Wanting to be a Chief Financial Officer since he was 13 years old, Shaun Baird is now living his dream job. But what does this role entail? Baird talks to Idealog.

How did you know at the age of 13 that you wanted to be a CFO?

When I was growing up, I became interested in how businesses made money. This was partly due to my aunt who was a bookkeeper.  I thought accounting sounded like a cool job and so I set about finding out everything I could about it. I came across the role of Chief Financial Officer and from then on, this became my goal. I did a tonne of research – and this was in the days before the internet, so it was a lot more laborious – and worked backwards, figuring out what steps I needed to take to get there, what courses I needed to complete at university and the like. I had a plan, and I went for it.

Have your ideas of what a CFO at the age of 13 changed since becoming one?

Yes. It’s not exactly what I thought it would be. There is of course a base level of technical understanding required but overall, the role is much more one of leadership and empowerment. It’s a lot of people and stakeholder management; it’s about helping others to do what they need to do and less about doing the doing yourself. But critically it’s ensuring that we retain our sound financial practices so that we have a sustainable business now and for the next 100 years – and beyond. As a life and health insurer, sustainability of our business is important, because ultimately our promise to our customers, is everything.

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What are some of the daily tasks of being a CFO and what would you say is your favourite part?

A lot of my role is about talking to people, which I love. And it’s about helping the wider team understand how money works – what it can enable for the business and our customers.

Being in the c-suite, there is a stereotype that you are too busy, how busy are you but also how do you juggle your personal life as well?

This is true – it is very busy and there are a number of demands on your time. I am very grateful for my wonderful, supportive wife. I try to be present with what I am doing. So, when I’m at home, I focus on that, when I’m at work, I’m focused on work.

I am also a big fan of mindfulness. When I need to prepare for an important meeting or just re-centre, I often turn to nature. It sounds simple but when I focus on something like a tree, then hone in and really look at the detail of the bark or the patterns of the leaves, I don’t have room in my mind for all the noise and my attention shifts to where it needs to be in that moment. I am forced to slow down and breathe.

What do you like doing that is beyond CFO life?

The one-word answer is golf. I am extremely passionate about it! It’s a fantastic stress reliever for me and helps me stay grounded. I have found that when I sit down and tie the laces on my golf shoes it’s a signal for me to mentally connect to my game and disconnect from everything else. It’s also a great reminder about the importance of finding balance which is something that we talk a lot about at AIA NZ. We’re focused on helping our customers live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. Our AIA Vitality programme gives members a way to track their progress against their wellness goals. It reminds me of how I got here – I had an end goal in mind, but I broke it down into smaller, more achievable and measurable steps.