I
Capital allocation
Competing business proposals were being evaluated on inconsistent assumptions.
The full account
Chief Financial Officer · Europe · Global perspective
HugoLaurent
Capital discipline. Strategic clarity. Sustainable value.
I work with boards and executive teams to connect financial discipline with strategic possibility.
Open to
- Board appointments
- Advisory roles
- Speaking invitations
$2.4 bn
Capital raised
Equity, debt and a cross-border listing
380 bps
Margin expansion
Over four reporting years
0
Qualified audit opinions
Across twelve reporting periods
11
Transactions closed
Acquisitions, divestments and JVs
Finance earns trust by making the economics of a choice visible. I combine discipline in cash, controls and reporting with constructive challenge on investment and growth. A clear explanation of uncertainty is more valuable than precision that the underlying assumptions cannot support.
Hugo Laurent
Chief Financial Officer
Areas of stewardship
Where accountability has been mine.
- ICapital allocation
- IIFinancial governance
- IIIInvestor relations
- IVMergers & acquisitions
Selected work
Decisions, and what they changed.
II
Finance transformation
Finance reporting had become a collection of local processes rather than an enterprise view.
The full accountIII
Value creation
During a portfolio review, I worked with business leaders to distinguish reported growth from the quality of the economics behind it.
The full accountIn the boardroom
Stewardship beyond the executive role.
Calder Logistics
Independent Director
Audit (Chair) · Risk
2021 — Present
Westmoor Housing Finance
Non-Executive Director
Audit · ALCO
2018 — Present
The Lakeshore Foundation
Honorary Treasurer
Finance & Investment
2016 — 2022
In the words of others
Trusted by those who appoint.
Turns a complex balance sheet into a decision the whole board can own. Investors trusted the numbers because they trusted the person.
Discipline without rigidity. The finance function became a partner to the business, not its referee.
The journal
Perspective, set down with care.
A forecast is a map of assumptions
Revenue, margin and cash forecasts depend on choices about demand, pricing, capacity and working capital.
Read the essayCapital allocation needs a common language
Two investment cases can appear comparable while using different assumptions about risk, time and resource demands.
Read the essayThe finance transformation beyond faster reporting
A faster close creates capacity, but the value depends on how that capacity is used.
Read the essayRecognition
Honours
- CFO of the Year — Large EnterpriseThe Finance Leaders Forum2024
- Best Investor Relations, Mid-CapCapital & Governance Quarterly2023
On record
As featured in
Capital & Governance Quarterly · 2025
“Capital allocation is a leadership decision, not a spreadsheet”
The Finance Leaders Forum · 2024
“Inside a cross-border listing in eleven months”
The Boardroom Review · 2023
“What audit committees should ask about cash”
An invitation
The most consequential work begins with a conversation.
For board, advisory and leadership conversations where capital allocation matters.
Open to
- Board appointments
- Advisory roles
- Speaking invitations
office@hugolaurent.example