Dear colleagues,

Happy New Year! Wishing you a joyful, successful, and transformative 2025. Let’s make this a year of growth and progress for the FP&A community—together!

Traditionally, we begin the year by launching our annual FP&A Trends Survey, and I am inviting you to take part in this important initiative. This is a unique opportunity to share your insights, benchmark your team’s capabilities and help shape the future of our profession. Take just 10–12 minutes to complete the survey and be among the first to receive our comprehensive survey report.

One of the core focuses of the survey is to identify the critical skills FP&A professionals need to succeed. During our International FP&A Board meetings with senior leaders worldwide, one question consistently stands out: What competencies are essential to staying ahead in a fast-changing environment?

This issue highlights key articles on the essential skills that will drive success in 2025 and beyond. I hope you find it both insightful and practical as you shape your plans for the year ahead.

Best regards,

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

FP&A Trends Group has launched the 9th Annual Survey, and we need your voice. As FP&A evolves into a strategic powerhouse — blending data, technology, and human expertise — your input will help define the trends driving our profession.

By contributing, you’ll help identify the key challenges facing modern FP&A and what’s needed to overcome them. In return, you’ll receive the final report in July 2025, packed with valuable insights. The survey takes just 10–12 minutes, and sharing it with your network is greatly appreciated.

Start the survey now.

By Tamer Abomosalam, Group CFO at emaratech

The finance world is evolving at a breakneck pace — are your skills keeping up? With digital transformation at the heart of today’s finance world, having the right skills is more important than ever. From data-driven decision-making to embracing new technologies, finance professionals need to stay ahead.

Read this article to uncover the essential skills you need to future-proof your career in the digital age and stay ahead of the curve.

By Mohammed Hussain, Finance Manager at Builder.AI

Technical expertise alone no longer guarantees success — soft skills like communication, emotional intelligence and strategic thinking are now indispensable for building strong relationships and driving business outcomes. Professionals who can blend technical know-how with exceptional interpersonal skills stand out as true leaders in today’s dynamic, collaborative business environment.

Read this article to learn how to bridge the soft skills gap and elevate your career with the key interpersonal abilities that employers are actively seeking.

By Adam Hancock, Senior Director, Financial Planning & Analysis at EBSCO Information Services

In a world fueled by data, the real superpower is the ability to make it matter. Without strong communication and influence, even the sharpest insights risk being overlooked. FP&A isn’t just about crunching numbers — it’s about telling the story behind them and sparking action.

Read this article to discover how mastering soft skills can amplify your FP&A impact.

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.

22 January 2025

AI has the potential to transform FP&A, yet only 6% of organizations have successfully adopted AI/ML in finance, according to the 2024 FP&A Trends Survey. The key to overcoming this gap is effective change management.

Register for this Digital North American FP&A Circle for a senior panel discussion on how to navigate complex challenges in AI adoption.

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