FP&A Today FP&A as Fuel for Innovation – Lessons from Apple, Facebook Google and JFrog
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Jan 14, 2025 Jarad Backlund, VP of FP&A at JFrog, boasts 18+ years at tech giants like Apple, Google, and Facebook. In this discussion, he shares his career trajectory from architecture to finance and offers insights into building high-performing FP&A teams. He emphasizes the importance of clean data and the evolving role of AI in financial analysis. Jarad also dives into his experience managing multi-billion dollar projects and the skills needed to excel at leading firms while showcasing how a builder mentality can drive innovation in finance.
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Career Journey
- Jared Backlund transitioned from an architecture major to finance after realizing he wasn't suited for it.
- He started at National Semiconductor, then moved to Apple, Google, Facebook, and various startups, driven by a desire to work in growing companies.
Impossible Project at Facebook
- Facebook presented Jared with an "impossible" project: scaling systems and processes for a massive CapEx increase.
- He succeeded, surprising even the person who hired him.
Scaling Teams and Processes
- Scaling teams requires the right mindset: people who thrive in ambiguity and adapt to change.
- Processes should be flexible and adaptable, not rigid, to fuel innovation.