GrowCFO Show

Christian Wattig joins Kevin Appleby on the GrowCFO Show. Christian runs the FP&A boot camp in the USA and is the founder of FP&A Prep. FP&A skills are in greater demand than ever. Kevin and Christian explored how to improve your FP&A skills. Christian discussed his background growing up in Germany and working for large consumer goods companies like P&G and Unilever. He talked about moving to the US and then transitioning to work in tech at Squarespace. Christian explained how he started teaching FP&A courses, which led him to found his own training company. Some key topics discussed included the importance of understanding both the numbers and the business, the role of AI in forecasting and analysis, and how accuracy needs to be balanced with enabling decision-making. Christian sees continued opportunities in teaching and public speaking going forward. What FP&A skills do you need? Christian discussed how understanding the business is as important for FP&A professionals as understanding the numbers. He talked about how forecasting and analysis require solving puzzles with the numbers but also understanding people and psychology when it comes to business partnering, influencing stakeholders, and communicating the company’s financial story. Christian emphasized that having an impact goes beyond just creating models and reports – FP&A professionals need to convince others to take their recommendations and implement changes. He stressed the importance of asking the right questions to understand what really matters to business partners beyond just dollar impacts. The impact of AI in FP&A Christian shared his experience implementing a machine learning model for forecasting at Unilever. He found that it initially provided more accurate forecasts than their previous methods. However, he realized it was difficult to explain variances in leadership used to traditional forecasting approaches. This led Christian to understand that the focus of AI should be on experimenting with different input metrics and data granularity rather than adjusting individual forecasts. He also noted that working with AI requires viewing past data as if it hasn’t happened yet to train models continuously. Christian believes AI can help with tasks like summarization and storytelling for FP&A professionals, but humans still need to apply judgment and address uncertainty. https://youtu.be/fzsEkDA1kzA Links Christian Wattig on Linkedin Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO FP&A Boot camp FP&A Competency Framework Timestamps Introducing Christian Wattig (0:11) Career progression and FP&A experience in various industries. (0:20) FPGA training program and its impact on finance teams. (3:36) Implementing zero-based budgeting and managing stakeholder expectations. (10:19) Forecast accuracy and decision-making in finance. (14:36) Using AI in financial analysis and decision-making. (20:48) AI use in podcast production and storytelling. (29.05) Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favourite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. You can join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars.  Premium members can also access our extensive training centre and CFO Digital Toolkit. Here, you can enrol in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programmes.  You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

Catherine Marks, former VP of Finance at Depop, discusses her 5-step process for evaluating finance teams, including understanding business strategy, benchmarking team size, mapping roles and responsibilities, and assessing team members. She emphasizes the importance of planning for the future of the finance function and aligning the team with evolving systems and processes. They also explore factors contributing to finance function complexity and the impact of working with investors. Additionally, they discuss considerations and potential problems when merging finance teams.

Susana Serrano-Davey joins Kevin Appleby to discuss transforming doubt into achievement. Susana shares her experience overcoming self-doubt to write and publish a book. She outlines a 7-step methodology spelled by the letters in ACHIEVE: Aspire Fearlessly, Creatively Express, Hold Back and Wait, Innovatively Organize, Embrace Support, Validate Your Journey, and Evolve Beyond Limits. A – Aspire Fearlessly. This means to just get started on your goal or dream without worrying about success. Take the first step. C – Creatively Express. Let go of expectations and explore what you’re truly passionate about through creative expression. H – Hold Back and Wait. Don’t rush the process. Give things time to unfold naturally. I – Innovatively Organize. Take a fresh look at your situation and resources to find new ways to achieve your goal. E – Embrace Support. Don’t try to do everything alone. Ask others for help and build a support network. V – Validate Your Journey. Spend time reflecting on whether you’re moving in the right direction through self-observation. E – Evolve Beyond Limits. Break free of limiting beliefs about what you think you can or can’t achieve. Susanna and Kevin discuss applying these steps to goals like writing a book, becoming a CFO, or any goal one doubts they can achieve. Susanna emphasises enjoying the process over fixating on outcomes and finding support from others. This provides practical advice for overcoming doubt and achieving one’s goals and dreams. https://youtu.be/ZmTBeAwgYyg Links Join GrowCFO today GrowCFO Future CFO Program Susana’s Book “I Wish I Had Known” is available at Amazon UK and Amazon US Mentoring at GrowCFO with Susana Serrano-Davey Susana Serrano-Davey on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn View all podcast episodes. Timestamps Transforming doubt into achievement through goal-setting. (0:12) Overcoming self-doubt and pursuing creative passions. (2:58) Creativity, goal-setting, and seeking support. (7:54) Personal growth and self-awareness in leadership roles. (14:04) Embracing fearless aspirations and overcoming limits. (20:00) Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favourite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. You can join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars.  Premium members can also access our extensive training centre and CFO Digital Toolkit. Here, you can enrol in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programmes.  You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

Declan Tyrell, the CFO Whisperer, joins Kevin Appleby on the Grow CFO Show. Declan introduced himself as a former CFO and CFO Whisperer at both Google and Oracle. Someone who helps sales organizations understand finance leaders and position value propositions to inspire CFOs. He coaches sales professionals and runs deal clinics to help close deals. Declan is passionate about helping Salespeople understand the changing landscape of buying, in particular how to engage with their customers’ economic buyer in times of financial uncertainty. Declan discussed how to approach CFOs by focusing on the business problem being solved and how the solution creates value. He emphasized clarity over complexity and focusing on “so what” and “who cares” factors. The conversation covered how to structure deals in a way that works for CFO incentives like EBITDA targets. Terrell shared examples of transformations he led at large organizations over months or years to transition finance functions. Declan shared insights from his time as Google’s CFO Whisperer, helping close $2.3 billion in deals. He emphasized the importance of CFO buy-in for successful digital transformations and challenged presenters to identify accountability and measure projected benefits. At Google, he ran weekly deal clinics open for any team to book time and receive feedback on deals. Declan aimed to see 300 deals annually with a combined revenue value of over $2 billion. He challenged teams to clearly articulate the problems being solved and benefits to the business. Declan’s deal clinics became popular training grounds for Google employees, and he found CFO involvement led to higher success rates on digital transformation projects. https://youtu.be/_LUVPCqzX-k Links Join GrowCFO today GrowCFO Future CFO Program Declan Tyrell on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn View all podcast episodes. Timestamps Introducing Declan Tyrell, The CFO Whisperer (0:11) Sales strategies for CFOs and salespeople. (1:27) Finance department automation and modernization. (6:01) Digital transformation and CFO role in project success. (11:14) Business growth and digital transformation. (16:22) Budgeting and strategic planning for business growth. (21:27) Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favourite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. You can join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars.  Premium members can also access our extensive training centre and CFO Digital Toolkit. Here, you can enrol in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programmes.  You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

Wassia Kamon was the guest on episode 118. It’s a year since that recording was made. A lot can happen in 12 months. Wassia changed jobs, moved to a different sector, and was promoted in her first three months. She has also risen to fame as an influencer on LinkedIn and has been published in the Wall Street Journal. Somebody has to be the best, so why not you? It was clearly visible behind Wassia as we recorded. It makes a great title for this episode. This episode provides valuable insights into how Wassia Kamon has developed her career over the past year through building soft skills like networking and personal branding. Some key lessons include: The importance of personal branding on LinkedIn to raise your profile and open up new opportunities How networking, both online and offline, can help make career-changing connections Developing a strategy for onboarding yourself into a new role in an unfamiliar industry or sector Managing imposter syndrome and limiting beliefs by surrounding yourself with a diverse “board of directors” for support and feedback Continually learning new skills beyond just certifications to stay relevant and advance to more strategic leadership roles Overall, this discussion highlights the soft skills needed to successfully pivot careers, industries, and accelerate your progression even in a tough job market. Listeners will take away practical advice on networking, personal development, and onboarding themselves for future success. https://youtu.be/veOsBRUXMKc Links Join GrowCFO today GrowCFO Future CFO Program Episode 118 Influencing Without Authority with Wassia Kamon Wassia Kamon on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn View all podcast episodes. Timestamps What’s happened to Wassia in the last 12 months? (0:12) Personal branding. (1:22) Career growth in finance and accounting. (5:37) Imposter syndrome, and onboarding in a new industry. (12:20) Personal development (18:51) Career growth and management with a focus on personal experiences and insights. (25:12) Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favourite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. You can join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars.  Premium members can also access our extensive training centre and CFO Digital Toolkit. Here, you can enrol in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programmes.  You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

Dovid Gurevich, CFO at Tynrose joins Kevin Appleby on this week’s GrowCFO Show. Dovid shares his unique background, transitioning from engineering to finance roles. He explained how digital transformation requires clean, integrated data accessible in real-time. Dovid recommended HR platforms like Rippling and Paylocity as the core system to build around, as they integrate HR, payroll, benefits and other functions. This reduces manual work and improves the employee experience. Gurevich also discussed the role of managed service providers in helping small-to-medium businesses overhaul their systems for better data and efficiencies. Overall, the conversation provided insights into holistically rethinking business systems from a digital transformation perspective. Why start with HR and not finance systems? Dovid explained that while finance systems are essential for accurate numbers, they are often a passive recipient of data from other systems rather than the primary source. HR systems integrate data across the employee lifecycle and other critical functions like payroll, benefits and IT access management. This makes HR a better starting point to clean up data flows and drive organic changes to other systems. Finance systems alone don’t contain all the essential quantitative and qualitative data businesses need, so taking a holistic view beyond just numbers is vital for digital transformation. https://youtu.be/BMMiVJrjfZw?si=kZMO-PxBbdv2s4nj Links Join GrowCFO today GrowCFO Finance Transformation Boot Camp Dovid Gurevich on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn View all podcast episodes. Timestamps Introducing Dovid Gurevich (0:11) Entrepreneurship, investing, and business growth. (4:38) Restructuring, digital transformation, and CFO skills. (9:34) Digital transformation and data analysis for small to medium-sized businesses. (14:28) HR and finance integration for small businesses. (22:54) Digital transformation and HR systems integration. (28:35) Streamlining business processes through technology integration. (33:31) Digital transformation: Finance or HR systems first? (39:05) Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favourite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. You can join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars.  Premium members can also access our extensive training centre and CFO Digital Toolkit. Here, you can enrol in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programmes.  You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

Soufyan Hamid, founder and financial storytelling trainer at SouFBP joins Kevin Appleby on the GrowCFO Show. They discuss storytelling in finance presentations. Soufyan started his career in auditing at PwC, then moved to consulting at Deloitte. He realized the importance of storytelling when he became a finance business partner for a telecommunications company in Belgium, as he needed to convince internal stakeholders who did not automatically trust him like external consultants. Soufyan now trains others in storytelling and presentation skills, drawing from his experience of making mistakes and learning over time. He shared five common issues with finance presentations There is no clear message that the audience remembers after the presentation. The presentations use the same structure and format for all audiences. The narrative structure does not follow a compelling story and business reality. The visuals/slides contain too much text, graphs, and tables. The delivery is not practised and focuses more on the slides than engaging the audience. Soufyan then introduced his “STORY” framework for creating effective presentations. The letters stand for Select your message, Target your audience, Organize your thoughts, Review your visuals, and question “Why”. He discussed how to apply each step, such as determining the key message, adapting to different types of audiences, and using inductive or deductive structures. Soufyan emphasized the importance of rehearsing and preparing for questions from the audience. https://youtu.be/LGlk9GCC7mY Links Join GrowCFO today Soufyan Hamid on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn View all podcast episodes Timestamps Introducing Soufyan Hamid. (0:12) ve problems with financial presentations (4:15 Presenting financial results to executives. (7:54) Understand the audience. (13:16) Practical presentation skills in finance. (20:51) Rehearsing presentations and overcoming nerves. (28:00) Understanding storytelling techniques. (32:24) Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favourite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. You can join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars.  Premium members can also access our extensive training centre and CFO Digital Toolkit. Here, you can enrol in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programmes.  You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

Dan Perez, Head of Finance at EdgeDelta joins Kevin Appleby on The GrowCFO Show to discuss observability. EdgeDelta supply observability solutions. Dan explains that observability allows teams to monitor an application’s health based on the data it generates, helping them quickly identify issues and their root causes. This is important for meeting service level agreements and avoiding costly downtime. Observability and FP&A Dan highlights ways that his background in finance and FP&A is relevant to his role focusing on observability. Understanding cost structures and modeling complex pricing is important given the huge volumes of data and unpredictable growth curves that observability systems deal with. Dan also sees potential for AI and machine learning to help automate some FP&A tasks like variance analysis, forecasting, and financial modeling over time. While the technology isn’t fully mature, Dan is excited about the possibilities for using observability data to drive insights and efficiencies for finance teams. His experience in both worlds gives him a unique perspective on their intersection. The challenge of remote working Kevin and Dan discuss the challenges and best practices of managing a distributed remote team. Dan shares that his company Edge Delta is headquartered in Seattle but has employees all over the world, including Dan working remotely from Michigan. They agree it’s important for remote companies to build in social connections between employees. Edge Delta focuses on local meetups when possible and annual all-company events. Over-communicating through Slack is also key. Dan emphasizes respecting different time zones to avoid late-night messages. Having clear priorities helps teams understand what requires immediate response. Both note remote work requires extra effort to feel empowered asking questions outside traditional office settings through virtual office hours. Overall, open communication, respecting work-life balance, and finding ways to socially connect remote employees are important for culture, according to their discussion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heMh-83mZq4&ab_channel=GrowCFO Links Join GrowCFO today Find out more about EdgeDelta Dan Perez on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn View all podcast episodes Timestamps Dan Perez explains observability.0:11 Using observability to identify issues in a system.2:40 Observability, data growth, and pricing models in the tech industry.6:07 Data quality, AI, and observability in finance.12:37 Company culture at EdgeDelta and hybrid working.18:32 Market competition, and growth ambitions.23:53 Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favourite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. You can join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars.  Premium members can also access our extensive training centre and CFO Digital Toolkit. Here, you can enrol in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programmes.  You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

Carrie Gallant is a dynamic speaker, author, coach and facilitator; she is a licensed associate of the Impostor Syndrome Institute. In this episode, Carrie discusses imposter syndrome and how it affects finance leaders with Kevin Appleby. Carrie shares how she got into studying imposter syndrome and how it can impact people differently based on gender and culture. Common feelings associated with imposter syndrome include feeling like a fraud or not being good enough. Often, the finance leader might suffer from imposter syndrome, but it could just as easily be other members of the finance team. So, as a leader, how do you spot when this affects somebody on your team? Some signs a leader should look out for in their team include underperformance, isolation, or holding back contributions. Strategies to overcome imposter syndrome include acknowledging feelings, focusing on facts and past successes, asking, “What if I felt confident?” and keeping a success journal. The conversation also covers how imposter syndrome can discourage people from applying for promotions or new jobs. Signs of Imposter syndrome a leader should look out for Carrie Gallant mentioned a few signs that a leader should look out for in their team that could indicate someone is experiencing imposter syndrome: – Underperformance – If someone seems not to be performing to their full potential or up to the level expected. – Isolation – If a team member appears more isolated from the rest of the team than others and not fully engaging or participating. – Holding back contributions – Noticing if someone holds back from saying something, contributing ideas, or hesitating to take on responsibilities. This could be a sign they lack confidence. – Surveys showing a lack of belonging – If organizational surveys find a team member has reported not feeling like there is a strong team atmosphere or that they entirely belong. A lack of belonging can contribute to lower confidence. Key strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome Some key strategies Carrie Gallant discussed for overcoming imposter syndrome include: Acknowledging the feelings rather than ignoring them, which helps to normalize the experience. Focusing on facts and looking at past successes, strengths, and accomplishments to provide a counterbalance to negative feelings. Asking oneself, “What if I felt confident?” to shift perspective and think about what actions a confident person might take. Keeping a “success journal” or “bank vault of value” to record achievements and positive feedback as a resource to consult when confidence is low. Leveraging assessment tools like StrengthsFinder to understand better one’s natural talents and strengths to feel more competent in certain roles. Having open conversations with managers using questions like “What’s holding you back?” and “What would you do if you felt confident?” for support and new perspectives. https://youtu.be/IblyotJkGHs Links Join GrowCFO today Overcome Imposter Syndrome: A Guide to Building Confidence for Finance Leaders GrowCFO Show Episode 15: Imposter Syndrome and the CFO with Catherine Clark “Conversation secrets for tomorrow’s leaders” By Carrie Gallant on Amazon UK and Amazon US Carrie Gallant on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn Timestamps Introducing Carrie Gallant (0:11) The finance leader’s role is spotting the problem. (1:59) Imposter syndrome and its impact on workplace performance. (6:11) What are the leading causes of imposter syndrome? (11:47) Job descriptions and hiring biases. (17:06) Overcoming imposter syndrome in the workplace. (22:43) Leadership development. (27:33) Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favourite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. You can join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars.  Premium members can also access our extensive training centre and CFO Digital Toolkit. Here, you can enrol in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programmes.  You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net