Stockland CFO: Bridging gaps, women in finance and the evolving role of the CFO

Stockland CFO Alison Harrop discusses personal career challenges, the value of the deputy CFO role, the barriers facing women in finance and the expanding role of the CFO.

Deloitte team

The role of the CFO has changed a lot in the last 15 years

6 min read

6:50AMApril 15, 2025

Alison Harrop is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Stockland, a diversified Australian property development company with a portfolio including residential and land lease communities, retail town centres, workplaces and logistics assets.

Harrop has more than 25 years’ experience in finance and operations in Australia and overseas across sectors including property, government and financial services. She has previously held senior finance roles at Macquarie Group, Australia Post and Westpac, and was CFO at Dexus before joining Stockland.

In the conversation below, Harrop discusses personal career challenges, the value of the deputy CFO role, the barriers facing women in finance and the expanding role of the CFO.

Q. Can you describe your journey to the CFO role?

Harrop: I started as a traditional accountant, working my way through various financial service organisations. Early in my career, I focused on collecting new skills, trying new things, working for different companies and rounding out my experience.

By the time I finished my second stint at Macquarie Group in 2010, I’d been working for a long time and had gradually moved up the ladder through different finance roles. But I didn’t know what to do next. I was relatively senior but not on a leadership team, and I wasn’t thinking of becoming a CFO. It seemed beyond my capability – and frankly, I didn’t want to be a technical accountant.

That was until I got a call about a CFO opening at Australia Post. The more I talked to the CEO, the more he persuaded me: I’d get to be involved with the full breadth of the organisation, and I’d be a decision maker. The technical side was just a small part of it – the rest was highly strategic, and given it’s an unlisted entity, I’d be out of the spotlight. It was a safe way to take up my first CFO role, and I did that until I was ready to think about returning to a listed company.

I then joined Dexus as deputy CFO, which was another safe move that helped me find my feet before I stepped up to CFO. I’ve been in CFO roles ever since!

Q. What was it about the deputy CFO role that helped you take that next step?

Harrop: In my experience, it would have been too difficult to make that leap to a listed company. CFOs are often the only person in the company with certain responsibilities, so it’s really hard to prepare aspiring talent for the role. If you’re a general manager of finance, you’re not doing investor relations, raising money for the company or dealing with the tax office on challenging issues – it’s a huge gap.

CFOs almost need to cannibalise their own job to give others the experience they need. I needed that exposure, and being a deputy CFO helped me bridge that gap. For a lot of women in particular, that interim step is really, really valuable for building confidence. When I’ve moved on from previous CFO roles, I’ve deliberately given the organisation the option to promote another woman – often from a deputy CFO position.

After the global financial crisis of 2008, CFOs started becoming all-rounders, says Alison Harrop, Chief Financial Officer at Stockland

Q. Aside from your experience at Australia Post, what changed your perception of what it means to be a CFO?

Harrop: The role of the CFO has changed a lot in the last 15 years. It used to have a few more boundaries around it: your job was very much focused on being responsible for the finances. Things began to shift after the 2008 global financial crisis, when CFOs started becoming all-rounders whose input and experience was more and more valuable to the rest of the leadership team.

This continued through the COVID-19 pandemic when many of the associated issues weren’t necessarily financial. Accountants are trained to analyse a process and look at a business from a certain angle, and I think this is such a transferable skill. And the role is still evolving. Take sustainability, for example – I’ll need to be an expert within the next two years so I can properly disclose the relevant data.

Q. Do women face unique challenges when pursuing senior leadership roles in finance?

Harrop: There are a few things going on. There are plenty of very, very capable women in management roles, but many are happy where they are because they have young children or other responsibilities to manage. So, for some, I think there’s a fear of overcommitting and, ultimately, failure. This can be a real source of tension, and I think it affects women more often than men.

When I had my daughter, I worked three days a week, then four, then four-and-a-half. I did this for about six years so I could pick the children up from school on Wednesdays and spend the afternoon with them. But I had to make that choice to be a CFO.

There are so many off ramps in that period when you have children under 10 years of age. A number of times, I’ve been tempted to skate down the off ramp and decide I’m done, because it’s all too hard. It’s such a challenging window, and once you miss it, it’s so hard to make up that ground. That was why I kept working four or four-and-a-half days – to keep progressing.

I’ll never forget my second round of maternity leave. I told my boss I wanted to take a bit more time off, and he said if I did, he’d give my role to someone else. He basically forced me to make a choice: be at home with my family, or be a CFO and work long hours five days a week. I moved to a more flexible organisation who were willing to promote me even if I worked four days.

Q. How can organisations support women who experience these challenges?

Harrop: Organisations have a lot of influence. Early in my career, I would have benefited if someone had said, “We think you can do more, we’re going to put you in this role to stretch you.” Otherwise, I’d think I’m not ready or capable for the role and wouldn’t apply. So, I think organisations can deliberately and strategically target promising talent and put them in roles that will help them develop.

Culture is key. You should be willing to take a risk on any up-and-coming talent, regardless of gender. But it’s particularly important for women because some may be more reluctant to put their hand up for a role that’s outside their comfort zone. I was lucky to experience that kind of culture, where people just expect you to get on with it.

Some organisations are less willing to take that risk, and if they don’t have that culture, it’s going to be hard. They need to put all the support they can behind rising talent and be prepared for whatever the outcome is.

Disclaimer

This publication contains general information only and Deloitte is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor.

Deloitte shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by any person who relies on this publication.

About Deloitte

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the “Deloitte” name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.