What a dismal month. I’m writing this a few days before Rachel Reeves delivers the first Budget of the new Labour government, and the steady drip of negative stories about the economy and politics in general is souring the mood. (The weather hasn’t helped.)

It’s funny how the “back to school” feeling lasts well beyond your school days. After a summer hiatus, we get back into work mode with new energy, long to-do lists, and a fresh sense of optimism.

You’re probably reading this a few days before the election. The campaign hasn’t been terribly edifying, has it? The Conservative Party seems to be on a self-destruct mission, while Kier Starmer’s “safe and steady” approach has been pretty “low energy” (to borrow a phrase from that other 2024 electioneer, Donald Trump).

A few months ago I mentioned CrossFit, the popular workout regime. I don’t do it to be macho. I do it because being in good shape makes ordinary tasks much easier.

There are two reasons you might look over your shoulder. First is fear: what’s approaching out of your eyeline? You might have an uneasy feeling or hear a noise.

Heard of CrossFit? Wikipedia calls it “constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity”. As someone who’s been doing it for a while, that's accurate... but hugely underplayed. CrossFit’s own slogan is “forging elite fitness” – a more compelling branding.

Non-finance folk often think the FD doesn’t need to be a good networker. You’re back office! Marketing people schmooze, HR people are gregarious – but finance is like IT. Your value is technical skills!

2024 has kicked off with a slightly different mood in the business world. We seem to have shifted from mild pessimism to cautious optimism.

The world feels as though it’s turning right side up. Positivity and hope are finally returning, there are queues outside of lunch cafés and more importantly, businesses are hiring.

In an entrepreneurial investor backed business, Interim and Permanent executive roles can be very fluid. Depending on where a portfolio company is within the investment cycle of a fund, might dictate whether the CFO, FD or FC is hired on an interim or permanent basis.

Whatever the business situation that you face, a senior finance hire can be difficult to make. Sometimes there are differing opinions and expectations from members of the Board. It can cause confusion, distraction and sometimes a wrong hire. It is important to look beyond common personal interests!