Q&A with Pollyanna Hadley, Head of Financial Planning & Analysis

Pollyanna joined Vortexa in January 2025 as a Head of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) and is based from the London office. Prior to Vortexa has worked with PE-backed technology businesses.

Fun fact: Polly can do the moonwalk, but hasn’t yet mastered the robot.

We wanted to find out what inspired Polly to join Vortexa, what some of her biggest milestones have been to date and what day-to-day life really looks like for a Head of FP&A… 

What inspired you to join Vortexa? 

I was keen to build on my experience working within SaaS and Vortexa presented an opportunity to get involved at an exciting stage of the journey. As I learned more about the groundbreaking technologies, and after meeting some of the impressive minds in the businesses, I had to be part of it.

What would you say is the most interesting aspect of your role? 

Because my role is strategic and future-focused, I get to see how all the different parts of the business fit together. I work closely with teams that bring all kinds of skills to the table, which means I’m constantly picking up new ideas and learning from the people around me.

What have been some significant milestone moments for you at Vortexa? 

Completing my first forecast cycle!

What does day-to-day life look like for you as a Head of FP&A?  

My role is a blend of strategic thinking, financial analysis and modelling (yep, lots of spreadsheets!), and cross-functional collaboration with the ultimate aim to help steer and shape Vortexa's financial future goals. There is a huge variety in the work - you never know what's coming next!

What key qualities make a Head of FP&A successful? 

Being a good communicator is key - a huge part of the job is to build relationships cross-functionally and be able to translate complex financial concepts into non-finance lingo.

Also having an analytical and problem-solving mindset is important to spot trends and opportunities within the financial data.

Finally, I think you have to be adaptable, be able to handle unexpected events and be able to act quickly.

How would you describe the culture at Vortexa? 

Everyone understands they are key to the journey and success of Vortexa. This creates a high-energy and collaborative work environment.

What advice would you give to people hoping to join Vortexa? 

The more you put in, the more you get out! There are incredible opportunities to get stuck-in across the business.

Describe your working life at Vortexa in three words! 

Collaborative, fast-paced, fun!