Dear colleagues,

At the heart of any thriving organisation is a strong and value-adding FP&A team that not only meets but exceeds expectations. Building such a team requires fostering collaboration, leveraging individual strengths, and driving innovation across diverse roles.

However, according to our latest FP&A Trends survey, only 19% of teams report being optimised or performing well. This stark reality begs the questions: Does your team measure up against this benchmark? How can you build a high-performing FP&A team?

This issue features a collection of articles and a video presentation focused on team building. Additionally, you'll find our latest research paper that explores the soft dimensions of the FP&A Trends Maturity Model, offering practical strategies to enhance your team’s effectiveness.

I hope this issue will help elevate your FP&A team’s performance and unlock its full potential.

Kind regards,

Larysa Melnychuk, CEO and Founder
FP&A Trends Group & International FP&A Board

In the world of FP&A, effectiveness goes beyond just number crunching. To stay agile and competitive, FP&A teams should always be on the path of growth, enhancing their practices and skills.

Read this paper the third in a series on the FP&A Trends Maturity Model, to explore how three interpersonal dimensions of the model – leadership, skills, and business partnering – alongside the influence of technology, shape the evolution of FP&A, offering practical strategies for FP&A excellence. Developed in 2016, this model has evolved through global collaboration with finance leaders worldwide and now serves as a benchmark and transformation roadmap for companies of all sizes and industries.

By Mohamed El-Rouby

What do FP&A professionals need to provide relevant business insights? What are the key pillars that enable FP&A teams to shift from gatekeepers to enablers?

In this article Mohamed El-Rouby, Global Finance Lead and CFO at Pharmanovia, answers these burning questions and describes how to adopt a business partner mindset, develop skills to influence decision-making, and implement technology into the process.

By Amarnath Kamath

Businesses have changed significantly in recent years, but many FP&A teams aren't ready for the new competition. Senior leaders often criticise finance for providing outdated, non-actionable data and lacking business awareness. Despite being crucial for digital transformation, FP&A teams frequently rely on outdated practices, struggling to keep up with the fast-paced business world.

Read this article by Amarnath Kamath, Regional CFO at AXA Group Operations, to learn about the three key factors—structure, technology, and storytelling—that drove AXA Group Operations' transformation journey.

By Dr Amarendra Kumar

To be powerful influencers, FP&A professionals need the best of both worlds: skills for handling data and skills for crafting a story that hits the right note. While technical skills (IQ) are essential, integrating emotional intelligence (EI) can significantly enhance FP&A leadership. Emotional intelligence involves recognising and managing emotions, guiding decisions, and adapting to various environments. Combining high IQ with strong EI enables FP&A professionals to excel in financial planning, decision-making, business partnering, and team management.

Read this article by Dr Amarendra Kumar, Finance Advisor at DXC Technology and Professor in Practice at Woxsen University, to learn about the five factors of Emotional intelligence and their impact on FP&A roles.

By Garrett Dennie

The importance of FP&A team roles may vary across organisations, but FP&A Connectors are crucial for any company's success. This role bridges the gap between operational planning and execution, streamlining the budgeting process and aligning financial goals with strategic initiatives. By ensuring seamless communication and collaboration between departments, FP&A Connectors enhance overall business performance.

Watch this video by Garrett Dennie, CFO at Knix and Toronto FP&A, to discover the hidden potential of the FP&A Connector role. Dennie shares his journey of developing foundational roles and building trust to become a knowledgeable and trusted Business Partner, eventually evolving into 'the Connector,' a pivotal role within the organisation.

FP&A Trends digital events are vendor-agnostic and complimentary. If you are not able to join the live session, you can register to receive the recording later.

10 July 2024

We are excited to announce the release of the 2024 FP&A Trends Survey! Over the past eight years, we have gathered insights from over 2400 finance practitioners worldwide, defining and analysing the latest trends and developments affecting the performance of FP&A departments.

This year, we explored how FP&A teams help organisations navigate a fast-changing business environment through data-driven decision-making enhanced by advanced technologies and analytics.

Register for this webinar to dive into the survey's key findings and learn important benchmarks and trends shaping the future of FP&A.

25 September 2024

Nowadays, traditional planning practices, where there is only one future, are no longer viable. FP&A Scenario Management becomes a game-changer that equips organizations with the ability to foresee and respond to multiple future scenarios and to achieve the short- and long-term goals.

Register for this webinar to unveil the potential of FP&A Scenario Management.

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