On a Mission to Help 1M Finance pros Master FP&A skills | Author of All About FP&A | Building FP&A Professionals Institute

▶️ Follow me for new and interesting content on Finance and FP&A ▶️

Hi, I’m Asif, a Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) professional and an entrepreneur from heart.

I have 12+ years of experience in Financial Planning, Budgeting, Forecasting, Audit and Tax. I have worked with organizations like EY, Citi and Pfizer.

Professionally my interests lie in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) and in my current role with Coursera, I'm responsible for Planning. Budgeting and Forecasting for India and APAC. 

In my previous FP&A roles at Citi, Pfizer and Great Learning I partnered with  finance and business leaders on various projects.

Before Citi, I worked with EY as an Audit Executive. I was responsible for planning, executing and concluding audits for listed companies.

This unique blend of experiences in FP&A and Audit, has allowed me to develop an holistic understanding of how businesses function.

Core expertise :
Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
Budgeting
Financial Planning
Financial Forecasting
People Management
Management Reporting
Finance Business Partnering
Auditing
Taxation
Content Creation

To have a quick chat you can call me on +91 8097379663 or email me at asif.masani@gmail.com

Asif Masani

Day 2/30 of 🎥 30-Day Claude + Excel Challenge
Day 2 - Setting Up Claude Inside Excel

Today we move from theory to setup.
If you want to use Claude with Excel, this is the step that unlocks everything.

Here’s what we cover:
• How to create your Claude account
• Why you may need Claude Pro ($20/month) for the Excel add-in
• How to install the Claude for Excel add-in and connect it to excel.

⚠️ Important: If you’re using a company laptop, check your IT policy before installing any AI tool. I strongly suggest starting on your personal device.

Once installed, Claude appears inside Excel as a chat panel.
That’s where the magic begins.

Tomorrow, we start asking Claude real Excel questions  formulas, analysis, explanations.
If you’re part of the challenge, comment Day 2 done once you’ve installed it.

Day 3 drops tomorrow.
Follow me for the entire journey.

Also I’ve opened 100 more for the Using Claude using Excel for FP&A Course
Join here : https://lnkd.in/dMS3g_pb
If you miss the top 100, comment Claude below and I’ll get you added.
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I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Program Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔

Helping 1M Finance pros Master FP&A skills | FP&A Jobs | Director at FP&A Professionals Institute | Author of All About FP&A, From Accounting to FP&A and Data storytelling Playbook | Udemy Instructor

Anders Liu-Lindberg

Leading advisor to senior Finance and FP&A leaders on how to succeed with business partnering

Tired of finance being stuck in reporting mode? Wondering how to make your finance team truly influence the business? Need to upgrade your planning, reporting, or business partnering model? You’re not alone, and we’re here to help.

📞 Let’s talk: anders@bpidk.org | +45 2926 6410

Who Am I?

I’m Anders Liu-Lindberg, Partner and CCO at Business Partnering Institute. I work with senior finance and FP&A leaders across Europe to elevate the role of finance. This means greater impact, stronger business partnerships, and more informed decisions through modern planning and reporting practices.

Formerly with Maersk, I’ve spent the last 10+ years bridging the gap between finance and business as a speaker, advisor, content creator, and interim leader. Whether it’s defining a new operating model, redesigning reporting, or leading from within, I bring both vision and execution to the table.

What We Do at Business Partnering Institute

We help companies build finance teams that matter, both inside and outside the room, at the table, and in the decisions. We’re hands-on, shoulder-to-shoulder, and always focused on real business outcomes.

Interim Finance Leadership
Step-in support for critical roles like VP Finance, Business Partner, or Controller, fast onboarding, and full ownership.

Consulting Projects
From planning & forecasting to reporting frameworks and service delivery models, we design, implement, and embed.

Learning & Upskilling
Tailored learning journeys that transform business partners into trusted advisors covering people, business, and leadership skills.

Why Reach Out?

Whether you're gearing up for the next budget cycle, scaling your finance team, or rethinking the role of business partnering, I’d love to hear where you’re headed.

We work across industries and company sizes, always tailoring our approach to your unique context. And we’re proud to see our clients succeed long after we’ve stepped away.

Let’s grab a coffee or set up a call. No pitch. Just a good conversation about finance with more impact.

📞 +45 2926 6410
✉️ anders@bpidk.org

Advisory Board Member

The tides of change are flowing into the finance function which sends the function into the age of 4.0. We say it is "Enabled by tech - Driven by people". 

At Born Capital, we focus on tech enablement and are looking for early-stage startups in what we call #CFOTech that will enable the finance function to become a profit driver. We have a keen interest in FP&A and Business Finance as this is where we see the biggest improvement potential.

Actually, CFOs themselves know this as 71% of them are not happy with the performance of their FP&A team despite significant investments made in the past decade. We will help the office of the CFO get the right tech and tools to step up to the plate and deliver on the expectations of the CEO and other CXOs.

Feel free to reach out if you would like to know more about how we can help your start-up to the next level...

Not all CFOs are the same.
And the best ones aren’t stuck in just one column.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗙𝗢 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀:

• Accounting CFO – protects the past
• Business CFO – shapes the present
• Investment CFO – builds the future

Each plays a critical role.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴:

Most organizations still hire for Accounting CFO skills…
While expecting Business and Investment CFO outcomes.

That gap creates tension.

Modern CFOs are expected to:
Ensure compliance and drive strategy
Control costs and allocate capital boldly
Protect downside and create upside

The most effective CFOs know when to switch hats.

Sometimes the business needs a controller.
Sometimes a strategist.
Sometimes an investor.

The real skill isn’t choosing one archetype.
It’s knowing which one the company needs right now.

Which archetype do you think is most underdeveloped in finance teams today?

P.S. Finance leadership isn’t about abandoning rigor; it’s about extending it into value creation.

Leading advisor to senior Finance and FP&A leaders on creating impact through business partnering | Interim | VP Finance | Business Finance

Most people don’t fail at financial analysis because they lack skill.
They fail because they skip steps. Agree?

They jump straight to ratios…
Before understanding the business.
They recommend actions…
Before validating the data.

This visual breaks financial analysis into 𝟭𝟯 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀, in the right order.

From gathering financial statements
→ understanding the business model
→ analyzing trends, cash flow, and liquidity
→ all the way to presenting insights and updating them over time.

Financial analysis isn’t a spreadsheet exercise.
It’s a decision-making process.

When even one step is rushed or overlooked, the conclusion becomes fragile.

If you’re an analyst, consultant, founder, or finance student:
Use this as a checklist before your next recommendation.

Clarity beats complexity.
Process beats shortcuts.

What step do you see most people overlooking?

P.S. The best analysts don’t calculate faster, they think more sequentially.

Finance in 2035 won’t be faster spreadsheets.

It will be a different function altogether.

This vision shows the real shift ahead:
Not from finance → tech
But from finance as control → finance as intelligence.

Three changes stand out:

1️⃣ 𝗔𝗜-𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
Every task starts with one question:
Can AI do this better than humans?

2️⃣ 𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸
Compliance becomes automated.
Control becomes predictive.
Advisory becomes real-time.

3️⃣ 𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝘁
Less manual reporting.
More reasoning, judgment, creativity, and influence.

The finance professional of 2035 won’t be valued for producing numbers.
They’ll be valued for interpreting signals, shaping decisions, and guiding direction.

Finance won’t lose relevance.
It will gain responsibility.

The real risk isn’t AI replacing finance roles.
It’s the finance teams waiting too long to redefine them.

Which capability do you think today’s finance teams are least prepared for?

P.S. The future CFO won’t ask “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥?”
They’ll ask, “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺?”

This is the full data journey.
And most teams stop too early.
Do you?

Data → Sorted → Arranged → Visualized → Explained with a story

All useful steps. None of them are the finish line.

Insight without action remains unfinished work.

The real value of data appears only when it becomes actionable:

• A priority shifts
• A risk is avoided
• A decision changes
• A behavior improves

Dashboards don’t move businesses.
Stories alone don’t move businesses.

Actions do.

The best data professionals don’t just explain what happened.

They make it obvious what to do next.

If your analysis ends with “𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴,” you’re not done yet.

What’s one insight you’ve seen that actually led to a concrete action?

P.S. Data earns its seat at the table only when it earns the right to change something.

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The Battle

Asif Masani

Anders Liu-Lindberg

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Asif Masani's LinkedIn Performance

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