Inside the rise of a CFO leading a global theatre giant

Working in show business can be intoxicating. From waiting on ticket sales and dealing with the jitters of opening night to the awe-inspiring magic of the curtain going up.

For Nicole Marcusson CPA, chief financial officer of award-winning theatrical powerhouse Michael Cassel Group (MCG), seeing audiences leave with smiles on their faces is one of the things that makes her job worthwhile.

“I am pretty new to theatre, but I’m quickly and heavily falling in love with the whole business,” says Marcusson.

Reaching A$1 billion in ticket sales globally late in 2024 is a powerful testament to the enduring appeal of world-class theatrical entertainment — especially in the face of cost-of-living pressures and broader economic challenges.

Marcusson says MCG is uniquely geared for expansion, and the business is constantly planning for what’s coming down the pipeline. “It’s a cyclical business and it’s built for further growth,” she says.

“It’s very, very easy for our focus to be on the shows that we have right now, but equally as important, and probably even more so, is what we’ve got coming in the next few years.

“That means a lot of planning ahead for the scheduling, resourcing and investors.”

The curtain opens

The glitz of the entertainment industry is a long way from Marcusson’s first workplace experience. As a proud Wiradjuri woman, she successfully applied for a cadetship through Australia’s National Indigenous Cadetship Program while studying at Griffith University, and found herself navigating the Queensland Government’s Department of Housing and Public Works.

The role taught her what it meant to work in a team and demonstrated how finance roles support every aspect of an organisation.

“It taught me how to work in an office environment, about having a boss, how to use Microsoft Excel and all sorts of things that I didn’t know,” she says.

“I was the first person in my family to have an office job and navigate corporate life, so I am a huge advocate of workplace programs that support Indigenous people,” says Marcusson. “Being able to show that an Indigenous Australian can be the CFO of a major business is pretty important to me.”

 

"My first year [at Michael Cassel Group] has been an absolute whirlwind. We premiered Hamilton, Titaníque, Dear Evan Hansen, MJ the Musical and Beetlejuice the Musical in Australia, and The Picture of Dorian Gray on Broadway."

 

Marcusson credits her career success in part to the values and courage of her mother.

“My mum is a very fierce, proud Aboriginal woman,” she says. “She was part of the Stolen Generation and being able to go through that and survive certainly instilled a strong spirit in me and my siblings. I was the first in the family on my mother’s side to go to university, and there is an immense feeling of pride in our family about that.”

Working in an environment that respects diversity is also important, she adds.

“Michael (Cassel, MCG founder) is emotionally intelligent and educated on the Indigenous space. He will do an acknowledgment to country at every meeting. For people like me, it matters.”

Marcusson’s path to the stage, or rather, to her behind-the-scenes role, involved working across the finance function in a range of industries, from aviation and manufacturing to TV production.

After completing a degree in accounting and marketing, her next career opportunity came when she secured a position in the Qantas Airways Graduate Program. One of just 30 successful candidates from a competitive pool of 4000 applicants, Marcusson says the role was eye-opening to the world of business and showed her the benefits of moving across a range of functions.

“I’ve never been the type of person to stay in the finance box,” she says. “I’ve always been comfortable asking questions of other departments and learning how it all fits together.”

It is an attitude that has helped throughout her career, Marcusson notes. After Qantas, she moved into an APAC role with the Volvo Group, then, at a crossroads in her career, came home to Australia looking for the next opportunity. It appeared as a role with TV production company EndemolShine Australia, which produces popular reality TV shows including MasterChef, Gogglebox and Big Brother.

“I had no entertainment experience whatsoever, but when a job came up in financial planning and analysis, I jumped. It was one of the best experiences in my career. It got me into the entertainment industry and really set me up for my current role,” she says.

Marcusson ended up moving into the head of finance role, a decision that she says was terrifying, but also immensely satisfying.

“I wasn’t looking for a promotion. My partner and I had just welcomed our second child,” she says. “But I had the support and encouragement of my partner and thought this would be a massive opportunity to really test myself.”

It was a sink-or-swim moment for Marcusson, who took on the role during the uncertainty of the pandemic.

“My prior role was confined to finance rather than being business-facing,” she says. “It was hard, but I was able to use my people skills to build solid relationships across all departments. We were all in it together, and I made some of the best friends I’ll ever have during that time.”

Showtime

Making the move to leave EndemolShine “was the biggest decision of my life”, Marcusson says.

For her, taking on the role of CFO at MCG ticked all the boxes, but leaving a tight-knit team that she had built through a period of intense growth was extremely hard. “This sort of change never feels easy. It took me a long time to make the decision, but in the end, I chose to step out of my comfort zone and take the opportunity of a lifetime.

“No two days at MCG are the same. Thankfully I am now used to the pace and surprise TV production can bring — but my first year has been an absolute whirlwind. We premiered Hamilton, Titaníque, Dear Evan Hansen, MJ the Musical and Beetlejuice the Musical in Australia, and The Picture of Dorian Gray on Broadway.”

Being able to navigate the pace of the industry comes down to being organised and on top of everything every day, she notes.

“I really think it is knowing what’s in your toolbox and knowing when to take risks.”

One piece of advice

“Make curiosity a habit. Stay across key news and trends that impact your industry or workplace, understand the KPIs and metrics leadership cares about, and take the time to build relationships beyond your immediate team.

“The more you explore how different parts of the business operate, the deeper your understanding will become.

Often, that is where the best ideas and unexpected opportunities begin to surface.”