The perfect formula for FP&A and Beer – Pavels Cvetkovs at Carlsberg
Feb 12, 2025
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Pavels Cvetkovs, FP&A director at Carlsberg Group and veteran of PwC and Ernst & Young, shares insights into the financial dynamics of the beer industry. He discusses how his time in the Big Four armed him with crucial skills for FP&A. Innovation and sustainability at Carlsberg are vital topics, along with the importance of collaboration across departments. Cvetkovs highlights the unique shareholder structure and the challenges of budgeting in a competitive environment. He emphasizes the value of financial modeling and proactive business partnering.
Pavels Cvetkovs emphasizes that his journey in finance began with inspirations and experiences that shaped his career, ultimately leading him to the role of FP&A director at Carlsberg Group.
The podcast highlights the evolution of FP&A at Carlsberg from traditional reporting to a proactive business partnering approach, underpinned by technology and data-driven decision-making.
Deep dives
Pavels Svetkovs' Career Journey
Pavels Svetkovs shares the unconventional path that led him into finance, highlighting the impact of peer influences during his school years. Initially unsure about his career direction, he found inspiration from a classmate's obsession with investments, prompting him to pursue a finance degree. Gaining practical experience through part-time jobs, he eventually joined Ernst & Young, where his four years in audit equipped him with an invaluable understanding of financial principles. This foundation proved essential when he transitioned into FP&A, where his roles broadened from business controller to the current FP&A director at Carlsberg Group.
Innovations and Challenges in the Beverage Industry
Pavels discusses how Carlsberg Group differentiates itself through innovation and sustainability, emphasizing its unique shareholder structure under the Gosberg Foundation. This foundation supports the long-term health of the company, enabling contributions to societal endeavors beyond mere profit pursuit. Operating within the dynamic beverage industry, Carlsberg faces unique challenges, including intricate inventory management, seasonal sales fluctuations, and multi-currency operations. The complexity of revenue streams, ranging from direct sales to licensing, underscores the need for robust accounting and advanced ERP systems to navigate these challenges effectively.
The Role of Business Partnering in FP&A
Pavels elaborates on the evolution of FP&A towards a business partnering approach, marking a shift from merely reporting numbers to actively adding value to the organization. This entails finance professionals immersing themselves in various business functions to better understand operational intricacies and establish trust with their peers. The success of business partnering hinges on quality data availability, and finance professionals must possess analytical capabilities coupled with strong business acumen. Establishing trust across departments enhances collaborative efforts in budgeting and forecasting, fostering a deeper understanding of how financial metrics impact overall business performance.
Adapting FP&A to Technological Advances
Pavels reflects on the transformative impact of technology on the FP&A process, noting that automation has enabled greater efficiency in budgeting and forecasting. Despite these advancements, he highlights the challenge of achieving high accuracy in forecasting while avoiding burnout from overcomplication. He emphasizes the importance of balancing detailed models with practical applications that drive business value. Looking forward, Pavels is keen on refining his financial modeling skills, particularly in regression analysis, while expressing an interest in exploring the potential of AI in the finance sector as it continues to evolve.
Grab a beer and listen to this special episode. We are joined by Pavels Cvetkovs FP&A director at Carlsberg Group who reveals the formula of FP&A at the famous brand. Carlsberg was founded in 1847, has 140 brands, and 30,000 employees – and FP&A is core to their success, says Cvetkovs.
In this episode:
How my career in the Big Four (and audit) served as “finance military school”
Moving from business controller to FP&A
The essence of Carlsberg – innovation in brewing and sustainability
Distinct shareholder structure at Carlsberg run by Carlsberg foundation
What’s so special about the beer and beverage industry and our FP&A practices
Power of inventory management, sales seasonality, and supply chain and cost planning in brewing
Forecasting and planning and achieving highest levels of collaboration
FP&A set up and management of 10-20 KPIs at Carlsberg