High-Low with a CFO: Joachim Weber

In this edition of High-Low with a CFO, we sat down with Joachim Weber, an experienced finance leader who has navigated post-merger chaos, redefined financial reporting, and even built a company-wide bonus structure from scratch. From high-stakes decisions to coffee-fueled strategy sessions, here’s what he had to say.

Ben from CFO Connect: What’s the wildest risk you’ve taken that actually paid off?

Joachim Weber: The biggest risk I ever took was stepping into a newly created finance role at a company going through a post-merger integration. It was a situation where almost nothing was set in stone—no clear roadmap, no structured expectations, and no safety net of existing processes. On top of that, I was stepping into an entirely new function. Everything about it was uncertain, which made it both exhilarating and daunting.

I remember walking in on my first day and realising just how much was unknown—not just to me, but to the entire organisation. It was a sink-or-swim moment, and I had to build the role as I went, figuring out what was most important while navigating a complex, evolving environment. It was an intense couple of years, but in hindsight, I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. Those formative years taught me almost everything I know today. Taking that leap into the unknown turned out to be one of the most valuable decisions of my career.

Ben from CFO Connect: If you could time travel, what’s one career decision you’d change?

Joachim Weber: There was a moment in my career when I was offered a leadership role, and I said yes without really thinking it through. I was flattered by the offer, and I let that cloud my judgment. I assumed that because I had been chosen, I must be ready for the challenge.

Luckily, the role never materialised due to external circumstances, and in hindsight, that was a blessing. Looking back now, I can see just how misaligned it would have been—not just in terms of the business trajectory, but also in terms of where I was in my own development. Had I taken that position, I would have walked straight into a high-stakes situation I wasn’t fully prepared for, and it likely would have set me back rather than pushed me forward. That experience taught me a critical lesson: just because an opportunity looks shiny it does not have to be the right one.

Ben from CFO Connect: What’s a seemingly small decision that had a major impact?

Joachim Weber: One of the most fascinating things in finance is how the way you present information can completely change the trajectory of decision-making. A simple adjustment in financial reporting can shift focus, spark conversations, and even drive major strategic change.

At one point, I adjusted how we reported profitability by business line, and that one decision ended up triggering an entire strategy review. By structuring the data differently, we made it crystal clear that one of our business lines had a profitability issue that had previously gone unnoticed or, at the very least, hadn’t been seen as a priority.

This wasn’t something that had been high on the agenda before, but once the numbers were presented in a way that made the issue impossible to ignore, leadership immediately took action. What followed was a deep dive into the business, a restructuring effort, and ultimately, a turnaround. It reinforced the idea that financial reporting isn’t just about numbers—it’s about storytelling. It’s about guiding attention to what truly matters.

Ben from CFO Connect: When did you feel completely in over your head?

Joachim Weber: When I first stepped into my post-merger role, I had no idea what I was walking into. I thought I understood the scope of the job, but within days, I realized I had underestimated the complexity of what needed to be done. I was new to the organization, the role was entirely new, and there were no existing processes in place. It quickly became clear that expectations were high, but there wasn’t a clear roadmap on how to meet them.

It felt overwhelming—there were so many competing priorities, and I had to figure out what needed to be tackled first. The only way to manage it was to take a step back, prioritise ruthlessly, and communicate clearly. I couldn’t fix everything at once, but I could systematically work through the biggest problems while making sure stakeholders knew their concerns were heard. I learned that transparency and structured problem-solving are key when you’re thrown into the deep end. People can handle delays or setbacks if they know there’s a plan in place—they just don’t want to be left in the dark.

Ben from CFO Connect: When’s the last time you felt joy in your role?

Joachim Weber: It happened recently—I was sitting in our headquarters with the founders, deep in a strategy session. I had brought some analysis I had worked on, and it ended up shaping the direction of our discussion. For hours, we bounced ideas back and forth, digging into different scenarios and exploring how our strategy should be reflected in financial management.

I love those moments because they bridge the gap between numbers and vision. Finance isn’t just about looking at past performance—it’s about enabling the future. When you can use financial insights to directly shape the company’s trajectory, that’s where the real impact happens.

Ben from CFO Connect: If you could erase one finance buzzword or trend forever, what would it be?

Joachim Weber: It’s not about erasing a buzzword—it’s about recognising when they become overused and misapplied. A great example is big data. For a while, it was the solution to everything. Every company thought they needed a big data strategy, even if they didn’t actually have a big data problem.

Now we’re seeing the same thing with AI. AI has incredible applications and is getting more important every day, but not every business problem requires an AI-driven solution - at least not yet. Sometimes, you don’t need big data—you just need good data and clear decision-making frameworks. When buzzwords take over, companies can lose sight of the fundamentals in pursuit of hype-driven solutions.

Ben from CFO Connect: What’s something in your personal life that you approach with as much strategy as work?

Joachim Weber: Coffee. I went all in—countless hours of research, comparing equipment, testing different roasters across Germany. I kept detailed tasting notes and analyzed everything from bean quality to brewing techniques.

Eventually, I landed on the Decent Espresso Machine, which is essentially the Tesla (in the strictly technological, not ideological sense) of espresso machines. It’s fully electronic, loaded with sensors, and lets you fine-tune every parameter. Do I need all of that? No. But I love precision, and this machine gives me full control over every cup of coffee I make.

Ben from CFO Connect: If you had unlimited budget and resources, what’s the one thing you’d overhaul in your company tomorrow?

Joachim Weber: Data infrastructure. Over time, companies accumulate a messy web of siloed data systems. Right now, too much time is spent pulling together fragmented data instead of actually analyzing it.

If I had unlimited resources, I’d build a fully integrated data infrastructure—one centralized system where every piece of financial and operational data flows seamlessly. The amount of efficiency and insight that would unlock would be game-changing.