FP&A Today

Jack McCullough: Rock Star CFOs and Psychopath CEOs

“The male prison population in the United States is about 15% psychopaths. So if, if you’re a warden and you work all day with prisoners, and then at the end of the day you go to some award ceremony honoring local CEOs, you’re probably interacting with a similar number of psychopaths at each event." Jack McCullough – President of CFO Leadership Council and 26-time CFO.
Jack MCcullough’s background gives him an unprecedented perspective on financial leadership. Having started hist career at Big Four audit firm KPMG, he subsequently served as a CFO for 26 different companies, often in a part-time or interim role, working with about 35 CEOs. In his words “several geniuses, a handful of lunatics, and two or three who were both. But I learned from each person and became a more effective leader.”
In this episode Jack McCullough reveals:
How to work with Psychopath CEOs 
Mental health and finance and overcoming difficult leaders 
The importance of personal brand-building for CFOs and FP&A analysts
How Jack invented the phrase “CF-No” in 1984
Why FP&A professionals and CFOs need to build their brand today
The things that CFOs most want from their FP&A leaders
His most strategic finance moment – or how COVID transformed his  business
Mentoring in finance and the power of being mentored by Gen Z talent 
Why he headlines his finance conferences with Guns n’ Roses and AC DC 
Who would he most like to meet 
 His most manual processes ever
The surprising two traits that CFOs must achieve today to have any chance of success 
How to become a CFO
Episode Links
Books by Jack McCullough:
The Psychopathic CEO: An Executive Survival Guide: Jack McCullough
Secrets of Rockstar CFOs: Jack McCullough
The CFO Leadership Council
Watch on YouTube
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Robin Kiziak: There’s nothing funny about Finance

Robin Kiziak is Financial Controller and Finance Business Partner  at VF Corporation (home of outdoor brands Vans, North Face and Timberland). Previously he has been a finance business partner at Hotel Chocolat and UK home improvement leader, Wickes. He also runs the website, There’s Nothing Funny About Finance which aims to move finance away from stereotypes (think Dr No or Beancounters). In this episode Robin reveals how he has used humor to disarm tension in meetings and become a finance business partner  trusted by his colleagues 
In this episode: 
Robin’s Favorite Finance Joke
How to be a finance business partner (“with a part of the business that don’t want you  there”).
The negative stereotypes of finance and how to overcome them
The power of soft (or human) skills 
The distribution metrics behind Vans and Timberland’s finance successes 
Costs vs service as the “holy grail” in retail 
How to start off in a new finance role – which financials to look at first 
The biggest financial surprise  you found
Snagging an unsung hero award
Biggest advice to an aspiring FP&A professional 
FP&A Today is brought to you by Datarails,the AI-powered financial planning and analysis platform.  Keep your own Excel financial models and spreadsheets and benefit from AI for data consolidation, reporting and planning.
Links – There’s Nothing Funny About Finance
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YouTube video of the episode
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Tom Hood: FP&A and Accounting: “The Great Join”

Tom Hood is one of the most influential leaders in accounting. The Executive Vice President, Business Growth and Engagement, at American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA has been named the Second Most Influential Person in Accounting since 2011 by Accounting Today Magazine (only pipped to the post by AICPA CEO Barry Melancon). In giving him their award the publication cited his “legendary energy, imagination and ability to foresee the future, and focusing them specifically on management accountants, helping them reimagine “the Future of Finance.” On Linkedin  Tom has 780,000 followers and the platform recruited the accounting leader as one of their Top Voices. His passion for technological innovation in accounting has been evident since the early days of VisiCalc to Excel and ChatGPT. This combines with his rigorous enforcement against bad actors in the profession, and optimism about the future. 
In this episode Tom Hood describes one of the biggest shifts in accounting as “The Great Join between accounting and FP&A”. Hood says: “We need accounting to make sure the numbers are right and to maintain our stewardship and trust. But we also need the financial viewpoint, which we saw big time in the pandemic. This is needed to reimagine what’s next in the profession.”
Hood also reveals his passion reflecting accounting’s role as one of the most fundamental tenets of business- and wider society“Accounting is a language of business. It is a language that many people‒dare I say most people‒don’t truly understand. You become the value interpreter of everything about a business.”
In this episode discover: 
Tom’s career trajectory from to CFO at  to Maryland Association of CPAs to EVP  at the (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) 
The merger between the AICPA and CIMA (UK-based) and the global power base this provides the accounting profession
The Great Join between FP&A and Accounting 
His  passion for accounting tech as continuing to revolutionize business – from the dawn of VisiCalc to ChatGPT today 
His role in stamping out unethical accounting practices 
The changing up the CPA Exam and what it means for you
How AI has already changed the game for accountants and how companies are transforming accounting  
How he got into accounting as a way of getting into the FBI and why that didn’t work out 
YouTube video of the episode
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FP&A For Startups - with Jake Luerkens and Connor Frischmeyer, Auxo Partners

 
Jake Luerkens and Connor Frischmeyer are co founders and partners at Auxo Partners, a finance advisory firm that helps startups make better decisions and grow strategically. 
 
They have been in "the sidecar" as companies scaled from $2m to $50m, providing internal finance, FP&A, capital markets advisory and SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) support.
 
In this episode: 
 
When should startups think about bringing  in fractional FP&A services
The rise and fall of SPACs (including a rap about SPACs)
Why investors are focused on a clear path to solid business models 
How FP&A can help companies *not* blow their fundraising 
The most typical problems companies face in raising money 
Why Excel is the most flexible tool for finance
Biggest Excel nightmares
How to get started in FP&A
 
YouTube video of the episode
Transcript of the episode 
 
Connect with Jake Luerkens and Connor Frishchmeyer on LinkedIn
 
Connect with Paul Barnhurst on LinkedIn 
 
Follow Datarails on LinkedIn
 
Links from the episode
 
Auxo Partners
 
Spac Dream By Cassius Cuvée featuring Mags Lionne
 

Why Excel is the hottest esport on the planet – Maksims Sičs

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get ready to modelll! Broadcast on ESPN, watched by tens of thousands of people around the world, and featured across CNN,BBC, ITV, and The Atlantic, the Financial Modeling World Cup (FMWC) is the hottest esport on the planet. If you ever wanted to apply for the Excel Modeling World Cup against top stars, feature on ESPN, or wonder if you have what it takes, this is the must-listen to episode of the year. 
Chief Operating Officer of the FMWC, Maksims Sičs reveals the inside story of how the “Excel World Cup” was started and the success story ever since.
Maksims Sičs is himself an expert in Corporate Finance advising customers on financial planning and analysis at companies including AG Capital, and PNB Banka.
In this episode Maksims reveals:
How the Financial Modeling World cup started
The success of the sport in creating a global Excel community
How a little help from Microsoft helped FMWC get broadcast on ESPN 
The glory: the prize fund for winning and being an Excel world champion stands at $30,000 jackpot and a trip to Las Vegas 
The pain: how one competitor tried to do the final stage in VBA and his Excel crashed five minutes before the final
How to enter the tournament for only  $20 ticket 
How good do you need to be to enter the competition? 
How a competitor called the Excel Wizard Bo Rydobon managed to complete cases in 2 minutes through dynamic arrays 
Helping SME business with finance  in his (second) day job 
Why FP&A provides “light in the darkness” for a business 
Enter the Financial Modeling World Cup
YouTube video of the episode
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When FP&A Meets Treasury with Mike Richards

When FP&A Meets Treasury with Mike Richards
“Spend 10 minutes a week on yourself. Nobody else is going to take charge of your career except for you. If you sit back, you are going to lose.”
Mike Richards, CEO & Founder of The Treasury Recruitment Company, has helped professionals in the US, UK and Europe find dream treasury roles at companies such as Chanel, IKEA and Porsche for two decades.  
Mike also hosts the popular podcast, The Treasury Career Corner Podcast which has seen  250 treasury guests and more than 120,000 downloads
In this episode: 
Modern treasury defined
The best paths to collaboration between Treasury and FP&A  (aka grab a coffee ☕)
Association of Finance Professionals' certifications for treasury and FP&A
The guide to understanding treasury operations for aspiring CFOs. 
Financial risk management, capital structure, cash management, banking, relationships, and decision-making for treasury 
How to get a job in a job market that sucks
Horrible finance job descriptions
 
Links 
Upcoming speeches and conferences featuring Mike Richards - https://treasuryrecruitment.com/treasury-roadshow/ Including New York Cash Exchange, then EuroFinance – Barcelona & then AFP, San Diego
Listeners can connect with Mike here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrtreasury/
Head to Treasury Corner podcast here - https://treasuryrecruitment.com/podcast/
 
YouTube video of the episode
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FP&A Today is brought to you by Datarails.
Datarails (www.datarails.com) is the financial planning and analysis platform that automates data consolidation, reporting and planning, while enabling finance teams to continue using their own Excel spreadsheets and financial models.

Jenny Fuss, CFO, Boart Longyear: Swimming in International FP&A Waters

“You can throw me in any water. Stormy, cold, or hot and I’ll start swimming.” 
And swimming is exactly what Jenny Fuss did. 
Jenny Fuss, CFO of Boart Longyear, talks about the challenges of international experience, the importance of having a diverse set of skills in an FP&A team and  how to achieve storytelling and influencing in FP&A.
Originally from a small town in Germany, Fuss wanted experience of working and living abroad. When the opportunity to move to become a CFO of a joint venture in China presented itself she took it before relocating again to continue her global career in Houston Texas, and expertise as a finance leader walking the shop floor in manufacturing companies. 
This episode covers: 
Jenny’s advice for an international-based career 
The power of FP&A to provide game changing analysis when you have new customer, need to find a new way to contract or enter new markets
What CFOs expect from a new breed of FP&A teams
The challenge of doing less F and P (and more analysis) when facing high pressure cycles such as month end closes and budget planning
Why she favors a three-year forecast from FP&A
The #1 priority for a CFO in their first 90 days in a new role 
Owning up to a million dollar mistake  
Jenny’s favorite thing about Excel
Her top  advice for someone starting out in FP&A
Follow Jenny Fuss on LinkedIn
YouTube video of the episode
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FP&A Today is brought to you by Datarails.
Datarails is the financial planning and analysis platform that automates data consolidation, reporting and planning, while enabling finance teams to continue using their own Excel spreadsheets and financial models.

Wassia Kamon: The power behind Powerball on doing “FP&A on the Go”

Wassia Kamon built FP&A from the ground up at Intralot, a state lottery vendor behind the US Powerball lottery (as an insider she couldn’t play the lottery for nine years).
And Wassia knows something about winning against the odds.
She arrived in the US aged 17. As she points out “only 3% of people getting a CPA are black”.
Wassia says: “Growing up in the Ivory Coast I was not a minority. Coming to the US I had to learn what it was to be a minority.”
She started posting regularly on LinkedIn after “seeing that there’s nobody that looks like me that’s talking about finance. “I never had a black boss, I never reported to somebody that was black. So the fact that I’m in this role means that other people saw me for what I could bring to the table and hired me.”
Her rapid rise has seen her become a finance executive with roles as VP of Finance at Boehringer Ingelheim From there, she moved on to more FP&A-focused roles at Boehringer Ingelheim, a global pharmaceutical company, as finance business partner for different business units, to VP of Finance at Low Income Investment Fund (the company manages $2billion of investments). She was recently recognized as an up the 40 under 40 honoree by CPA Practive Advisor.
In this episode learn:
Her approach to learning *on the go* in switching from accounting to FP&A 
The value of “starting where you are” 
How to make sure finance speaks the same language as the rest of the business
Putting ongoing meetings ahead of an annual meeting when it comes to budget and other big ticket items
Secrets to managing a team and getting the most out of colleagues
Book recommendations to boost your FP&A career
How being “overly confident” led to her biggest FP&A career blunder 
Her favorite Excel function that changed her life forever 
What’s better, chocolate or Cheetos?
YouTube video of this episode 
Full episode transcript
Follow Wassia Kamon on LinkedIn 
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FP&A Today is brought to you by Datarails.
Datarails is the financial planning and analysis platform that automates data consolidation, reporting and planning, while enabling finance teams to continue using their own Excel spreadsheets and financial models.
Get in touch at www.datarails.com
For AFP FP&A Continuing Education credit please complete the course via the Earmark Ap, must pass the quiz with 80% accuracy and send the completed certificate to pbarnhust@thefpandaguy.com for issuance of 1 hour of credit toward your AFP FP&A Certification. 

Paul Barnhurst: The Inside Story of The FP&A Guy’s Career

Today's guest is…Paul Barnhurst. Usually sitting in the presenter’s chair, this special edition sees Paul Barnhurst, aka The FP&A Guy (and host of FP&A Today), reveal the highs and lows from his storied career in FP&A at American Express, Solera, and DigiCert. Guest host  is Annette deYoung, FP&A Solutions Consultant at Datarails, herself an FP&A veteran at companies including manufacturer, JL Clarke.
 
Highlights? Discover a rookie error that saw Paul deliver bonuses to the worst performers (yes, you read that right), rather than the best. How he met Jimmy Carter. The inside story of FP&A forecasting for American Express’s (then) money-spinning Travelers Cheques business, and how his biggest FP&A tech accomplishment is still in place at a previous company.
 
Get to know your host as Paul reveals:
The winding road to FP&A from his beginnings in government procurement contracts
His big break at American Express despite “not really knowing what  FP&A was”
With a love of numbers, why he was drawn to FP&A as his passion 
Accounting vs FP&A and the best techniques he has used to manage the relationships
His key learnings to becoming a truly excellent FP&A business partner
The fears and journey in leaving big corporations to become a top FP&A consultant 
Why finance tend to be such laggards when it comes to tech adoption
What’s it actually like using Google Sheets?
YouTube video of this episode 
Follow Paul Barnhurst on LinkedIn 
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FP&A Today is brought to you by Datarails.
 
Datarails is the financial planning and analysis platform that automates data consolidation, reporting and planning, while enabling finance teams to continue using their own Excel spreadsheets and financial models.
 
Get in touch at www.datarails.com
 
For AFP FP&A Continuing Education credit please complete the course via the Earmark Ap, must pass the quiz with 80% accuracy and send the completed certificate to pbarnhust@thefpandaguy.com for issuance of 1 hour of credit toward your AFP FP&A Certification. 

Danielle Stein Fairhurst: Using Excel for Business and Financial Modeling

Danielle Stein Fairhust  literally wrote the book on Excel and Financial Modeling. Well two books, actually. Using Excel for Business and Financial Modelling and Financial Modeling in Excel for Dummies. 
 
Here, the Excel MVP from Australia provides her secrets to financial modeling.
 
Her road to financial modeling after traveling for seven years, and leaving investment banking Why Excel is so crucial for businesses 
Budgeting and forecasting vs financial modeling 
How she was commissioned to write her famous books
Difference between creating a LinkedIn course vs writing a book
Encouraging and raising the profile of women in financial modeling 
Secrets to training and behind the scenes of the Financial Modeling World Cup 
How to Become an Excel MVP
The biggest issue people face with financial modeling
The Financial Modeling Institute work and how to ace the test 
Favorite Excel Function?
Biggest advice for someone starting in FP&A today?
 
Links
Danielle Stein Fairhurst: Using Excel for Business and Financial Modeling 
Danielle Stein Fairhurst: Financial Modeling in Excel For Dummies
Danielle’s LinkedIn course (new), Excel: Financial Functions in Depth.
 
 Follow Danielle Stein Fairhurst on LinkedIn 
YouTube video of the episode
Follow Paul Barnhurst on LinkedIn 
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FP&A Today is brought to you by Datarails.
 
Datarails is the financial planning and analysis platform that automates data consolidation, reporting and planning, while enabling finance teams to continue using their own Excel spreadsheets and financial models.
 
Get in touch at www.datarails.com
 
For AFP FP&A Continuing Education credit please complete the course via the Earmark Ap, must pass the quiz with 80% accuracy and send the completed certificate to pbarnhust@thefpandaguy.com for issuance of 1 hour of credit toward your AFP FP&A Certification.