Finance Unscripted

Julian Lange (CFO at Upvest) has built and scaled finance teams across some of Europe’s fastest-growing tech companies. He shares how he started his career in the U.S. at General Electric, became CFO of a business unit, and then took a high-risk move back to Europe to join the Berlin startup ecosystem. Julian breaks down the lessons from taking Marley Spoon, a German company with U.S. operations, public on the Australian Stock Exchange just four years after founding. Julian also shares a practical fundraising playbook from leading late-stage rounds at scale-ups like Aiven (Series C and D) and Upvest (Series B+ and C). Beyond operating roles, Julian talks about his approach to angel investing, the energy he draws from working with founders and why giving back to the startup community matters to him. He closes with his perspective on how AI is starting to reshape the finance tech stack, including changing tools, workflows, and how finance teams work and scale.

Andras Mecser (CFO of Leapwork) shares his unexpected journey from mathematician to consultant to CFO, and the lessons he learned while building finance teams across regulated fintech and fast-growing SaaS companies. He reflects on the shift from consulting to operating inside high-growth startups, the realities of scaling a complex business, and what it takes to evolve finance from a control function into a true commercial partner. Andras also offers an inside look at major transactions, including leading the $500M acquisition of Sendwave while at WorldRemit during Covid. He breaks down what truly drives value in M&A, how he evaluates the modern finance tech stack, and why reliability still matters even as AI reshapes the tools, workflows, and skills of the next generation of finance leaders.

Hanno shares his unexpected journey to becoming a CFO, the lessons learned along the way, and his transition from investor to finance leader. He opens up about the complexities of guiding a company through the IPO process, the realities of life after going public, and the strategic balancing act between debt and equity financing.

In this conversation, Robertjan Dekker⁠ (ex-VP Finance, Controller EMEA, APAC, LATAM) reflects on their journey with Netflix, beginning as one of the first employees in Europe. They share insights on the growth of the finance function, the pivotal role of company culture, and strategies for building high-performing teams. The discussion explores the challenges of navigating cultural differences in hiring, the evolving role of finance as a true business partner, and the impact of technology and AI on the function. Finally, they broaden the lens to the European tech ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of creating a supportive environment for startups and scale-ups.

In this conversation, Chloé Giraut-Pierron (ex-Pigment, Qonto) joins Stacks Founder and CEO Albert Malikov to share her insights on fundraising, building finance teams in startups, and the evolving role of finance in the context of AI. She reflects on her personal journey from traditional finance roles to the startup ecosystem, highlighting the importance of relationships in fundraising, the challenges of scaling finance functions, and the skills founders and finance leaders need in the AI era.

In this episode of Finance Unscripted, seasoned finance leader ⁠Dave Arkell⁠ joins Stacks Founder & CEO ⁠Albert Malikov⁠ to share lessons from bringing two European companies public on U.S. exchanges. Drawing from his extensive experience in SaaS and AI, Arkell discusses the evolution of finance metrics, building high-performing teams in early-stage companies, and how finance leaders can navigate the unique challenges of scaling and going public.

In the first episode of Finance Unscripted, CFO of Mews ⁠Daniel Ahremark⁠ joins Stacks Founder and CEO ⁠Albert Malikov⁠ for a thoughtful exploration of how LLMs and automation are transforming the finance function at high-growth companies.