Member profile
Shawni Hadfield, CFA
Chief Financial Officer, FlexiTime
What are some of your career highlights so far?
My career has taken a slightly different route from traditional, investment CFA professionals. I started my career in accounting at one of the Big 4 to earn my Chartered Accountant (CA) designation. I quickly discovered I was more interested in strategic finance and so after qualifying I moved into Corporate Finance and decided to do my CFA to strengthen my Finance Honours knowledge from university. A highlight of my Corporate Finance career in the Big 4 was the mobility opportunities offered and by the age of 30 I had lived and worked in 5 different countries, including the Caribbean! This international exposure gave me great experience with different types of transactions, businesses and investment vehicles, and broadened my finance knowledge.
What do you like most about your job/industry?
Recently I moved out of professional services into industry in a commercial role as CFO of FlexiTime Limited. We are a small high performing team which means my role is broad and encompasses aspects of operational management too. I’m enjoying the wide latitude of the role which allows me to be across many parts of the business, and with it the ability to bring a financial and strategic lens to significant decision making. The tech industry – SaaS in particular – is also a really exciting industry to be a part of and I am enjoying the pace at which innovation and change takes place. We’ve got big growth plans, with the imminent launch of a global product, and so I expect I may just be calling on my investment experience and CFA knowledge in due course!
What are your interests outside work?
I’m a yoga teacher and love to immerse myself in all things yoga in my spare time – from teaching, to doing my own practice, attending workshops and reading books on the subject. I’m an avid reader and typically have anywhere between 2 -3 books on the go at the same time! I have a young family, who keep me very busy, and we’re always looking for ways to get outside and make adventures. I’m really looking forward to borders opening again to pick up my lust for travel and reconnect with family and friends across the globe.
Can you recommend some good reading and/or viewing?
“Four Thousand Weeks” by Oliver Burkeman. This book gave me a different way to think about time management, the choices we make and what’s important in life – particularly in our currently overscheduled society. The concepts also resonated deeply for me from a mindfulness perspective.
Make a prediction for 2027
EV’s will be everywhere, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Fintech will have progressed significantly, climate investing will be mainstream and tech will continue to dominate capital markets. I think we’re heading into a protracted period of economic consolidation after the last two to three years of generous stimulus and by 2027 we might just be creeping into a new period of more sustainable growth.