FP&A Today

In this insightful conversation, Enrique Rodriguez, a multilingual finance director with over 15 years in Fortune 100 companies, shares his journey from Guatemala to a leadership role at Walgreens Boots Alliance. He highlights how FP&A transcends mere number-crunching, becoming a vital storytelling tool for influencing strategic decisions. Enrique discusses the importance of zero-based budgeting for cost control, key financial metrics for healthcare, and the role of AI in shaping the future of finance, all while emphasizing the need for stakeholder alignment and empathetic partnerships.

Lindsey Martens, VP Finance at fintech company, Valera (Formerly PSCU/Co-op Solutions) talks about her transition from accounting to finance- and how she manages a remote FP&A team that has business partnering and storytelling at its heart. “Business partnering is my favorite thing about FP&A” Martens says, “I love being the translator. I think of myself as taking all this data, accounting data, and then all these other sources that come into it, and I’m packaging it up in a way that is very digestible by the rest of the organization, especially the leaders who are making decisions.” In this episode: Making the pivot to FP&A – why and how  Starting off in coding and the link to FP&A  My career at Valera (ex Co-Op solutions)- a fintech leader with clients that are credit unions  Opps and Challenges of managing a remote FP&A Team  Small talk at the beginning of meetings (not so small)  Using rolling forecasts at Valera  Challenging budget experiences  Why business partnering is my favorite part of FP&A My biggest FP&A success: rooting out the source of at “rise” in profits Storytelling in finance  My biggest mentors and what they taught me about management My biggest mistake and how it still leaves me shaking  Favorite Excel Function Connect with Lindsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseymartens/

In more than 12 years at PepsiCo Tariq Munir, has held roles including FP&A Manager, Head of Integrated Business Planning, Head of Finance Supply Chain, and more recently APAC Finance Transformation Lead (based in Australia) delivering Financial Planning process simplification. This included founding the first-ever APAC Finance Digital Academy to build a digital mindset and culture. Tariq is sought out as an international keynote speaker and is a regular columnist for CFO Magazine ANZ, sharing insights on digital trends, strategies for digital resilience. In this episode: • Running digital transformation at large companies • The opportunities and challenges in your data • Core problems faced by finance teams including transactions • The big headache AI is causing for finance teams • M&A and AI Transformation • retrieval augmented generation (RAG) and plugging into external data source for your organization • Framework and governance for digital transformation

Laurynas Zabulis, CFO at Nord Security, is playing a starring role at one of Lithuania’s most famous success stories. Cybersecurity unicorn, Nord Security, went from being bootstrapped to a $3billion valuation in 12 years. Laurynas became CFO after a stint at Surfshark (which  merged with NordVPN in 2022). His achievements at NordSecurity include leading the first funding round for $100m – technically a “seed” round he says  (unusually the bootstrapped enjoyed revenues of over $100m when it approached investors). Laurynas is also building a purpose-driven finance team of 90 talented people across the department to deliver a “forward looking finance function” that propels growth at the leading startup. Laurynas has set out a powerful mission for FP&A whose vision to “earn respect from stakeholders at the company”, “have a seat at the decision-making table”, and use data and detailed knowledge of growth drivers to “make strategic decisions that drive our business”. In this episode: Moving back to my home country of Lithuania, from London. after success in investment banking (and not listening to those who tried to talk him out of it)  Battling the “negative connotations” of VPNs when talking to investors and and building conviction around the management and culture of the company  Bringing finance to strategic decision-making at the company including  a CFO tech stack focused on “availability of data and of analytics in a more timely fashion” Investing in building finance relations with stakeholders in the company (from engineers to product development) Building a finance team of 90 people based on data, tech, and stakeholder engagement FP&A analysis powering painful decisions to sunset certain products  Our FP&A team structure at Nord Security and the results we expect Benefit of working with founders and the culture this provides The Lithuanian tech ecosystem and finance opportunities  Connect with Laurynas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurynas-zabulis-0206333/

Nate Kaemingk, Chief Forecaster at BetterForecasting.com and former fractional CFO, dives into the world of AI-driven financial forecasting. He discusses the transition from annual budgets to rolling forecasts, highlighting the importance of real-time updates and market responsiveness. Nate also explores the significance of probabilistic forecasting and how small errors can cause major cash discrepancies. Plus, hear about his unique journey, including a three-year RV adventure, and his favorite Excel function!

In this engaging conversation, Brent Dykes, bestselling author of Effective Data Storytelling and founder of Analytics Hero, shares his expertise in data storytelling for finance leaders. He explores the evolution of storytelling in analytics, the irreplaceable human element amid AI advancements, and the biggest challenges organizations face in communicating data effectively. Brent also provides insights into fostering a data-driven culture and emphasizes the continued relevance of tools like Excel in enhancing data literacy.

Join finance leader Anna Tiomina, a former CFO of Sandoz and founder of Blend to Balance, as she shares her journey through FP&A challenges. She discusses the politics involved in budgeting and the differences between large and small companies. Discover her insights on agile budgeting methods and the safe integration of AI in finance. Anna also shares personal anecdotes about work-life balance and the importance of team connections through fun activities like karaoke.

Saaya Nath, a Partner at Jump Capital, brings her fintech expertise to the discussion, highlighting the vital role of AI in transforming CFO leadership. She shares insights on automating finance workflows and the common challenges finance teams face. Nath also delves into the evolving CFO Tech stack and how SMBs can leverage innovative tools for spend and cash flow management. The conversation touches on regulatory hurdles founders encounter and offers practical advice for low-risk AI implementation. Plus, get a glimpse of her favorite Excel function!

Christian Franz Hansen Christian, a seasoned management consultant and finance thought leader, has shaped finance roles at giants like General Motors and Lego. He discusses transforming finance from number crunching to strategic business partnering, emphasizing soft skills and stakeholder engagement. Christian shares insights from his work at Maersk, focusing on effective communication and prioritizing tasks for productivity. He also highlights the power of Excel's Power Query to optimize data management, offering practical strategies for today's finance professionals.

Tobias Zwingmann, an ex-Senior Data Scientist turned managing partner at RAPYD.AI, shares insights from his work empowering businesses with AI strategies. He discusses the transformative potential of generative AI in finance, emphasizing the importance of data literacy. Tobias delves into the latest enhancements in Microsoft’s Copilot and how FP&A professionals can leverage tools like Excel and Power BI. He also addresses common data preparation pitfalls and offers tips for achieving clean, actionable data in financial analysis.