Louise Haskins – CFO & Transformation Leadership
DELIVERING OUTCOMES IN STRATEGIC GROWTH, OPERATIONAL INTEGRATION, AND FINANCIAL EXCELLENCE
Louise is a commercially minded CFO and transformation leader with over 20 years of experience driving strategic growth, operational integration, and financial excellence across ASX-listed and privately held businesses. She brings a rare combination of executive financial leadership and deep commercial acumen — built across some of Australia's most significant retail and wholesale hardware businesses.
With a career defined by her ability to lead high-performing teams through complex change — whether scaling operations, integrating acquisitions, or managing multi-entity commercial environments — Louise's approach is grounded in rigorous financial management, strategic clarity, and an unwavering focus on commercial outcomes. She has operated at CFO and executive level across businesses with revenues exceeding $2.8 billion, and brings board-level credibility and experience to every engagement.
Areas of expertise
CFO & executive financial leadership: Delivering the full CFO mandate across large, complex organisations — from financial reporting and capital management to board engagement, risk oversight, and strategic decision support.
Business transformation & integration: Leading organisations through complex transformation programmes and multi-entity integrations — with a track record of maintaining financial discipline and commercial momentum through periods of significant change.
Retail & wholesale commercial finance: Deep sector expertise in hardware retail and wholesale — spanning joint ventures, franchised networks, owned store operations, and import and procurement — with direct accountability for P&L outcomes across large, distributed site networks.
Joint venture & partnership management: Structuring and managing complex joint venture arrangements, including full Executive Team accountability for JV performance, governance, and commercial outcomes.
Strategic growth & FP&A: Driving top-line revenue growth and EBIT improvement through disciplined financial planning, commercial analysis, pricing strategy, and performance management across complex, multi-entity business structures.
Procurement & contract management: Negotiating and managing large-scale supplier and procurement relationships — including non-trade procurement, supplier rebates, import management, and commercial contract structuring.
Proven Track Record
CFO, Independent Hardware Group (Metcash): Over six years as CFO of IHG — one of Australia's largest hardware retail and wholesale networks — with direct accountability for a business generating $2.8 billion in sales, $129 million EBIT, and funds employed of approximately $840 million.
Retail network growth at scale: As Commercial Manager for Mitre 10 Joint Ventures and Owned Stores, drove sales growth from $100 million to $900 million across a 55-site network — one of the most significant commercial growth trajectories in Australian hardware retail.
Executive leadership in joint ventures: Served as General Manager – Joint Ventures (Hardware) at Metcash, with Executive Team accountability for a $500 million revenue, $18 million EBIT joint venture business — overseeing governance, commercial performance, and strategic direction.
End-to-end commercial management at Mitre 10: Over seven years at Mitre 10 Australia across progressively senior roles — from merchandise and supplier management through to full commercial management of corporate stores spanning up to 6 entities, 9 retail stores, and 2 truss plants.
Professional standing: Fellow CPA Australia (FCPA) and Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) — reflecting the highest standards of financial leadership, governance, and professional practice.
Approach
Louise combines the discipline of a CFO with the commercial instincts of an operator — having spent her career embedded in businesses where financial rigour and commercial performance are inseparable. She brings board-level credibility and executive gravitas to complex, multi-stakeholder environments, and is trusted by leadership teams to drive transformation, manage risk, and deliver results. Her strength lies in translating financial complexity into clear strategic direction — and in building the people, processes, and structures that make performance sustainable.