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January is always a period of reset for finance teams.
Senior finance leaders step into roles, businesses revisit forecasts, and suppliers are quietly reassessed. Decisions that were planned for later in the year often move forward much sooner.
January 2026 was no different.
In just one month, there were thousands of buying signals for companies targeting finance buyers, including:
And that is before you get into the smaller operational changes happening inside finance teams every day.
On their own, these look like statistics.
In reality, each one represents a moment where something shifts.
Software providers. Partners. Investment.
Some of those moments matter to you.
Most do not.
The difference is context.
Honch adds that context, helping teams understand which signals point to genuine opportunities and which can be ignored.
Chief Financial Officer promoted
Neil McKenna was promoted to Chief Financial Officer at Whyte & Mackay in late January.
This comes as the business reports record pre-tax profits, invests in technology and supply chain modernisation, and places increasing emphasis on sustainability and employee experience.
A new CFO stepping into a business at this stage often signals a review of finance systems, procurement processes, reporting frameworks, and long-term supplier relationships. For finance and accounting providers, this is a clear moment when priorities are being reset.
CFO Appointed
Gordon Ramsay Restaurants continues to reinforce its senior finance function as it scales internationally. Nick Allen joined as Global CFO last month, joining from Holland & Barrett.
Private equity backing, international expansion, and a growing workforce create complexity across payroll, compliance, forecasting, and audit readiness. Recent senior finance hires point to a focus on strengthening controls, improving visibility, and modernising systems to support growth.
For fintech, payroll, ERP, and advisory firms, this combination of growth and new leadership often opens a window for supplier review.
Sokin raised £37 million and is focused on UK-led expansion across Asia, the Middle East, and South America.
For finance teams, this type of growth brings immediate pressure. Multi-entity reporting, cross-border compliance, FX exposure, cash flow visibility, and tighter controls all move up the agenda once funding lands.
In this context, funding is not just about growth. It is a trigger for reviewing finance systems, payments infrastructure, and reporting partners to support scale without increasing risk.
Most teams do not miss opportunities because they lack intent. They miss them because they lack visibility.
Generic company events are not enough.
A promotion without understanding financial pressure is just a title change.
A funding round without insight into reporting and compliance needs is just a headline.
A new hire without operational context is easy to overlook.
Honch is built specifically for teams selling into finance.
We track finance-specific buying signals and pair them with the context needed to act. That is how teams know who to contact, why now, and how to start the right conversation.
Just imagine giving your team a specialist finance assistant that works alongside them.
That is Bernard.
He helps teams:
The result is more relevant conversations, better timing, and fewer wasted approaches.
January delivered thousands of moments that could turn into real pipeline.
Right now, finance decisions and supplier reviews are already being shaped inside organisations including Ferrovial, Standard Chartered, Teva Pharmaceuticals, MUFG, Kier Group, Imperial College London, and Howden.
February, March, and the rest of 2026 will do exactly the same.
The only question is whether you are seeing these moments, understanding what they mean, and acting on them before someone else does.
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