FP&A Unlocked

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Jon Laudie to discuss how FP&A can become a critical business function, why finance and operations need to work together, and how FP&A can prepare professionals for senior leadership. Jon also shares what he has learned from serving as both President and CFO of Zerorez and how that experience has changed his approach to leadership.Jon Laudie is the President and CFO of Zerorez. He began his career in M&A and valuation before moving into corporate and operational FP&A roles at technology and consumer companies. His experience also includes investor relations, M&A integration, and building FP&A capabilities. Jon is also the co-author of Roots, Relationships and Results.Expect to Learn:How to build an FP&A function that the business values and trusts.Why change management is critical to FP&A transformation.How FP&A can prepare professionals for operational leadership.Why trust and relationships are essential to effective leadership.Which technical and soft skills can help FP&A professionals become CFOs.Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:“If you're not bringing the people along with you, the change management is nearly impossible and FP&A is not going to be successful.” - Jon Laudie“You have to be a strategic partner at the executive table.” - Jon LaudieJon explains that successful FP&A transformation starts by meeting the business where it is rather than immediately pushing best practices. Building trust through better data, visibility, and useful insights creates a foundation for more advanced planning and forecasting.Follow Jon:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonlaudie/Website: rootsrelationshipsresults.comDisclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.Explore Lineos Reporting Intelligence:Ready to transform financial reporting? See how Lineos Reporting Intelligence helps finance teams connect ERP data directly to Excel, access current data, and spend less time assembling reports.Watch the Reporting Intelligence demo:https://www.insightsoftware.com/lineos/resources/Reporting-intelligence-demo/?utm_source=thefpaguy&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=lineos-influencer-oct&utm_content=newsletter1Earn Your CPE CreditFor CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on Earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.In Today's Episode:[00:00] - Finance Meets Operations[01:32] - Jon’s Career Journey[05:41] - Building FP&A at Zerorez[10:19] - Change Management[16:26] - President & CFO[24:13] - Finance & Operations[31:52] - Writing the Book[34:32] - Leadership Lessons[42:48] - Trust & Relationships[51:18] - The “As Soon As” Trap[56:46] - Skills for Future CFOs[59:33] - Rapid Fire & Closing Thoughts

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with David Den Boer to debate the future of enterprise performance management, Excel, and AI. They explore whether traditional EPM platforms are being disrupted, how AI could reshape forecasting and finance workflows, and why governance, transparency, and accountability still matter.David Den Boer is the CEO and Founder of Column5 Consulting and Darwin Analytics. He began his career as an EPM administrator at a Fortune 500 company and later worked with OutlookSoft, which was acquired by SAP and became part of SAP BPC. With more than 20 years of experience in EPM, David works with large enterprises on performance management and develops practical solutions designed to help organizations get more value from their EPM environments.Expect to Learn:Why Excel and EPM platforms may be harder to replace than expected.How AI is changing the build-versus-buy decision for finance technology.Where AI can support forecasting without removing human accountability.Why reproducibility, auditability, and governance still matter.How finance teams should balance AI innovation with existing EPM systems.Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:“There’s really no benefit to avoiding Excel.” - David Den Boer“Everyone has to have an AI strategy as far out as they can see, which might be six months.” - David Den BoerDavid explains that AI can significantly reduce the cost of building and extending finance solutions, but large organizations still need deterministic calculations, multi-user workflows, auditability, and clear accountability.Follow David:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daviddenboer/Website: https://column5.com/Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.Explore Lineos Reporting Intelligence:Ready to transform financial reporting? See how Lineos Reporting Intelligence helps finance teams connect ERP data directly to Excel, access current data, and spend less time assembling reports.Watch the Reporting Intelligence demo:https://www.insightsoftware.com/lineos/resources/Reporting-intelligence-demo/?utm_source=thefpaguy&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=lineos-influencer-oct&utm_content=newsletter1 Earn Your CPE CreditFor CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.In Today's Episode:[00:00] - Trailer[03:46] - What Great FP&A Looks Like[04:08] - Is Excel Dead?[06:50] - Is EPM Dead?[14:18] - Build vs. Buy[18:40] - AI-Led Forecasting[26:22] - Reproducibility & Auditability[31:33] - The Cost of Change[39:06] - AI & EPM Together[45:24] - Skills & Closing Thoughts

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, host Paul Barnhurst and co-host Glenn Snyder sit down with Valerie Martin to discuss how AI is changing FP&A, leadership, and business partnering. They explore why greater efficiency does not automatically create greater value and how finance teams can use AI without losing judgment, context, or trust with the business.Valerie Martin is a Finance Executive specializing in FP&A and strategic finance, with experience across GTM, SaaS, AI, and value creation. A former Autodesk finance leader and San Francisco FP&A Board Ambassador, Valerie brings extensive experience in business partnering, finance transformation, and helping organizations make better strategic decisions.Expect to Learn:Why AI efficiency does not always create more value.How AI is changing the skills FP&A teams need.Why judgment and business context still matter.How leaders should rethink training and development.Why communication and trust remain critical in FP&A.Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:“AI could help us get the answer faster, but you can't outsource accountability.” - Valerie Martin“The measurement is about the value, not the production.” - Glenn SnyderValerie explains that AI can automate variance analysis, reporting, data cleanup, and other repetitive work, but faster production is only useful if teams turn that saved time into greater business value. As AI takes on more technical work, FP&A professionals need to strengthen their judgment, curiosity, business acumen, and communication skills.Follow Valerie:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-martin-342878/Email: [email protected] Glenn:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/glenntsnyderDisclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.Explore Lineos Reporting Intelligence:Ready to transform financial reporting? See how Lineos Reporting Intelligence helps finance teams connect ERP data directly to Excel, access current data, and spend less time assembling reports.Watch the Reporting Intelligence demo:https://www.insightsoftware.com/lineos/resources/Reporting-intelligence-demo/?utm_source=thefpaguy&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=lineos-influencer-oct&utm_content=newsletter1Earn Your CPE CreditFor CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.In Today’s Episode:[00:00] -Trailer[01:17] - Hard-Coded Opinion[04:54] - How AI Is Changing FP&A Skills[06:16] - Where AI Adds the Most Value[13:51] - When AI Efficiency Doesn't Create Value[15:03] - Judgment, Context & Accountability[19:46] - Redesigning FP&A Work for AI[20:51] - Why Communication Still Matters[27:35] - Turning Saved Time Into Greater Value[34:20] - What Differentiates Finance in the AI Era[41:22] - How FP&A Professionals Stay Valuable[46:27] - Closing & CPE Information

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Chithra Rajagopalan, Head of Finance at Obsidian Security, to discuss what great FP&A looks like in high-growth companies, why strong data foundations matter, and how finance teams can become more strategic business partners. Chithra shares lessons from scaling finance teams, supporting hypergrowth companies, and using data to influence better decisions.Chithra Rajagopalan is a finance leader with experience across high-growth SaaS and AI security companies. She currently serves as Head of Finance at Obsidian Security, where she oversees financial strategy and operations. Her previous roles include finance leadership positions at Glue, ClickUp, and People.ai, following earlier experience at Deloitte and Ernst & Young.Expect to Learn:Why great FP&A goes beyond reporting.How strong data foundations support better decisions.What finance teams need during hypergrowth.How AI is changing finance roles and workflows.Why cybersecurity matters when finance adopts AI.Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:“Accounting is always going to give you exposure to what already happened. You still need a strong FP&A partner to know what to do in the future.” - Chithra Rajagopalan“You can have as much data as you want, but if you don’t utilize it to make decisions, surface risk, or hold people accountable, it’s pointless.” - Chithra RajagopalanChithra explains that strong FP&A starts with reliable data, business understanding, communication, and the ability to prioritize what actually moves the business forward. For finance professionals, the growing use of AI also means shifting from task execution toward an orchestration mindset, where teams understand systems, workflows, automation, and business strategy rather than simply producing reports.Follow Chithra:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chithra-rajagopalan-mbaWebsite: https://www.obsidiansecurity.com/Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.Earn Your CPE CreditFor CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.In Today’s Episode:[00:00] - Trailer[05:07] - What Great FP&A Looks Like[11:16] - Building Finance During Hypergrowth[15:19] - Creating a Culture of Data[17:52] - Three Foundations of Strong FP&A Teams[29:31] - Inside Obsidian Security[34:38] - AI, Finance & Cybersecurity[39:42] - Moving Beyond AI Hype[44:43] - Why Finance Needs AI Guardrails[47:24] - The Skills FP&A Professionals Need[50:01] - The Future of Finance Teams[57:08] - Why Startup Chaos Builds Better Leaders[59:15] - Closing Thoughts

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst speaks with Eric Alexander about building effective FP&A functions, developing business acumen, and preparing finance professionals for leadership. Eric explains why finance teams need to look beyond the numbers, understand the business, communicate effectively, and develop the leadership skills needed to create greater impact.Eric Alexander is the President of Six Arrows Consulting and an advisor, speaker, and author with nearly 40 years of financial management experience, including 20 years in CFO roles. He served as CFO of Happy State Bank and now provides leadership development, strategic planning, finance function, and advisory services to community banks and mid-market companies. He is also the author of Stewardship Leadership for Stinking Accountants: Serving as the CFO.Expect to Learn:Why business understanding matters beyond technical skills.How to build a stronger FP&A function.Why CFOs need leadership and communication skills.How to make better decisions through constructive disagreement.Why stewardship is essential to effective finance leadership.Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:"Numbers that are done correctly relative to the business issue and then communicated well... that's good FP&A." - Eric Alexander"If I live in my little silo by myself and ignore the effects upstream and downstream, I'm missing opportunities." - Eric AlexanderEric emphasizes that strong finance professionals need more than technical expertise. They must understand the business behind the numbers, communicate their insights, collaborate across functions, and help leaders make better decisions. As professionals move toward CFO roles, leadership, strategy, communication, and stewardship become increasingly importantFollow Eric:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-alexander-sixarrowsconsulting/Website: https://ericralexander.com/Company: https://sixarrowsconsulting.com/Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.Earn Your CPE CreditFor CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.In Today's Episode:[00:00] - Trailer[03:55] - What Great FP&A Looks Like[04:47] - Building a Strong FP&A Function[07:43] - Understanding the Business Behind the Numbers[09:23] - Building Business Acumen[13:39] - Moving From Accounting to FP&A[16:19] - The Path to CFO[20:31] - Leadership & Constructive Disagreement[26:06] - Pre-Mortems & Better Decisions[30:03] - Point Estimates vs. Ranges[38:10] - Stewardship Leadership & The CFO Role[43:57] - Technical & Human Skills for FP&A[46:19] - Personal Questions & Closing Thoughts