EC Solution · The Playbook Series

Three playbooks.
The real work of
finance leadership.

Not theory. Not textbook accounting. Practical frameworks, checklists and hard-won thinking for finance leaders — whether you're stepping into the CFO seat, navigating PE, or building a fractional practice.

01
The CFO Playbook
2026 Edition · 120 pages · 23 sections
£29.99
02
The PE CFO Playbook
Series A · Growth · Exit
£29.99
03
The Fractional CFO Playbook
Build · Price · Deliver
£34.99
Three books in the series
Written by a working Fractional CFO
Instant PDF download
No filler. No theory.
From £29.99 per book
The Playbook Series

Three books. One practice.

Each playbook is written from direct experience — not summarised from someone else's thinking. Pick the one that fits where you are right now, or get all three.

Book 01
The CFO Playbook

The complete guide to the CFO role — from your first 30 days to exit preparation. Every topic a finance leader will face, covered in depth across 23 sections and 120 pages.

  • Strategic finance and commercial partnering
  • Cashflow forecasting and treasury
  • Board meetings and governance
  • 30-60-90 day CFO plan with full checklists
  • FP&A, KPIs and rolling forecasting
  • AI and automation in finance
Book 02
The PE CFO Playbook

The finance leader's guide to working inside a PE-backed business — from the moment the deal closes to the moment the business exits. Investor dynamics, financial due diligence and value creation, without the jargon.

  • Navigating the PE investor relationship
  • Financial due diligence and deal readiness
  • Value creation frameworks and reporting
  • Covenant management and debt structures
  • Exit preparation and the sale process
  • 100-day plan for a PE-backed CFO
Book 03
The Fractional CFO Playbook

How to build, price and deliver a fractional CFO practice that clients value and return to. The commercial and operational guide for senior finance leaders who want to work independently — and do it well.

  • Positioning and pricing your practice
  • Discovery, proposals and onboarding
  • Delivering across multiple clients
  • Management accounts and cash flow delivery
  • Board reporting as a fractional leader
  • Building long-term client relationships
About The CFO Playbook

Written from experience.
Not from a textbook.

The CFO Playbook was written because when I stepped into my first senior finance role, nobody handed me a guide. I worked it out through difficult board meetings, PE investors who asked questions I was not prepared for, and business crises that required a level of clarity I had to develop on the job.

Every section is written from direct experience. If it is in this playbook, I have encountered it, worked through it and formed a view on how to handle it well. Not a summary of someone else's thinking. The real thing.

Each of the 23 sections follows the same structure: why it matters, how to do it, how to check, and what best practice actually looks like. Practical frameworks, real checklists, honest commentary.

"The best playbooks are the ones that become well-worn."

In the sample (free on LinkedIn)
  • Cash vs profit — the 13-week forecast
  • PE investors and financial due diligence
  • Board meetings that build confidence
  • Finding and fixing financial leaks
  • The first 30 days in a CFO role
  • AI and automation in finance
The full playbook also covers
  • Investor relations and the IR calendar
  • Banking relationships and treasury
  • Debt funding and covenant negotiation
  • Governance, risk and the control environment
  • Audit committees and year-end audit
  • FP&A cycles, rolling forecasting, metrics
  • Finance function transformation and ERP
  • Leading business transformation
  • Multi-entity management and consolidation
  • The complete 30-60-90 day plan
Full contents

23 sections. Nothing left out.

Every topic a finance leader will face, covered in depth. From your first week to exit preparation.

01
Strategic Finance & Partnering
02
Commercial Acumen
03
Being a Trusted Adviser
04
Value Creation
05
Continuous Improvement
06
PE & Venture: Series A to Exit
07
Building Your Finance Team
08
Investor Relations
09
Cashflow Forecasting
10
Banking & Treasury
11
Debt Funding & Financing
12
Governance
13
Risk Management
14
Finance & Audit Committee
15
Board Meetings
16
FP&A Cycles
17
Audits
18
Metrics, KPIs & Performance
19
Finding Financial Leaks
20
Leading Business Transformation
21
Multi-Entity Management
22
Finance Function & Systems
23
AI & Automation in Finance

Plus the complete 30-60-90 day CFO plan with phase-by-phase checklists.

Who this is for

Written for finance leaders who want to lead, not just report.

Newly appointed CFOs and FDs

Starting a new role and want to move fast, build credibility quickly and establish the right foundations in the first 90 days. The 30-60-90 day plan alone is worth the price.

Experienced finance leaders

Already in the role and want a comprehensive reference that covers the full breadth of the CFO mandate — from investor relations to AI adoption to multi-entity consolidation.

Fractional CFOs and portfolio leaders

Working across multiple clients and businesses. A consistent framework to apply across every engagement, from first-week diagnostics to exit preparation.

Finance managers stepping up

Ambitious finance managers who want to understand what the CFO role actually involves and build the skills, perspective and commercial instinct to get there faster.

Choose your playbook

Instant download. Yours to keep.

Each playbook is a standalone PDF download. Buy the one that's right for where you are now.

Book 01
The CFO Playbook

The complete guide to the CFO role — 23 sections, 120 pages. From your first 30 days to exit preparation.

£29.99
one-time
  • 23 sections · 120 pages
  • 30-60-90 day CFO plan with checklists
  • Instant PDF download
  • Yours to keep indefinitely
Get The CFO Playbook
Book 02
The PE CFO Playbook

The finance leader's guide to working inside a PE-backed business — from deal close to exit.

£29.99
one-time
  • PE investor dynamics and reporting
  • Due diligence and exit preparation
  • Instant PDF download
  • Yours to keep indefinitely
Get The PE CFO Playbook
Book 03
The Fractional CFO Playbook

How to build, price and deliver a fractional CFO practice that clients value and return to.

£34.99
one-time
  • Positioning, pricing and proposals
  • Delivery across multiple clients
  • Instant PDF download
  • Yours to keep indefinitely
Get The Fractional CFO Playbook
Work with EC Solution

Beyond the playbook. Senior financial leadership,
right-sized for your business.

If reading this has raised questions about your own business, the conversation is worth having.

Fractional CFO

Embedded CFO leadership without the full-time cost.

I work as part of your leadership team — attending board meetings, managing investor relationships and driving the commercial agenda. Series A through to exit.

2 to 4 days per week · 6 to 24 months
Board Advisory

Independent financial perspective at board level.

For boards and business owners who need a senior finance voice — challenging assumptions, stress-testing plans and providing the confidence that comes from real CFO experience.

Structured around your board calendar
Non-Executive Director

Formal NED appointments for ambitious growth businesses.

Independent governance, financial oversight and strategic challenge. Particularly suited to businesses approaching institutional investment or preparing for acquisition.

4 to 6 board meetings per year

Let's have a conversation.

No obligation and no pitch — just a direct, honest discussion about whether and how EC Solution can help your business.

Book a free discovery call

Three books. All the frameworks you need.

Practical finance leadership, written from experience. Pick the one that fits where you are right now.

See all three playbooks