FP&A Today

Chikako Tyler, COO at California Bank & Trust, transitioned from a math PhD to banking, revealing insights about her path from analytics to leadership. She discusses stress testing and the importance of efficiency ratios in driving growth. Chikako highlights the significance of aligning diverse teams with corporate strategy and shares lessons learned from crises like COVID. She also emphasizes inclusion in banking and the evolving role of AI, showcasing her passion for mentorship and technology.

Carl Seidman, a seasoned Fractional CFO and instructor, shares insights from his experience with top companies and his FP&A Mastery Program. He recounts a nail-biting story of building a cash flow in just five days. Carl discusses the growing demand for fractional CFOs, especially for companies under $50 million. He highlights key FP&A skills like cash flow management and warns about the limitations of AI in finance, emphasizing the need for critical thinking and domain expertise. Plus, he reveals his favorite Excel function, LET, for simplifying complex calculations.

Peter Lynch, founder of ASimpleModel.com and Chief Strategy Officer at Stephen Gould, shares his journey from investment banking to simplifying financial concepts. He explains the nuances of private equity, common modeling mistakes, and his innovative approach to teaching. Peter discusses the importance of mastering three-statement models, and how AI influences his work. Plus, he reveals his strategies for capital allocation and insights from the global financial crisis, all while emphasizing the value of community engagement in learning.

Andrew Polito is VP, Controller at Go HQ which provides a suite of back office services, including recruiting to delivery companies. The Fort Worth-based company provides back office support for transportation and logistics, seeing 500% growth in five years, earning a spot on the Inc 5,000 list of fastest- growing private companies in America.  In this episode: From audit to shifting to a private company finance team Building FP&A from the ground up  Power of the 13 week cash forecast How I introduced automation in an initial two-person finance team   How our finance tech stack delivers the data and insights to succeed  

Mariya Guttoh is  Director of FP&A and Treasury at PayJoy, a global FinTech company expanding credit access through smartphones to underserved customers in emerging markets. Celebrating 10 years this year , the company has served over 15 million customers and is on track to reach $650 million in revenue and $110 million in profit by the end of 2025. In this episode Mariya traces her steps from cosmetic marketing in Ukraine to arriving in the US with $300 and working three jobs while earning her MBA to becoming a finance leader. My finance journey working three jobs to pay for my MBA Becoming an advocate for AI in finance Two finance camps– “excited but clueless” and “cautious but clueless”  Using AI to automate vendor reporting across 10 countries  Identifying high impact AI wins (forecasting)  My ideal magic FP&A solution  How I turned myself into a self-created extrovert  Offset in Excel 

Akhil Khunger, VP Quantitative Analytics, Barclays, has more than ten years of experience in the field. Akhil develops statistical models to forecast balance sheets, revenue and probability of default. He has experience with time series modeling, statistical modeling, machine learning and building implementation frameworks using Python and other programming languages. Akhil, who has a master’s in Financial Engineering from UC  Berkeley and London School of Economics, has worked in CCAR and Bank of England stress testing and know the Basel III/IV framework, SR 11/7, SR 15-18, and SR 15-19. He also has experience managing junior model developers. In this episode:  The worst year for modeling? Diving into models  Working with big datasets Getting to the real reasons behind trends and data   The power of stress testing  What human judgement can bring to the table  The AI component in forecasting 

Esti Levy Dadon, the Executive VP Finance at Fiverr, transitioned from public accounting at Ernst & Young to build Fiverr’s finance team from scratch. She shares her insights on preparing for the company's IPO in 2019 and establishing a robust forecasting model for a rapidly changing marketplace. Esti discusses the challenges of balancing aggressive growth with solid controls and the importance of hiring talented FP&A professionals. She also emphasizes the value of a mindset shift for finance leaders to truly connect with the business.

Marcos Bento, Director of BI at Wasabi Technologies, and David Suter, Director of FP&A, share insights into their successful collaboration. They discuss the evolution of net retention metrics and the significance of storytelling in communicating complex data. The duo highlights their journey from manual to automated data processes, resulting in improved efficiency. They emphasize the importance of problem-solving skills in team dynamics and explore the challenges of measuring ROI while ensuring effective communication within lean teams.

Marcos Bento, Director of Business Intelligence, and David Suter, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, share insights from their work at Wasabi Technologies, a leading cloud storage company. They discuss building trust between BI and FP&A teams for better collaboration. Key topics include improving forecasting accuracy, utilizing KPIs like dollars per terabyte, and the role of predictive analytics in financial planning. They also delve into the transformative impact of AI in automating variance analysis while emphasizing the importance of clear communication in data management.

Daniel Gardner, operational finance business partner at FirstGroup Plc, shares insights from his diverse finance career with brands like L’Oreal and the Body Shop. He emphasizes the power of 'systems thinking' in understanding organizational dynamics and the importance of collaboration in finance. Gardner discusses his transformation projects, the shift from lagging to leading indicators, and how philosophy enhances financial decision-making. He also touches on the integration of Python within Excel for improved data analysis, all while navigating the evolving landscape of AI in finance.