Planning Aces
The podcast for finance professionals tasked with taking their businesses to new heights.
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Ep 50: Discipline at the Heart of Innovation
11/17/2025
Ep 50: Discipline at the Heart of Innovation
In this episode of Planning Aces, we spotlight FP&A insights from three CFOs leading innovation with discipline: Chris Sands (InvoiceCloud), Steve Sutter (Celigo), and Niels Boon (Cint). Each shares how finance is shaping AI, go-to-market models, and data-driven transformation without losing rigor. From building an “AI Ops” function and embedding finance in sales strategy, to piloting AI tools in small, staged experiments, these leaders treat innovation as a managed process. Our resident thought leader joins to connect the dots, emphasizing structure, clear metrics, and portfolio thinking as the new essentials of FP&A. We’re excited to welcome author and former CFO Glenn Hopper into the co-host seat. Glenn joins us as our resident thought leader, bringing a deep well of experience at the intersection of finance, technology, and AI. We’re thrilled to have his voice and perspective guiding this next chapter of Planning Aces. Planning Aces: Chris Sands leans into organizational design, reallocating talent into a formal AI Ops team and emphasizing change champions. Steve Sutter focuses on commercial mechanics, tying FP&A to sales economics, talent mix, and scale-up guardrails. Niels Boon emphasizes risk-staged innovation, using small pilots for operational wins while ring-fencing bold synthetic-data bets as long-horizon R&D.
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Ep 49: AI's Early Returns
10/10/2025
Ep 49: AI's Early Returns
In this episode of Planning Aces, host Jack Sweeney and resident thought leader Brett Knowles explore how finance leaders are approaching AI’s early returns—balancing efficiency, experimentation, and human judgment. CFO Craig Foster of Pax8 discusses how AI enablement is driving measurable productivity gains. CFO David Obstler of Datadog reflects on finding ROI amid rapid innovation and market demand. And CFO Ben Gammell of Brex shares why forecasting still requires human intuition despite data-driven progress. Together, their insights reveal a spectrum of FP&A strategies defining the modern CFO’s mindset toward AI adoption and business transformation. Brett Knowles’ Key Takeaways Brett Knowles observes that finance leaders are positioning themselves along a broad continuum—from bold experimentation to cautious skepticism—when it comes to AI in planning. He notes a shift in tone: CFOs are now openly discussing productivity gains and cost efficiency rather than avoiding them. Knowles cautions against overreliance on ROI metrics, emphasizing instead disciplined cost management, pragmatic experimentation, and the evolving role of finance in navigating technology-driven transformation.
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Ep 48: Finance Leaders Decode AI's Promise
08/31/2025
Ep 48: Finance Leaders Decode AI's Promise
In this Planning Aces special, three finance leaders map how AI is moving FP&A from dashboards to decisions. Andrew Casey (Amplitude) shows agents automating analytics, experiments, and order-to-cash checks to democratize insight and speed action. Eric Brown (Cohesity) contrasts AI’s capital intensity with the cloud era and spotlights an “epic data battle” where privileged datasets drive advantage. Chris Miorin (APEX Analytix) links on-prem investment and clean data to faster product velocity. Co-host Brett Knowles ties it together: avoid AI-washing; structure data; target reconciliations and cycle-time compression; and lead with outcomes. Viewpoints, AI’s value depends on governance, access, and execution discipline.
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Ep 47: The Prove-It Mentality: Rethinking ROI in the Age of AI
08/07/2025
Ep 47: The Prove-It Mentality: Rethinking ROI in the Age of AI
In Episode 47 of Planning Aces, Jack Sweeney and resident thought leader Brett Knowles explore the evolving role of FP&A through the lens of three forward-looking CFOs. Dan Zhang (ClickUp), John Rettig (Bill), and Josh Schauer (insightsoftware) share how they’re driving enterprise agility, leveraging AI to eliminate inefficiencies, and rethinking capital allocation. From Zhang’s battle against “SaaS overload” to Rettig’s “prove-it mentality” and Schauer’s daily forecasting, each CFO reveals a distinct approach to enabling smarter, faster decision-making. Their insights offer a compelling look at how modern FP&A leaders are transforming strategy execution in real time.
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Ep 46: From Flailing to AI Forward Motion
06/27/2025
Ep 46: From Flailing to AI Forward Motion
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Ep 45: Redefining Efficiency: The Three Dimensions of AI ROI
06/06/2025
Ep 45: Redefining Efficiency: The Three Dimensions of AI ROI
In this episode of Planning Aces, co-hosts Jack Sweeney and Brett Knowles spotlight the FP&A strategies and AI adoption journeys of three CFOs—Jillian Munson (Vimeo), Dan Fletcher (Planful), and Chad Gold (FullStory). Each finance leader discusses how AI is reshaping their planning processes, from accelerating automation and revenue generation to transforming cross-functional collaboration. Brett introduces a framework for evaluating AI ROI across three dimensions: operating cost reduction, risk mitigation, and revenue generation. The episode reveals how FP&A teams are becoming catalysts for AI-driven change, extending their influence and helping to architect new organizational efficiencies and data-driven decision-making.
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Ep 44: Built for Turbulence: Finance Planning in Motion
05/09/2025
Ep 44: Built for Turbulence: Finance Planning in Motion
This Planning Aces episode explores how finance leaders navigate volatility without drifting into political cross‑currents like tariffs. Prologis CFO Tim Arndt explains why e‑commerce triples warehouse demand and how real‑estate strategies must adapt. Genworth CFO Jerome Upton shows how disciplined leverage and balanced product exposure turn rate uncertainty into opportunity while guarding against inflationary claim spikes. Flexport CFO Stuart Leung reveals the weekly two‑hour operating cadence and scenario drills that keep freight flows nimble amid strikes, conflicts, and policy swings. Co‑host Brett Knowles connects the dots, urging planners to pair AI “agents” with dynamic rhythms that detect risk sooner and react faster.
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Ep 43: The ROI Equation for AI Starts Here
03/28/2025
Ep 43: The ROI Equation for AI Starts Here
In this episode of Planning Aces, three forward-looking finance leaders share how they’re transforming planning and forecasting inside their organizations. CFO Kevin Rhodes of Extreme Networks discusses the dual lens through which he evaluates AI—external monetization and internal productivity. Brendon Sullivan, CFO of 2X, reveals how a post-PE investment reality check led him to pioneer a weekly reporting cadence to drive faster decision-making. Meanwhile, Gabi Gantus of Mytra AI draws on her Tesla FP&A roots to illustrate how finance can lead long-term operational planning. Brett Knowles joins Jack Sweeney to unpack key insights and the broader implications for FP&A.
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Ep 42: From Misaligned Commissions to Unified Goals
01/02/2025
Ep 42: From Misaligned Commissions to Unified Goals
In our latest Planning Aces episode of CFO Thought Leader, Jack Sweeney teams with FP&A veteran Brett Knowles to spotlight three finance leaders tackling one of business’s most critical challenges: aligning sales, operations, and finance around a common goal. First, Orion Innovation CFO Cyrus Lam recalls how transparent metrics and well-crafted incentives helped double profit margins by bridging the gap between sales and delivery teams. Then, Jellyfish CFO Joanne Cheng reveals the power of being a “connector”—a finance leader who unifies fast-scaling startups by integrating hires, systems, and processes from day one. Finally, Cribl CFO Zach Johnson shares his “three P’s” framework—precision, predictability, and performance—spotlighting how open communication and unit economics training can shape a company’s culture and boost long-term value. Throughout, Brett Knowles offers revealing insights into how CFOs can develop organizational trust, adopt strategic compensation models, and champion cross-functional collaboration to drive sustainable growth.
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Ep 41: The FP&A Spectrum: Technology, Culture, and Long-Term Value
11/29/2024
Ep 41: The FP&A Spectrum: Technology, Culture, and Long-Term Value
In this episode of Planning Aces, co-hosts Jack Sweeney and Brett Knowles explore insights from CFOs Sandra Wallach (Amprius Technologies), David Morris (Guardian Pharmacy Services), and David Eckstein (Vanta). The discussion highlights themes around technology adoption and data-driven decision-making. Sandra Wallach emphasizes the importance of hands-on involvement, leveraging weekly meetings and direct collaboration to stay aligned with supply chain and customer needs. David Morris reflects on Guardian's long-term journey to IPO, underscoring rigorous planning processes, investment in data infrastructure, and a methodical approach to decision-making. David Eckstein examines AI’s transformative potential, advocating for measured experimentation while noting its current success in streamlining sales and operational processes. Brett Knowles identifies an overarching narrative of incremental technological adoption, comparing CFOs’ approaches to “crawl, walk, and run” stages. The episode underscores the evolving role of FP&A as a strategic partner, balancing technology with organizational culture and long-term value creation.
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Ep 40: From Constraints to Collaboration
11/01/2024
Ep 40: From Constraints to Collaboration
In the latest Planning Aces episode, hosts Jack Sweeney and Brett Knowles discuss how finance leaders are elevating FP&A as strategic partners within organizations. Featuring insights from CFOs Regi Vengalil, Matt Steinfort, and Isabelle Winkles, the episode highlights themes like the importance of reliable data, setting constraints to enhance strategic planning, leveraging AI in finance, real-time collaboration, and educating business units. The CFOs emphasize Finance's role in guiding better decision-making and aligning organizational goals.
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Ep 39: Simplifying the Complicated and the Complex: FP&A Strategies Across Industries
09/27/2024
Ep 39: Simplifying the Complicated and the Complex: FP&A Strategies Across Industries
In this episode of Planning Episodes hosted by Jack Sweeney and Brett Knowles, three CFOs—Don McGuire of ADP, Scott Blackley of Oscar Health, and Patrick Fleury of TeraWulf—share their insights on financial planning and analysis (FP&A), with a focus on navigating complex business environments. Through their stories, listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how these finance leaders simplify intricate financial models, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and align strategic decisions with business growth. The episode explores how each CFO approaches financial clarity amidst volatility, balancing short-term challenges and long-term opportunities, offering actionable insights for managing complexity in today’s fast-evolving markets.
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Ep 38: Strategic Relationship Building in FP&A
08/30/2024
Ep 38: Strategic Relationship Building in FP&A
In this episode of Planning Aces, Jack Sweeney and Brett Knowles discuss the evolving role of FP&A professionals, emphasizing the importance of relationship-building and strategic collaboration within organizations. As summer ends and fall approaches, Brett predicts a surge in business activity, particularly as companies rush to meet year-end objectives. The conversation highlights the decline in travel post-COVID, with more business being conducted via web meetings, though these are often less effective than in-person interactions. Brett underscores the need for FP&A teams to prepare thoroughly for meetings and to foster diverse thinking to achieve better outcomes. The episode also explores the challenges of integrating acquisitions, the significance of continuous improvement, and the evolving responsibilities of FP&A leaders. Ultimately, the discussion centers on the importance of strategic relationships, effective communication, and adaptive leadership in navigating today’s complex business environment.
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Ep 37: Navigating Communication Challenges
07/26/2024
Ep 37: Navigating Communication Challenges
Brett & Jack discuss the commentary and insights of three accomplished CFOs (Sandeep Aujla from Intuit, Shelagh Glaser from Synopsys, and Seth Wunder from Acorns), while highlighting their distinct approaches to strategic finance, organizational structure, communication, and business growth. While all three Planning Aces highlight the importance of strategic finance and organizational efficiency, their reflections differ in focus. Aujla emphasizes the integration of finance with business strategy, Glaser focuses on aligning investments with strategic goals and improving communication with investors, and Wunder highlights the importance of team collaboration and simplifying communication across different domains. Each CFO offers unique insights into how finance can drive business success in their respective companies.
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Ep 36: Standardize, Streamline & Scale
07/03/2024
Ep 36: Standardize, Streamline & Scale
On the latest episode of Planning Aces three dynamic CFOs—Robert Cornella (RNDC), Karen Williams (American Express Global Business Travel), and Tony Querciagrossa (Pinstripes)—share a menu of FP&A insights and experiences. Robert Cornella emphasized the importance of understanding value chain economics and achieving operational harmony within complex mergers. His experience at Coca-Cola highlighted the necessity of predictable revenue streams and balanced incentives for long-term investment. Karen Williams brought a fresh perspective on utilizing data. She stressed the need for a proactive approach in gathering and analyzing diverse data sources, alongside encouraging self-sufficiency within teams using different technology tools. Her focus on customer feedback underscores the value of real-time insights in shaping business strategies. Tony Querciagrossa reflected on his entrepreneurial journey, underlining the benefits of working in smaller companies where exposure to various business aspects is inevitable. His pivotal moment at Medline illustrated the significance of aligning financial support with organizational needs, fostering a collaborative environment to solve broader business problems. Hosts, Sweeney and Knowles, highlight the shared themes of data curiosity, the evolving role of finance in operational decisions, and the importance of cross-functional competencies.
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Ep 35: Why "Finance People & Analysis" is the New FP&A
05/31/2024
Ep 35: Why "Finance People & Analysis" is the New FP&A
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Ep 34: From Rearview to Road Ahead
05/03/2024
Ep 34: From Rearview to Road Ahead
Leadership in FP&A: All three CFOs emphasize the role of finance in leading and driving business performance through strategic foresight, detailed operational insights, and proactive engagement. Technology and Innovation: There is a strong inclination towards integrating new technologies like AI to enhance the capabilities of finance teams and improve business processes. Collaboration and Influence: The CFOs highlight the importance of collaboration within organizations, where finance must work closely with other departments to influence and drive business outcomes effectively.
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Ep 33: Driving Value Beyond the Balance Sheet
04/05/2024
Ep 33: Driving Value Beyond the Balance Sheet
This episode our Planning Aces emphasize the importance of leveraging one's breadth of experience, stepping beyond traditional FP&A roles, and focusing on execution to bring significant value to organizations. They also emphasize the evolving nature of finance professional interactions and the idea that strategic insights can serve as catalysts for organizational change, prompting shifts in product development, market strategy, and operational execution. This episode features the FP&A insights and commentary of CFO Jeff Woolard or Velocity Global, CFO Aaron Alt of Cardinal Health and CFO Bob Houghton of Pivot Bio.
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Ep 32: Operating ON and IN The Business
02/23/2024
Ep 32: Operating ON and IN The Business
Planning Aces co-hosts Brett Knowles and Jack Sweeney discuss the strategic efforts of two CFOs leading organizational turnarounds, and a third CFO, who offers key organizational insights from an earlier career chapter. Emphasizing simplification, strategic focus, and leveraging both human insight and technology, Marc Suidan of Beachbody, Emma Brown of Medius and David Freeman of Starburst share their experiences in cutting costs, enhancing digital experiences, and repositioning product offerings as key strategies for revival and expansion. They underscore the importance of a deep understanding of business operations and the potential of AI in supporting decision-making processes. Their narratives reflect a common theme of distilling operations to impactful actions, demonstrating the critical role of CFOs in navigating companies through challenging transformations towards sustainable growth.
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Ep 31: Projecting The Voice of Reason
01/26/2024
Ep 31: Projecting The Voice of Reason
This episode of Planning Aces sheds light on the critical role financial leadership and strategic planning plays in guiding companies through turbulent times and the importance of balancing short-term opportunities with long-term strategic planning. Each of the featured finance chiefs faced unique challenges related to the pandemic’s impact on their businesses, and their responses offer valuable insights into effective financial leadership during times of crisis and change. In each case, the CFOs demonstrated strategic foresight and adaptability in their planning, ensuring their companies could navigate through and beyond the pandemic’s challenges. Resident thought leader Brett Knowles provide insights throughout the discussion, emphasizing the role of CFOs as the “voice of reason” in navigating short-term gains and long-term strategies. He highlighted the need for agility and adaptability in financial planning, acknowledging the complexity and unpredictability of market conditions.
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Ep 30: Seeding Organizational Ownership
12/31/2023
Ep 30: Seeding Organizational Ownership
Planning Aces Hosts Brett Knowles and Jack Sweeney discuss how AI's integration into FP&A is still in early stages, with many teams 'dabbling' in AI rather than regularly employing it. However, its use has been significant, inspiring creativity and improving team performance. This episode's conversation emphasizes how FP&A is not just about financial numbers but involves drawing in non-FP&A players into the process. This approach fosters a more comprehensive and collaborative financial planning culture within organizations. They underscored that every member of an organization should consider themselves a 'capital allocator', responsible for contributing to the company's financial health.
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Ep 29: FP&A: The Silo Buster
12/01/2023
Ep 29: FP&A: The Silo Buster
This episode of Planning Aces Brett and Jack discuss FP&A’s role when it comes to breaking down silos within departments, and how A.I. is quickly emerging as FP&A’s ultimate silo busting partner. Their discussion highlights the importance of connecting business performance metrics with financial outcomes and the role of AI will play in complex analysis. CFO Lauren StClair talks about leveraging AI for faster analysis, transparency in reporting, and the challenge of maintaining clean, adaptable data. CFO Doug Lindroth emphasizes the shift from closed data structures to open-book management, enabling deeper discussions on profitability and investments. CFO Charly Kevers underscores AI's impact on manual tasks, reshaping organizational charts to prioritize higher-level thinking. AI's Role in FP&A and Security Concerns: Discussion on AI's learning mechanisms, potential security risks, and the importance of Microsoft's approach with co-pilot in maintaining security. Insights on how AI-driven tools adapt and evolve based on user interactions, driving advancements in decision-making processes.
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Ep 28: How Planning Aces Are Made
10/27/2023
Ep 28: How Planning Aces Are Made
This episode features insights and commentary from three finance leaders: CFO Michael Linford of Affirm, CFO Ana Chadwick of Pitney Bowse, and CFO Jason Leet of Zylo. Imagine if these three finance leaders were to meet and have a discussion about their past roles. Each of them has a unique story to tell. Michael Linford, for example, was previously part of HP's M&A integration group and later became the first CFO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise after the split-off. Anna Chadwick played a key role in GE Capital's divestiture chapter, overseeing more than 50 divestitures globally. Jason Leet, on the other hand, has extensive experience in M&A, having been involved in over 40 different acquisitions during his time at Salesforce and Exact Target.
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Ep 27: How Finance Leaders Are Adapting Their Teams
09/29/2023
Ep 27: How Finance Leaders Are Adapting Their Teams
Brett and Jack draw parallels between the challenges faced by our three featured Planning Aces as they seek to optimize the talent resources and processes in their different organizations. The pressure to align strategy and execution is increasing, and all three CFOs share their responses to these external pressures. Brett also touches on the adoption of AI in finance. With AI, the depth of analysis and speed of feedback are significantly enhanced, leading to faster decision-making and more innovative ideas as revealed by CFO Steven Cirulis of Potbelly The episode features planning insights and commentary from Tony Boor, CFO of Blackbaud, Michelle, Hook, CFO, Portillo’s and Steven Cirulis, CFO Potbelly. OUR COHO
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Ep 26: The Quest for the Golden KR
08/31/2023
Ep 26: The Quest for the Golden KR
This episode our cohost Brett Knowles suggests that every professional within an organization should have their own “golden KR” or key result that they are held accountable for. As he explains, this would create alignment and clarity throughout the organization. The Rule of 40 and Gross Margin: TreviPay CFO Joel Campbell discusses two intriguing metrics – the rule of 40 and gross margin. The rule of 40, a blend of top-line revenue growth and EBITDA margin, is a key indicator of a company’s balance between growth and profitability. Gross margin, on the other hand, measures the efficiency and productivity of a business. Joel’s insights into these metrics and their importance in tracking business performance alone make the episode worthy listening for FP&A pros. In addition the episode features planning insights and commentary from Matt Gustke, CFO of WooCommerce and Rob Goldenberg, CFO of 6sense (see below).
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Ep 25: Impact of Organization Design on FP&A
07/29/2023
Ep 25: Impact of Organization Design on FP&A
This episode of Planning Aces features the FP&A insights and commentary of CFO Dev Ahuja of Novelis, CFO Alex Triplett of Appfire and CFO Rick Rosenthal of Clara Analytics. One of the key topics co host Brett Knowles drills down on is the difference between complicated and complex problems. Brett uses the examples of manufacturing a car, which is complicated, and raising a child, which is complex. The distinction is crucial in understanding how to approach problem-solving in an organization. While complicated problems can be solved with the right formulas or spreadsheets, complex problems require more. They demand strong interpersonal relationships and effective communication. It’s not just about having the right tools or processes, but also about having the right people who can use these tools effectively. Planging Ace CFO Dev Ahuja brings some perspective on the role of people in finance transformation. CFO Ahuja shared insights into the structure of his finance organization at Novelis. Despite being well-established, the organization needed a renewed focus on the role of finance in driving decisions and adding value. Dev emphasized the importance of finance being a thought partner and actively shaping strategy. He also highlighted the need for a strong talent pipeline and succession planning. This ensures the organization has the necessary depth of talent to drive its vision forward.
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Ep 24: Staying Small While Growing Big
06/30/2023
Ep 24: Staying Small While Growing Big
This episode our cohosts Brett Knowles and Jack Sweeney explore the insights and commentary from three finance leaders: CFO Michael Bannon of Typeform, CFO Chuck Fisher of Turo, and CFO Jeff Noto of Zayo. The episode discusses the importance of identifying unique and key metrics for businesses, moving beyond common knowledge. Meanwhile, the cohosts discuss some of the fast moving developments when it comes A.I technologies and the planning process. Planning Ace Michael Bannon emphasized the need for sharing information across the organization, ensuring alignment and effective decision-making. Planning Ace Chuck Fisher highlighted the metrics related to profitability, cohort performance, and customer retention in the peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace, Turo. Planning Ace Jeff Noto details his focus on finding actionable metrics that drive efficiency and better decision-making, as well as prioritizing profitable growth and identifying valuable data for operational improvement.
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Ep 23: Leading Cross- Functional Teams
06/01/2023
Ep 23: Leading Cross- Functional Teams
Are you tired of sitting through unproductive monthly meetings that turn into show-and-tell sessions? Do you want to shift your focus to key metrics that matter and move away from storytelling to a more data-driven approach? In this episode of the Planning Aces podcast, Cohosts Jack Sweeney and Brett Knowles feature the commentary and insights of three finance leaders who don’t mind displacing the status quo as they seek to optimize their business metrics and drive performance. Episode #23 kicks off with the hosts featuring recent commentary from Dayton Kellenberger, CFO of Vendavo, who shares his experience with implementing a metrics-based approach to monthly business unit reviews. He explains that they shifted their focus to key metrics that matter and moved away from storytelling to a more data-driven approach. Dayton also discusses the importance of optimizing SAS gross margins, which is a cross-functional effort that involves finance, sales, cloud ops teams, and customer success teams. Later in the episode, Celeste Ackert and Jason Quinn share their insights on creating cross-functional dashboards and raising the profile of metrics within an organization. Brett emphasizes the importance of using planning tools to build cross-functional dashboards, as it allows for better integration between the planning and operational cycles. He also highlights the significance of customer contribution analysis in optimizing resources and identifying areas of sub-optimization. Jason Quinn also discusses the importance of cultural norms in achieving desired outcomes. He emphasizes the need for fairness, transparency, kindness as a service, pursuit of truth, and trust through transparency. Brett summarizes Quinn’s points into three categories of measures for FP&A professionals: the overall scoreboard, success potential (leading indicators), and experiences. Overall, the episode aims to highlight the takeaways and provoke listeners to think about other ways of monitoring how their businesses are performing. Related Episode Content
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Ep 22: The Power of GPT in Planning
04/21/2023
Ep 22: The Power of GPT in Planning
Planning Ace's guest host Brett Knowles suggests that GPT can be used as an extra member at the planning table, providing a catalyst for exploring ideas and expanding horizons. By generating scenarios and validating strategies against them, planners can identify environmental and situational factors that need to be true for a strategy to work. But the true power of GPT lies in its ability to test a plan through the eyes of different stakeholders, such as investors, regulators, competitors, and employees, before presenting it to the executive committee. This allows planners to pretest their plan against a vast knowledge base, beyond the limited experience of the leadership team.
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Ep 21: When Sales is at The Table
03/31/2023
Ep 21: When Sales is at The Table
In this Planning Aces episode, host Jack Sweeney and guest host Ben Murray discuss the collaborative organizational effort behind generating business intelligence (BI) and the different places BI resources may reside within a business, with reference to an episode featuring Gary Zyla, CFO of AssetMark. The hosts also discuss the role of finance in enabling sales, the challenges faced by sales teams, and the importance of financial discipline and visibility in a company’s financials, regardless of market conditions. The episode features insights from other finance leaders, including Teodora Gouneva, CFO of Next Insurance, and Wailun Chan, CFO of Grafana Labs.
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