As the former CFO of Microsoft's Worldwide Operations, Ken Hickey has sat in the chair his clients sit in now. He brings that lived experience to help senior finance leaders strengthen judgement, influence, and leadership impact through the growth, transformation, and complexity they increasingly face.
I spent more than thirty years in finance, including eleven years as CFO of Microsoft's Worldwide Operations. I’ve led global finance organisations through growth, transformation, and constant change, and have served both as an executive director and a Board Chair. I know the demands of the CFO role from the inside because I have lived them.
Over that time, I saw that technical expertise alone does not determine a finance leader’s impact. The leaders who thrive combine sound judgement with executive presence, enterprise perspective, and the ability to influence beyond the numbers. They can step back from the detail, navigate competing demands, and help shape the decisions that move the business forward.
That is the work I do now. I coach and mentor CFOs and senior finance leaders to strengthen judgement under pressure, executive presence, board-level influence, and their ability to lead a high-performing Finance function while contributing at enterprise level.
My approach is practical, direct, and grounded in the realities of the role. I help clients examine the decisions, relationships, and leadership patterns that matter most, then turn insight into action in live business situations. Formal master’s-level coaching training gives the work rigour; first-hand CFO and board experience gives it context. I will challenge you candidly, support you fully, and help you lead with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.
I spent more than fifteen years at Microsoft, living and working across Ireland and the US. This included roles as CFO of Worldwide Operations and CFO of Worldwide Communications Sector, leading global Finance teams through rapid growth, transformation, and constant change.
Before Microsoft, I held senior finance leadership roles over fifteen years at Hertz, GE Capital, and AIG - working across the travel and financial services sectors in complex, performance-driven global businesses.
That breadth has given me practical experience in the areas that matter most to senior finance leaders: strategy and planning, governance, growth, transformation, AI and digital change, executive influence, board engagement, and building high-performing finance teams.
Alongside my executive career, I have spent several years lecturing in Business Strategy on UCD’s Bachelor of Business Studies programme. I also teach strategy, leadership, and organisational culture on MBA and graduate programmes.
I have served as a Board Chair and held other board-level roles. That experience gives me a first-hand understanding of the expectations, dynamics, and decisions that shape the boardroom.
