Business Acumen for Finance Professionals: Insights from World Vision Australia's CFO, Gordon Allison
Published Date
The Importance of Business Acumen for Finance Professionals
For Gordon Allison, CFO of World Vision Australia (WVA), breaking down organizational silos—especially between finance and other departments—is a top priority. He believes that finance professionals must broaden their perspective beyond just numbers in order to drive business performance effectively.
To achieve this, Allison initiated a business acumen workshop for his finance team. The impact was dramatic:
- Participants’ self-assessed business acumen scores jumped from 40% to 95%.
- Understanding of key KPIs—such as Revenue Growth vs. Cost Growth—rose from 57% to over 90%, ensuring a clearer focus on practical decision-making in the future.
The Role of Finance in Decision-Making
Allison’s approach to decision-making is about setting the right context and framework.
By equipping the entire organization with a common financial language, his team can discuss options more effectively and set clear objectives. The result?
- Faster, more effective conversations
- Better decision-making
- Fewer teams working at cross-purposes
Through the business acumen course, finance professionals gained a deeper understanding of the company’s challenges and learned how to proactively develop solutions.
Improving Communication and Cross-Departmental Collaboration
One of the biggest benefits of the training was improved communication and stronger working relationships—particularly between finance and sales.
- Before training: Sales-Finance collaboration was rated at 48%.
- After training: It improved to 65%.
This shift wasn’t just about better numbers—it reflected an increase in empathy between departments. The experiential learning approach of the workshop allowed finance professionals to step into the shoes of other business units, leading to greater alignment and collaboration.
Allison emphasizes that finance’s real power is in its ability to "join the dots" across the business—acting as a coordinating point to help understand the implications of decisions across all functions.
The Value of Ongoing Business Acumen Training
For Allison, one workshop isn’t enough.
He believes that regular business acumen training is necessary to:
- Reinforce core financial concepts
- Deepen understanding of market dynamics and competition
- Shift focus from mechanical financial elements to proactive strategic thinking
Every time finance professionals revisit the material, they gain new insights, helping them stay agile and informed in a changing business landscape.
Conclusion
Gordon Allison’s experience at World Vision Australia underscores the critical role of business acumen for finance professionals.
By breaking down silos, enhancing collaboration, and strengthening decision-making, finance teams can move from number crunching to strategic leadership—driving performance across the entire organization.
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