Biography.
Short Bio.
Sarah Petty an ex-corporate finance leader, a qualified CPA, and the Founder of Olive Business Partners, a Virtual CFO firm, who has worked with businesses at every stage of growth, from early-stage startups to multi-billion-dollar global organisations. She brings CFO-level thinking to small business owners who want clarity, control and a business that actually makes money. Sarah is known for making finance practical, commercial and also human, and firmly believes that if you’re running the business, you should be paid like the CEO.
Detailed Bio.
Sarah Petty is the Founder of Olive Business Partners, a Virtual CFO firm supporting businesses to improve their financial management and achieve sustainable, long-term growth. She is a qualified CPA and accomplished CFO, known for bringing clarity, commercial thinking and a human approach to financial leadership.
Throughout her career, Sarah has led high-performing teams across financial planning and analysis (FP&A), commercial finance, strategic projects and financial control. She holds a BA/BCom from Deakin University and has worked across Australia and Asia in senior finance roles with top-tier multinational and ASX-listed organisations, including GE, Kraft Foods, Mondelez, Kellogg’s, Lion, Bega and Target. She has also held the role of CFO for Buzz, a privately owned product design agency, where she oversaw Finance, Planning and IT.
Sarah has worked with businesses at every stage of growth, from early-stage startups through to multi-billion-dollar global organisations. This breadth of experience gives her a unique perspective on what it really takes to scale a business well - financially, operationally and personally. Through Olive Business Partners, she and her team bring CFO-level thinking to business owners who want clarity, control and a business that actually makes money. She firmly believes that if you’re running the business, you should be paid like the CEO.
Alongside her client work, Sarah serves as a Non-Executive Director and Treasurer for Gasworks Arts Park. She is a regular panelist, presenter and keynote speaker at industry events and is passionate about empowering passionate business owners and the next generation of leaders.
Sarah is known for making finance practical, commercial and refreshingly human, and for building trusted relationships with clients and teams grounded in integrity, trust and authenticity.
My Path.
My finance career started with a plot twist. I was let go from my first graduate role before I even started. It was my introduction to corporate restructures, but it wasn’t the end of the story. I bounced back, found a better opportunity, climbed the corporate ladder, and eventually took the leap to build my own business.
I’ve worked with businesses earning their first dollar and businesses earning their first billion dollars, and similar financial issues show up at every level, just on a different scale.
My career has taken me around the world, including several years living in Singapore. Along the way I’ve been part of major product launches, tense customer negotiations, walking factory floors in remote locations, and even milking a cow!
As an ex-corporate finance leader, a qualified CPA, and the Founder of Olive Business Partners, a Virtual CFO firm in Australia, I have spent my career inside businesses at every stage of growth, from early-stage startups figuring things out as they go, to global, multi-billion-dollar organisations including GE, Kraft Foods, Mondelez, Lion, Bega, Kellogg’s and Wesfarmers (sometimes still figuring things out as they go!).
What that’s given me is perspective. I've seen what works when businesses scale well, what breaks when they don’t, and how financial pressure is the biggest cause of stress in a business. After years in corporate roles, I made a deliberate shift and built Olive Business Partners to bring CFO-level thinking to small business owners who want clarity, control and a business that actually makes money.
I help business owners to make finance practical, commercial and also human. I don't rely on complicated spreadsheets, scare tactics or generic advice. I help owners understand what the numbers are really saying, where the pressure is coming from, and how to make decisions that support both growth and personal sustainability.
My experience spans across retail, consumer goods, manufacturing, design, professional services, education and the arts, across corporate, private and not-for-profit environments. I have also contributed my expertise on several boards and have been a long-term volunteer with children’s charities, because strong businesses and meaningful impact can, and should, go hand in hand.
I am a regular panelist, presenter and keynote speaker, often invited to speak on growth, cash flow, leadership and the financial habits that separate busy businesses from successful ones.
I love what I do and my goal is to help more business owners to have financial success.
