Leaders Insight - with Lucy Bolton, CFO at Camira

Celebrating International Women's Day with Louise Shute

In celebration of International Women's Day, we continue our series by highlighting the inspiring journey of female leaders in finance who are making a significant impact throughout their career.In this installation we are thrilled to feature an interview with Louise Shute, the Chief Financial Officer of Hollybank Trust, a not-for-profit care provider dedicated to supporting individuals with complex needs. Since joining Hollybank Trust in 2019, Louise has been instrumental in driving financial sustainability, operational efficiency, and strategic growth. Her leadership goes beyond numbers, focusing on ensuring that every financial decision aligns with the organisation's mission to provide outstanding care. Join us as we dive into her career-defining moments, the traits that have contributed to her success, and her invaluable advice for the next generation of female finance leaders. 1.Please can you provide a summary of who you work for and your current role?I am the Chief Financial Officer of Hollybank Trust, a large not-for-profit care provider that delivers specialist care and education to individuals with complex needs. Since joining in 2019, I have been responsible for overseeing finance, IT, estates, and HR, ensuring financial sustainability, operational efficiency, and a strong, well-supported workforce. My role is not just about numbers—it’s about making sure every financial decision supports the organisation’s mission. I work closely with the executive team and trustees to strategically plan for the future, secure funding, and drive initiatives that enhance the care we provide. This includes leading acquisitions, driving digital transformation, and optimising resources to ensure we remain sustainable and continue to deliver outstanding care in an increasingly challenging financial landscape.2.What have been the one or two most defining moments in your career to date?A few pivotal moments have shaped my career and leadership style: Building a finance function from the ground up – One of my most challenging and rewarding experiences was setting up an entire finance team from scratch for a large care group. Bringing the finance function in-house, creating new systems, and ensuring financial stability in a complex organisation gave me invaluable leadership experience. Leading an acquisition – More recently, I successfully led the acquisition of a care business, ensuring financial due diligence, securing funding, and integrating the new business into our operations. This was a defining moment in navigating the complexities of growth while maintaining financial security. Driving digital transformation – Overseeing our transition to a nearly paperless organisation has been a major milestone. Introducing new financial, HR, and operational systems has made us more efficient and forward-thinking, ensuring we are well-equipped for the future. Beyond these, every year brings new challenges in the not-for-profit and care sector, where funding is tight, costs are rising, and financial sustainability is an ongoing battle. Navigating these challenges while keeping the organisation strong and adaptable is something I take pride in.3.What are the most important personal traits, values or characteristics that, being a female finance leader, has really helped to contribute to your success?Leadership isn’t just about making decisions—it’s about bringing people with you. The qualities that have shaped my success as a finance leader include: Compassion and genuine interest in people – I care about my colleagues and take the time to listen, understand their perspectives, and create a supportive environment. Decisiveness and resilience – In finance, tough decisions need to be made. I can balance strategy with reality, ensuring we remain financially stable while protecting the organisation’s core values. Strong communication – Finance can sometimes feel like a separate world, but I ensure complex financial insights are communicated clearly to teams, trustees, and stakeholders so they can make informed decisions. Positivity, even in difficult times – The financial landscape for care providers is constantly evolving, and it’s easy to focus on the challenges. I believe in staying solution-focused and adaptable, ensuring we embrace change rather than fear it. A positive outlook helps to motivate teams, find creative solutions, and maintain momentum even during difficult periods. I wouldn’t say I’ve faced direct challenges as a woman in finance, but finance leadership remains a male-dominated space, especially at board level. Many women struggle with imposter syndrome, and I think it’s crucial to own your expertise, trust your ability, and bring your unique strengths to the table.4.What is the one piece of advice that you would share with the next generation of female finance leaders as they look to build their careers?My biggest piece of advice is: do what makes you happy. You spend so much of your life at work—it’s essential to enjoy it. If you don’t, don’t be afraid to seek out something that challenges, excites, and fulfils you. Beyond that, a few key lessons I’ve learned: Be true to yourself. Work for organisations that align with your beliefs, morals, and values. Build a strong team. Surround yourself with capable, driven people—it will make all the difference. Keep learning. I haven’t had an official mentor, but I invest in seminars, courses, and networking to continuously grow. Finding a mentor or widening your professional network can be invaluable. Stay adaptable. Finance, technology, and the business landscape are evolving rapidly. Staying open to change and embracing new ways of working will set you apart. Above all, believe in yourself. Women often doubt their abilities more than men, but confidence comes from experience. Keep learning, keep leading, and don’t be afraid to step up and take your seat at the table.Louise’s journey is a testament to her power of resilience, compassion, and strategic vision in leadership. Her dedication to Hollybank Trust's mission and her ability to navigate the complexities of the not-for-profit sector have set a remarkable example for aspiring female finance leaders. Her advice to stay true to oneself, build strong teams, and continuously learn resonates deeply, reminding us all of the importance of passion and adaptability in our careers. We hope her story inspires and empowers the next generation of women to pursue their ambitions with confidence and determination. While women are making strides in leadership roles, a significant gender gap still exists. In 2024, 36% of new CFO hires in FTSE 100 companies were female, a notable increase from 2023 when only 14% of new hires were female [1]. Despite this progress, women hold only 25% of CFO positions in the FTSE 100 [2]. These statistics highlight the ongoing need for greater gender diversity and support for women in finance. Looking for your next career move in finance or accountancy? At Sharp Consultancy, our expertise lies in matching your potential with the perfect temporary, interim, or permanent position. With a well-established presence in Leeds and Sheffield, our seasoned team of consultants extends their services across Yorkshire and beyond. Don't wait for opportunity to knock, reach out to us TODAY and let's chart your career path together.

Read article

The second instalment of the “Leaders Insight” series comes from the CFO at Camira Fabrics and recent winner of the ‘2023 Northern Finance Director Awards’ in the leadership category, Lucy Bolton.

Lucy qualified as a chartered accountant at Leeds based firm Sagars in 2007 moving onto Communisis Plc in 2010 where she worked her way to becoming Divisional Finance Director up until 2018 when she moved to Camira Fabrics to help them with their ambitious growth plan. Camira Fabrics design and manufacture textiles for every space and sector - from commercial and residential to public transport, including bus, coach, and rail.

1.Which of your earlier roles played the biggest part in your career development to becoming a CFO?

Without doubt my role as Group FC at Communisis plc was the most formative role of my career to date. A tough role that required me to have a high technical understanding of the numbers, whilst also being able to tell the story confidently to investors and analysts was an invaluable experience.

2.What is the one thing you know now that you wish you knew as a newly qualified Accountant?

A real appreciation that cash flow is just as (if not more) important than profit! Being able to read and understand the cash flow and working capital cycle of a business will give insight into so much more than the numbers. It will give you the clues as to how sales, commercial arrangements, operations, product and debt arrangements to name just a few, are working for (or against) the business.

3.How important to you was a mentor / mentorship in your career progression?

I think having supportive leaders around you day to day is more important than a mentor as such. A mentor you may only see occasionally but having regular access to knowledgeable people on a daily basis as you go through your career is important. Leaders who care about your development and allow you to ask any question…no question is a stupid question!

4.The role of a CFO has changed over the last decade. What further evolution do you see in the role of the CFO over the next 5 to 10 years?

The obvious answer to this would be that the CFO of the future will need to be well versed and agile with regards to digital solutions. Ensuring that management decisions are back by or driven by rich and relevant data is key to staying ahead of competition. However, I do think that CFOs are now required to think more strategically than perhaps a few years ago and should be expected to personally contribute to the top line growth of the company. A mindset of “how can we best invest to grow?” rather than “where can we save cost?” is a must.

5.Having become a CFO what do you “think of the view from the top” and how does it compare to what you thought it would be like?

I feel really privileged to be in this position and to be able to make decisions that shape the future of my company. I enjoy it! To be honest, the view is exactly as I thought it would be and is what I was striving for on my way to CFO. I think people who naturally think ‘bigger picture’ will always rise to these positions with the right amount of hard work!

6.What technologies will reshape the role of the CFO over the next few years?

I think that the key here is to understand that we wont yet know what these technologies will look like. Change in this area has been exponential and this trend will almost certainly continue. The real advantage will therefore lie with those CFOs who are agile and consistently embrace change. There needs to be a real desire to stay ahead of the game to succeed.

7.What is the one single best piece of advice you would give to an aspiring future finance leader?

Always back yourself and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to grasp an opportunity. Every role I have ever taken to date has been slightly out of reach on paper, and yet has shaped me into the CFO I wanted to become.

Thank you for reading the second installment of ‘Leaders Insight’, don’t forget to follow us on Linked Inso you don’t miss the next one.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today and see how we can help.

Leaders Insight - with Lucy Bolton, CFO at Camira Fabrics

Latest News & Insights.