? Shape an entirely new finance function and support aggressive growth.

In just eight months, she built a 50-person finance, BI, and PMO team, launched two major acquisitions, rolled out a new ERP and data lake integration.

“We went live with 80% readiness, knowing we’d fix the rest fast. Transformation doesn’t wait for perfection—it needs progress.”

Despite a few system teething issues and people challenges, Rachael kept momentum high with honesty, pace, and clarity of vision.

Culture, clarity, and curiosity

Rachael’s people-first leadership style is rooted in trust, empowerment, and transparency. She prioritises attitude over experience when hiring and ensures everyone understands the vision from day one.

“We’re upfront about our pace and ambition. People either love it, or they don’t—and that’s okay. But those who thrive here really shine.”

The company’s Finance & BI Academy supports technical and soft-skill development, helping the team adapt to rapid change without burning out. Her emphasis on continuous improvement and communication has made a major impact on culture and retention.

On failure and fast learning

Rachael doesn’t believe in failure—only lessons.

Whether it’s hiring missteps or temporary system workarounds, she sees setbacks as part of growth.

“If something goes wrong, we patch it fast, learn from it, and fix it properly. The key is not letting short-term solutions become permanent problems.”