Hello Reader 👋 I’ve been through over 70 board meetings, more than 200 forecast updates, and countless last-minute requests (I'm barely exaggerating) But if there’s one thing that keeps coming back, and I'm sure you know that, it’s pressure. The kind of pressure that comes with deadlines, requests, updates and other things you can't always control. You can’t eliminate it. But you can learn to work through it, without losing your cool or burning out. That’s what we’re diving into this week. So...
10 days ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader 👋 Every week, I get messages from people asking how to become a CFO. But the real question is usually different. I'm not even capable of giving you a direct answer because the paths are so different from one another. What I can tell you, though, is how to enjoy and make the most of every step in your career. That's what we're seeing this week. I also want to give you updates on my recent travels to deliver my favourite program: The Financial Storytelling Program ✌️ So take a...
17 days ago • 5 min read
Hello Reader 👋 You know, I rarely promote events in this newsletter. But this time, it’s different. Because if I go back a few years, there’s one change that completely transformed how my FP&A team worked. The one of reclaiming our time. We switched from Excel-heavy, manual reporting to Power BI. And that single move unlocked everything I wanted for the team (and what the business had always expected from us). If your team is stuck in spreadsheet loops, trust me: you’ll want to check the link...
24 days ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader 👋 When people ask me what’s the most stressful part of a Finance presentation, I never say “preparing the slides.” It’s what happens after.When someone interrupts. Doubts your figures. Brings up another report that, of course, has different numbers. Or asks the one question you hoped wouldn’t come. This week, I’m sharing the best ways I’ve learned to stay calm, sound credible, and keep the trust in the room when that happens. And since many of you asked for something more...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Hello Reader 👋 I'm 41* this year which makes that I slowly arrive at 20 years career in Finance: 1 year internship in accounting 4 years as an auditor at PwC 5 years as a consultant at Deloitte 7 years as a Finance Business Partner at Proximus 3 years as a freelancer/trainer And in this career, I've seen it all: great companies, not so great teams, inspiring mentors, bad coaches.... ...but I learned many things about what you're expected to do in this field to finally become useful That’s...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
Hello Reader 👋 OK, let’s be honest, today’s topic might hit a little too close to home. Because if you've been through a few budget seasons (and you're maybe finalising the approval of your first quarterly forecast), you’ve probably seen (or played) the game of sandbagging. Though understandable, it's one of the behaviours that could frustrate me the most. I hate it when it's obvious you're being played but it's never been easy to know how to react. That’s what we’re diving into this week. So...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader 👋 OK, I know, it's been a long time I hadn't written you a letter and I'm totally sorry for that. It's easy to be trapped in the urgencies (travels, course, workshops, etc.) that you often set aside what really matters. But I'm back and with a topic that troubled my mind back when I was a Finance Business Partner. Because sometimes, you're so obsessed with pleasing everyone, so pressured by external parties, so tired of being the gatekeeper that you end up approving something you...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader 👋 Last week, I had the chance to go to Austin, TX to attend the AFP FP&A Forum 2025 and it was amazing. But I also had the honour to present a topic that's hyper trendy these days: how to use AI. And you know my game: Storytelling. So I dived into the problems CFO see in our FP&A presentations and how we can deal with them with AI tools. And that's what we're seeing this week. So take a coffee, sit down and read FP&A Stories just like 24k other readers No shame in using AI if...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader 👋 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 👇 (That...
3 months ago • 3 min read
