For decades, CFOs have been optimised to avoid mistakes rather than shape strategy, with compliance acting as a ceiling for finance teams. Seeking to flip this narrative is Lucanet, a solution platform for the Office of the CFO that aims to make regulatory demands so seamless that compliance no longer defines the limits of what finance can achieve.
Lucanet provides an intelligent, cloud-based, ERP-agnostic platform that replaces fragmented spreadsheets with a single, governed source of truth. Now supporting over 6,000 customers in more than 50 countries, the firm helps finance and tax leaders manage complex workflows—from consolidation and financial planning to ESG reporting—allowing them to shift from “back-office guardians” to strategic partners.
Elias Apel, CEO of Lucanet, shares his transition from M&A advisor to operator and the mission to automate high-friction workflows through AI.
Tell us about your career path prior to starting your company
Before joining Lucanet, I spent more than a decade in corporate finance and M&A. My work involved advising startups, mid-market companies, and large enterprises on complex mergers, acquisitions, and financing transactions. In mid-2018, I transitioned from an advisor to an operator role at Lucanet, initially leading partner channel expansion and global go-to-market. I joined the executive board as CFO in 2022 before becoming CEO in 2023.
Tell us more about your company and its offering
Lucanet offers a platform designed specifically for the Office of the CFO to manage workflows such as consolidation, financial planning, tax compliance, and ESG reporting. Our software replaces disconnected systems and spreadsheets with a single source of truth, leading to faster closes and audit-ready reporting. This allows finance teams to move away from backwards-looking reconciliations and focus more on forward-looking strategic activities and value creation.
What problem was your company set up to solve?
As companies scale across different markets and currencies, finance departments often face increasing complexity and fragmentation. Many teams still rely on disconnected systems that introduce risk and limit visibility across the group. Lucanet was founded to bring clarity and efficiency into a unified platform, giving CFOs a trusted view of their data, especially as regulatory demands like IFRS, ESG, and CSRD continue to expand.
What has been the biggest challenge or most ‘tricky moment’ to overcome?
Our biggest challenge has been scaling alongside the market while maintaining the absolute precision that finance and tax leaders demand. In our industry, there is no margin for error. Balancing cloud transformation, international growth, and AI acceleration without compromising quality requires deep discipline. We have to make very deliberate choices about where to innovate and when to say “no” to protect the robustness of the platform.
What are your biggest achievements or ‘proudest moment’ so far?
I am incredibly proud of seeing finance and tax leaders reclaim their time and influence. Our proudest moments are when customers reach a point where compliance feels assured rather than stressful. Recently, an international CFO told me he has implemented Lucanet in his third business because it is now an undisputed part of his “playbook” for fast, CFO-driven value creation. That level of unconditional trust is a significant milestone for us.
How would you describe the culture of your company?
Our culture is built on expertise, innovation, and accountability. We bring together finance professionals, technologists, and regulatory specialists who truly understand the pressures of the Office of the CFO. There is a strong sense of ownership across our teams, and we work cross-functionally to ensure our platform remains reliable as we navigate varying international regulatory requirements.
What’s in store for the future?
In the coming years, I expect the Office of the CFO to fully release the handbrake on AI. This shift will go beyond just automating high-friction workflows; it will allow user communities to create new value through trusted insights at unprecedented speed. Lucanet is investing heavily in AI-driven intelligence so finance leadership can lead the conversation in an AI agentic age.
