In conversation with CFO Australia’s Tom Galletta
Tom Galletta has recently joined the all-star team of fractional CFOs at CFO Australia. And in this candid Q&A, Tom shares how he helps businesses achieve their goals, what drives him every day, and why leadership and strategy should come before AI in business.
Q. Tom, you have over 2 decades of experience in transforming businesses through strong finance leadership and operational management. Tell us how you came to be a fractional CFO?
A. Over time, I realised that the biggest impact I can make isn’t in managing numbers or presenting reports, but in helping businesses make better strategic decisions with the data they have before them.
Throughout my career, I saw that many growing companies needed CFO-level guidance, but didn’t necessarily need, or couldn’t justify, a full-time CFO. That gap was something I found myself thinking about a lot.
Moving into a fractional CFO model allowed me to bring that strategic expertise to multiple businesses, helping them with cash flow planning, scaling, and key decision-making, while also giving me the opportunity to focus on high-impact work across different organisations.
Today, I see my role less as a traditional finance leader and more as a strategic partner to founders and CEOs, helping them turn financial insight into better business outcomes.
Q. Thinking of your fractional CFO duties, what is the most exciting part of it all? What drives you?
A. The most exciting part for me is the moment when clarity clicks in for a business.
When I take complex financial data, spread across various sources, and turn it into insights that actually change how a founder thinks or makes decisions, that is where the real value is.
I really enjoy working closely with leadership teams, understanding what they’re trying to achieve and then helping them translate that into a clear financial path.
What drives me is knowing that I’m not just reporting on the business but actively shaping its direction. Being part of those key decisions and seeing the impact of the strategy changes over time is what makes the role so rewarding.
Q. What do you wish more clients knew about engaging fractional CFOs? What is something that surprises them when they first begin working with a fractional CFO?
A. I think the biggest misconception is that a fractional CFO is there to ‘fix the numbers.’ What usually surprises clients is that the real value isn’t in the numbers themselves, it’s in the decisions they enable.
Once we start working together, they realise it’s less about hours or outputs, it’s more about identifying the critical financial levers that actually drive the business forward.
That shift in thinking, from reactive reporting to proactive decision-making, is where a fractional CFO can make real business impact.
Q. The moment has arrived! We are going to talk about everyone’s favourite topic: AI! Tom, do you consider yourself an ‘AI whiz’? What possibilities do you see with AI as a business leader yourself?
A. I think ‘AI whiz’ might be overselling it — I like to think I know just enough not to be dangerous!
I’m genuinely excited about AI, especially in a finance context. In our world, AI isn’t just about automation or efficiency; it’s again about moving finance, and the business, from rear-view reporting to forward-looking decision-making. And being able to do this swiftly.
By taking away a lot of the manual work, it gives me more space to focus on insight, strategy and decision-making, which is where the value is.
Being able to leverage AI well raises the level of the role and allows finance to play a much more proactive part in shaping the business.
Q. Quite the business enabler then! What about the flipside though? What risks do business leaders need to watch out for with AI?
A. I mean, at its best, it can help businesses move faster, make better decisions, and get more out of their data. In finance particularly, it can seriously improve forecasting, provide more depth in terms of insight, and speed up how quickly decisions are made, which is incredibly powerful.
That said, there are definitely risks business leaders need to be mindful of. One is over-relying on it. AI is only as good as the data and assumptions behind it, so you still need strong judgment and oversight.
There’s also a risk of focusing too much on the technology itself, rather than the outcomes. I think the businesses that will get the most value are the ones that are really clear on the problems they’re trying to solve, rather than just adopting AI because it’s the latest trend.
There are also broader considerations around data quality, governance and risk, as AI becomes more embedded in decision-making processes.
So overall, I’d say AI is a huge enabler, however good leadership, strong fundamentals, and a clear strategy will always underpin any success driven by AI.
I think the businesses that will get the most value from AI are the ones that are really clear on the problems they’re trying to solve, rather than just trying to adopt it because it’s the latest trend.
Q. What a thoughtful note to end on. Thanks for chatting to us today, Tom!
A. Thank you for chatting to me!
About Tom
Tom Galletta is a commercially focused CFO and COO and brings over 20 years’ experience in helping business leaders drive margin discipline, cash-flow reliability, and scalable growth through data-driven decision-making.
Tom has led finance, operations, and company secretarial functions across recruitment, professional services, construction, and technology-enabled businesses, including in PE-backed environments, supporting acquisition activity, integration, and interstate expansion. As fractional CFO, Tom continues to play a key role in helping businesses improve delivery speed, accountability, and control.
Reach out to Tom Galletta with your financial queries at 📩 tgalletta@cfoaustralia.com.au or call Azure Group for more information 📲 (02) 9238 1188. If you have questions about our CFO services, you can also drop us line here.
About CFO Australia
From finance and accounting to strategy and business development, our fractional CFOs go beyond helping to manage your bottom line to driving strategic growth for your business. Learn more about our CFO services here.
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This article is intended to provide general information only, and is not to be regarded as legal or financial advice. The content is based on current facts, circumstances, and assumptions, and its accuracy may be affected by changes in laws, regulations, or market conditions. Accordingly, neither CFO Australia any member or employee of CFO Australia or associated entities, undertakes responsibility arising in any way whatsoever to any persons in respect of this alert or any error or omissions herein, arising through negligence or otherwise howsoever caused. Readers are advised to consult with qualified professionals for advice specific to their situation before taking any action.
