We’re pleased to introduce Peter McWilliam, who is joining the Standard Ledger team on 25 May as Client CFO.
Peter brings something that is difficult to find in a fractional CFO: deep operational finance experience built from the inside of high-growth businesses, combined with firsthand exposure to startup capital, investors and the real pressure of scaling – and a hands-on approach that means he gets into the systems, the financial workflows and the operational detail, not just the strategy.
A track record built inside high-growth businesses
Peter has been active in the Australian startup ecosystem since 2008. Through Sydney Angels, he has reviewed thousands of startup summaries, sat through hundreds of founder pitches, mentored applicants, contributed to angel investor education, and invested personally in early-stage businesses. That experience gave him a deep understanding of how investors assess opportunities, how founders can communicate more effectively with them, and how early decisions compound over time.
He later spent more than a decade as CFO at ASX-listed Jayride, guiding the business through startup, scaleup, ASX listing, pandemic disruption and significant market change. During that time, Peter helped raise more than $44 million across angel, venture and public markets. It’s the kind of experience that only comes from being inside a business as it navigates real pressure – not watching from the outside.
Importantly, Peter hasn’t just advised founders – he has backed businesses himself, taken equity risk, and understands what founders are actually going through. That founder mindset shapes how he works.
What he brings to founders
Having navigated capital raises, public markets and board-level decision-making under real pressure, Peter brings a calm, grounded approach to the businesses he works with. He understands stakeholder psychology in a way that only comes from lived experience, and knows that long-term trust is built by consistently delivering on what a business says it will do – internally and externally, with investors, boards and key stakeholders.
His focus is on helping founders make better decisions, preserve optionality, and build the financial visibility and discipline needed to scale effectively. He understands that finance doesn’t exist in isolation – having worked closely with engineering, operations and commercial teams across his career, he knows how leadership structures, governance and internal processes need to evolve as a company grows.
He is as comfortable working through day-to-day operational challenges as he is supporting investor discussions, board reporting and capital strategy.
One thing that matters deeply to Peter is working with driven, humble and high-character people. That combination stood out immediately about the Standard Ledger team – and it’s exactly how he likes to operate with the founders and businesses he supports.
A little about Peter
Peter is based in Armidale, New South Wales, midway between Sydney and Brisbane, and has worked remotely since the pandemic – including throughout his time at Jayride. Distributed teams and fast-moving environments are very much his natural habitat. He comes through Sydney regularly, is well connected across the startup ecosystem there, and runs a business in the city together with his wife.
Outside of work, Peter is into golf, rock climbing and ocean swimming, and enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter. You’ll regularly find him listening to podcasts on business, investing and technology. He’s involved in surf lifesaving and coaches junior soccer in his local community. He values the time Armidale gives him to be outdoors – something he’ll tell you is important for maintaining perspective, clarity and energy over the long term.
Peter is genuinely excited to be working with the next generation of founders tackling the next set of challenges. We’re equally pleased to have him on the team.
