The CFO role is often defined in moments of disruption, such as when growth slows, margins tighten, or markets turn. Less attention is paid to how the role evolves when a business regains momentum and enters a more durable phase of growth.Â
That is the context in which Alex Brocklehurst operates at Coach, a fashion brand owned by the global luxury lifestyle house Tapestry, Inc. (Tapestry is also the parent company of Kate Spade New York). After years of more modest performance, Coach has entered a new chapter of double-digit growth. For Brocklehurst, the challenge is no longer reigniting momentum, but sustaining it, and doing so without compromising brand value, profitability, or long-term resilience. The focus, he says, has shifted toward ensuring growth is financially sound, strategically coherent, and aligned with the brand’s long-term positioning.Â
Seen through Brocklehurst’s lens, sustaining growth shapes the CFO’s mandate in three important ways. It requires a sharper focus on the quality of growth, not just its pace. It depends on close collaboration between finance, marketing, and merchandising, where decisions on pricing, promotion, and brand equity are shaped jointly. And it elevates the importance of influence, curiosity, and judgment in finance leadership.Â
Coach has entered a new phase, delivering double-digit growth over the past four quarters. This is something Brocklehurst says the business “would not have even dreamed of three or four years ago.”Â
He attributes the shift to a deeper change in strategy, not just a rebound. “It came in with an inflection in our strategy, a much more consumer– focused mindset,” he says. The result, he believes, is a brand now positioned in a “sweet spot” between aspiration and accessibility, offering younger consumers an inviting entry point into the luxury space.Â
The tougher question, he says, is what comes next. “The focus of my role has evolved,” from managing more modest performance to strategically sustaining growth long-term. For him, the real test is if growth protects margins, brand equity, and long-term resilience. “Not every dollar of growth is created equal,” he observes.Â
In consumer businesses, few decisions affect growth more directly than those at the junction of finance and marketing.
In consumer businesses, few decisions affect growth more directly than those at the junction of finance and marketing. Brocklehurst sees the CFO–CMO dynamic as both critical and often misunderstood.Â
“One of the age-old actions companies can take is to lean on pricing and become more promotional in the short term,” he says. “That can solve an immediate issue, but it often compromises how the brand is perceived by consumers.” The tension is familiar, but he warns that repeated short-term fixes can quietly undermine long-term value.Â
Having worked with CMOs at Tapestry and earlier at L’OrĂ©al, Brocklehurst rejects the idea of a clash between finance and marketing. “Ultimately, we’re trying to achieve the same thing,” he says. The challenge, he argues, lies less in measurement than in judgment. In other words, deciding “what is the best place to put the next dollar of investment,” when returns may only materialize over several years.Â
That belief informs how he builds teams.
For Brocklehurst, technical expertise is no longer what sets finance leaders apart. “Those are table stakes,” he says. What now defines success is influence: the ability to shape decisions across the business through trusted insight and judgement.Â
“The CFO understands the business at a level of granularity that not many others look at,” he says. “But having that understanding without the influence is useless.” Analysis only matters if it can be turned into compelling, credible narratives that prompt action.Â
That belief informs how he builds teams. “Curiosity is the one thing I’m looking for more than anything else.” He values finance leaders who reduce repetitive work, ask insightful questions, and earn a seat at the table by being indispensable to other functions. Â
At Coach, growth has changed the CFO’s mandate. For Alex Brocklehurst, sustaining momentum means treating growth as a shared discipline and leading finance teams through influence, curiosity, and long-term judgment.Â
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