Hello Reader π I am no CFO, never been one, and probably will never be. But believe me: when I was in a meeting room, there was not a single decision that was made without that people turned to me to have a sort of approval. Maybe they were afraid of me because I'm tall and bearded, but I prefer to think that I developed an aura that made me indispensable. It's not easy but there are behavioural tips that can make any FP&A pro as strong as a CFO. And that's what we are seeing today π (That...
22 days agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
Hello Reader π In the last weeks, we've seen how to build credibility without sounding like a know-it-all analyse your stakeholders to truly understand them negotiate to create a win-win situation That's good, but where is the finance part in all of this? Because unless you want to become a psychologist, you'll have to mix that personal approach with data. Learning how to influence with numbers without giving the impression that you're right (even if you are) is the most difficult thing I...
30 days agoΒ β’Β 6 min read
Hello Reader π If you think negotiating is only for salespeople, you couldn't be more wrong. Every job has its part of negotiations and FP&A has a lot. Budgets. Forecasts. Business Cases. Assumptions. You'll have to deal with people wanting more (or less, depending on what) and try to stay on your grounds. But it's not so easy not to take it personally so you have to know what to do. This is what we're going to tackle today π So take a coffee, sit down and read FP&A Stories just like 22k...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
Hello Reader π Building credibility with your business partners is great, and we saw last week how to deal with that. But there are as many influencing styles as stakeholders and because of the beauty of the human being, they're all different. So after building your credibility and before trying to influence them, you might want to analyse your stakeholders. This is what we're going to tackle today π So take a coffee, sit down and read FP&A Stories just like 22k other readers This week in...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
Hello Reader π Have you ever felt that, no matter what you do, people doubt your work and question every single assumption you bring? Being right in Finance isnβt enough. You can have the best insights, the cleanest reports, and the most accurate numbers. But if nobody trusts you, your influence is zero. And in FP&A or Finance Business Partnering, influence is everything. This is what we're going to tackle today π So take a coffee, sit down and read FP&A Stories just like 22k other readers...
about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 4 min read
Hello Reader π OK, it's been super long I haven't taken the time to write you something. Truth is, I was exhausted at the end of 2024 and only prepared 2025 in the last month. In this preparation, I was wondering what the priorities of a top FP&A team were. Everyone is talking about the trends that will βredefineβ FP&A in 2025 AI will revolutionize forecasting FP&A will become more strategic The budgeting process will finally become agile. Sound familiar? Every year, we hear the same...
2 months agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
Hello Reader π In my life, I think I went schizophrenic when it came to creating slides Sometimes I wanted to automate the max out of them; Other times, I spent too much time on them just so they were perfect; And also, out of laziness, I just dropped as much data as possible, maybe out of contradiction against someone who wanted to know everything. The truth is, there is no unique personality for people working with PowerPoint. And I wanted to share with you the main characters of the...
4 months agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
Hello Reader π Sometimes, you're in a situation where there is a communication breakdown. You don't really know what others expect of you because their request is not 100% clear. Or maybe the other thinks you don't understand their simple request because of your skills. All of that because there is a misunderstanding. Let's take an example (virtual) and see what finance leaders think of it. So take a coffee, sit down and read FP&A Stories just like 22k other readers Finance Meetup in London...
5 months agoΒ β’Β 4 min read
Hello Reader π Every now and then, you may have to present a project and get the approval. Of your manager, the management committee or the ExCo... But it's hard to convince people only by rationale. Just like when you them to take action after presenting the monthly results (or even more), you'll need a good story. That's what we're seeing this week. So take a coffee, sit down and read FP&A Stories just like 22k other readers Big group last week This week in FP&A Stories πͺ Take the lead to...
6 months agoΒ β’Β 3 min read