Leaders in Consumer-Focused Tech: Q&A with Dominique Highfield
We’re delighted to speak with Dominique Highfield, CFO of Bloom & Wild. Dominique brings a highly commercial and strategic approach to her work and is known for being customer focused, relationship driven, and passionate about people and performance. She joined Bloom & Wild as their first ever CFO, after senior roles at Purplebricks, including COO and CFO, where she helped steer major transactions and drive growth. Before that, she spent more than seven years at Pentland Brands, gaining extensive experience in finance, operations, and strategic leadership across consumer businesses.
In this conversation, Dominique shares her insights on consumer trends for 2026, the unique opportunities and challenges of leading finance in a private equity backed business, her experiences as a female leader in senior finance roles, and advice for those looking to step into C-Suite roles.
What trends do you predict will shape the consumer market in 2026?
We’re currently seeing the “Great Exhaustion,” so it’s about how people can create moments of joy for themselves and their loved ones. As they grow battle weary with the headlines and macro turmoil, I think these trends are ones we’re seeing in 2025 and will continue.
Values based consumption will remain key. I expect consumers to be cautious about where they spend their money - choosing brands they can trust and that share their values. That’s one of the reasons I joined Bloom & Wild, because of its B Corp status. But values alone aren’t enough. Customers are also looking for good value, continuing to seek discounts and good deals.
Loyalty schemes are becoming increasingly prevalent. We’ve launched a relatively new scheme and already have 1.5 million members, so we’re definitely seeing that trend grow.
And, of course, we can’t talk about consumers without mentioning their expectations around technology. Frictionless selling will continue to be a major theme, and brands that can be there simply and quickly for the moments that matter are the ones that will win. Customers increasingly expect the use of tech and personalisation to make their journeys easy and I think that’ll go even further in 2026.
What are some of the unique opportunities and challenges of leading finance in a private equity-backed business?
We’ll start with the opportunity. In private equity, you work with incredibly smart, experienced people who have the business’s best interests at heart. They support and challenge us to deliver our best results, bringing a wealth of experience and great networks that I tap into daily, which is fantastic.
If I have a problem or need something, they’re always well placed to support or connect me with someone who’s done it before or can help.
The challenges, being in a high growth business, are around managing how much to focus on growth versus profit - when to push for more growth or when to double down on profit. At the moment, we’re in a fortunate position to do both: grow our top line and improve profitability. But that balance is a constant challenge in finance, deciding when to prioritise growth or profit.
Another challenge is knowing when to scale and invest: the right time to invest in tools and processes while managing frugally with what we have. We want to scale and be tech savvy without increasing the cost base or functional costs too much. I’ve got a few clever pipeline initiatives in play at the moment, but it’s that age-old challenge of when to make do with what you’ve got and when to invest.
Have you faced any specific challenges as a woman in senior finance roles, and if so, how did you overcome them?
Yes I have, although definitely not at Bloom & Wild, where we’ve got a 50/50 female split at the exec level. But in previous roles, I’ve often been the only woman in the room, apart from the woman bringing in lunch or taking notes (pre-AI note-taking!). It’s important to be confident, have a voice, and remember why you’re there and the value you bring. Don’t be afraid to be different or to have an opposing point of view just because you might look or feel slightly different in that room.
What advice would you give to aspiring female leaders in finance who want to reach C-suite level?
I think it's really important to find a company that values you and supports the lifestyle you want in 2025. We shouldn't have to choose between our health and wellbeing, our career, and our family - whatever path we take.
So finding a company that values and enables you is key. But more than that, I believe workplace equality isn't enough, you also need equality at home to truly thrive in your career. I'd really urge women to surround themselves, both at home and in their circles, with people who support, cheerlead, enable, encourage, and most importantly, celebrate them.
My husband and I have been together 10 years. I really felt my career take off when he gave me the confidence and self-worth I needed. But more than that, at home with our children, he's taken on more than his traditional share. I often see that with successful women - they have a very hands-on, supportive partner at home. And I think that's incredibly important.
What have been some of the most significant milestones in your career?
I can't answer this question without mentioning the Purplebricks transaction. Purplebricks is a tech disruptor in the estate agency world - a major consumer brand. When I joined, it was at the height of its financial difficulties. Finding a buyer and successfully integrating it with another online competitor, Strike, was a huge milestone in my career. I remember the launch of the new business like it was yesterday.
What qualities do you believe are the most critical for leaders today?
Now more than ever, being data literate is essential. You often see CEOs who read Excel sheets and data better than CFOs and who embrace the future of tech without fear or pride, always willing to learn more.
Just as importantly, empathy and kindness are now seen as necessities, not soft skills. Over the years, they've become much more valued. And they go hand in hand with resilience and strength - they don’t come at the expense of each other. You can be kind and strong. Kindness is certainly not a weakness.
Bloom & Wild has grown significantly in recent years. What has been your proudest moment as CFO during this time?
I’ve just completed my first year with Bloom & Wild, and until now I’ve been cheering from the sidelines as the business has grown. Over the past 12 months, I’ve been especially proud to see our non-flower gifting business double in size. We’ve created a strong USP with same-day delivery and an unrivalled boxing experience, which means customers really trust us when sending gifts that go beyond flowers.
Our flower business is thriving - we’ve got three brands across eight markets and we’re performing well in each. But what’s especially exciting is the non-flower gifting space, where the market is 10 times larger than flowers. We’ve built real trust and awareness there, and we’re excited to see it take off.
It’s our loyalty scheme and purchase frequency, creating more occasions to buy, that are driving this growth. One of our most unique strengths is that 50% of new customers come to us because they received a gift from someone else. It creates a beautiful loop where the recipient becomes the sender. It’s a rare and powerful position to hold in the consumer market.
How Pearse Professionals can help
If you’d like to discuss this further, please get in touch with the team: info@pearseprofessionals.com