I teach Finance Teams how to use ChatGPT - Keynote speaker on AI for Finance & FP&A

For AI Finance Trainings and Workshops:

✉️ Contact me here: hello@nicolasboucher.online

About me:

Number one Finance Thought Leader specialized in AI, trained more than 10,000 people and on a mission to help more than 1 million finance professionals.

3 million people are receiving daily my insights on AI for Finance across all social media channels.

I teach finance people how to use AI.

You can also book me as a keynote speaker.


My previous roles:

🏭 Thales (Germany):
2022-23: Senior manager controlling role for the Transportation business (€500 million business)
2018-22: Part of the management and led the Finance and Controlling team of a production site (400 people) specialised in producing Traveling Waves Tubes for Satellites
2016-2018: Head of Finance Transformation

👨‍💻 PwC:
2014-2016: Audit Manager in PwC Luxembourg
2012-2014: Audit Manager in PwC Singapore
2009-2012: Auditor in PwC Luxembourg


My experience:

Living in 5 different countries across 3 different continents (France, USA, Luxembourg, Singapore and Germany) gave me the capacity to integrate myself quickly and understand different local and working cultures.

Worked 8 years for Thales, an engineering and industrial french multinational.
I had finance manager roles and was part of the management of a 400 people production site.

Prior to that, I worked 7 years as an auditor and consultant for PwC in Luxembourg and Singapore.


My private life:

I am married and a happy father of two young daughters. We both learn from each other and we enjoy reading french books together and play outside.
When I am not busy with my daughters, I am exercising, cooking and spending quality time with friends.
Finally, traveling and tasting new food are some of my favorite experiences. But if you ask me where is the most beautiful place and where can we find the best food in the world, I have only one response: my hometown, Brittany in France.


My Specialties:

-Finance & accounting
-Controlling, budgeting & forecasts
-FP&A
-ChatGPT
-AI
-Storytelling
-Cross-cultural management, coaching and training
-Cost reduction
-Management
-Analytics, Business Performance and Activity Dashboard
-Audit & controls
-Business Processes Modelling
-Financial Statements and Cash Flow
-Business Intelligence
-Fluent in French (native speaker), English & German

Hashtags:
#finance #controlling #accounting #management #cfo #cash #budgeting #forecasting #chatgpt

https://nicolasboucher.online

Nicolas Boucher

Free AI for Finance Course
+ Bonus - Sign up for my free AI training event: https://lnkd.in/d2f2_GTE

👇 Save 1000s of dollars

Bookmark this and follow the curriculum below
+ TONS of FREE RESOURCES at the end!

You want to learn AI for Finance?
I have built and curated a free finance course for you

15 free lessons to make you more knowledgeable than 90% of the finance professionals in using AI

🙏 Help me spread this free course: like, share and comment!

Leverage AI to boost your career
and become irreplaceable

1. AI for Finance Fundamentals Email Course - https://lnkd.in/gFbWBDQ9

2. Prompting & Data-prep - https://lnkd.in/gtz7Bd78 & https://lnkd.in/gC8MqVG7

3. AI Roadmap for Finance team - https://lnkd.in/gK7svud4

4. Generative AI for managers - https://lnkd.in/g_EAYwv8 

5. ChatGPT vs Copilot vs Gemini - https://lnkd.in/gd-8ysiv

6. Top 100 ChatGPT Tips - https://lnkd.in/gX2sekmf

7. Top 100 AI Finance Tools - https://lnkd.in/gvKvkbvA

8. ChatGPT for Finance - https://lnkd.in/grBz2tGv

9. ChatGPT Image Generation for finance - https://lnkd.in/g55D5PtP

10. 30 Ways ChatGPT Helps Finance - https://lnkd.in/gwJ5CKXx

11. 28 Ways to use ChatGPT in Finance - https://lnkd.in/gV8FV82e

12. 6 AI Use Cases for Finance (real ones) - https://lnkd.in/g4wbFW7Q

13. 3 Ways to automate your work with AI - https://lnkd.in/gwUqv83G

14. Save 1 hr per day with ChatGPT - https://lnkd.in/gGdsC-Vr

15. The fast close playbook - https://lnkd.in/gniqwtju

- - -

🎓 Free Masterclass - How to Become an AI CFO

If you want to go beyond theory and actually
• Automate reporting, forecasting, and analysis without writing code
• Cut days of manual finance work down to minutes
• Save 20–40+ hours per month with AI workflows
• Adopt AI securely and stay ahead of fast-changing tools

👉 Register for the masterclass here: https://lnkd.in/d2f2_GTE

🔁 Repost if becoming an AI-powered CFO is on your roadmap

I teach Finance Teams how to use AI - Keynote speaker on AI for Finance (Email me if you need help)

Finance teams think they're using Copilot. They're not.
👉 Here's what they're missing: https://lnkd.in/dmZErhae

They've got the license
They assume it just works

They open it once a week, maybe twice, and call it "transformation"
Only uses a fraction of what it can do and don't even know it

The meetings still drag
The Excel models still eat hours
The insights still land a day too late

Here's the thing nobody wants to admit: the tool isn't the problem. The knowledge gap is.

Most finance professionals are using Copilot the way they used Google, typing in a question and hoping for the best

They don't know the shortcuts
They don't know the workflows
They don't know what it can actually do inside the apps they're already living in

So I built something to fix that.

Top 100 Copilot tips designed for real finance work, not a vendor demo

This isn't theory.

These are the prompts and workflows that CFOs, FP&A teams, and controllers are quietly using to get ahead while everyone else is still doing things the slow way

Here's what's actually in it:
1. Meetings & communication
• Summarize meetings in seconds
• Extract decisions, actions, and owners
• Catch up on Teams chats instantly

2. Excel & data
• Sanity-check files before sharing
• Build Pivot Tables with plain English
• Explain formulas, clean data, find outliers

3. PowerPoint & Word
• Turn raw docs into exec-ready decks
• Rewrite slides for clarity and impact
• Create presentations from a simple prompt

4. FP&A & analysis
• Reconcile numbers across files
• Run scenarios faster
• Produce decision-ready summaries

5. Advanced Copilot workflows
• Research with sources
• Build Copilot agents
• Automate recurring finance tasks

(See the complete list in the cheatsheet)

And if you want to go deeper…

We’re also hosting a live webinar
How to become an AI CFO,
- Automate reporting and forecasting without writing code
- Cut days of manual work down to minutes
- Adopt AI securely while staying ahead of 2026's fast-changing tools

Where I will also talk about Copilot as one of the fast-changing tools
(You can join in the masterclass below after getting your Top 100 Copilot tips copy)

👉 Download the 100 Copilot Tips cheat sheet here: https://lnkd.in/dmZErhae

(Save your seat for the masterclass, after downloading the 100 Copilot cheatsheet)

💬 What’s the first Copilot task you want to automate? Do you want to join my Live masterclass?

🔁 Repost if this helps your finance team work faster

I just mass-released 2 Claude resources for Finance.
Comment "CLAUDE" and I'll send them to you for free.

Companies pay me $10,000+ for workshops where I teach AI for Finance.

I've seen finance teams spend weeks trying to figure out Claude on their own.
Watching tutorials. Testing random prompts. Getting mediocre results.

No one gave them a structured way to use Claude for real finance work.

That's what this bundle is:
The exact playbook and cheat sheet I wish every finance team had from day one.

Here's what's inside:

📘 Claude Finance Playbook

→ How to use Claude in Excel to build financial models faster
→ How to use Claude Voice Mode to work on finance from your phone
→ How to create an interactive scenario planner for faster decision-making
→ Security, compliance, and quality control standards for finance teams
→ Step-by-step prompts you can copy and use today

📋 100 Claude Tips (cheat sheet)

→ 25 Claude in Excel tips (formulas, variance analysis, scenario modeling)
→ 25 Claude Cowork tips (batch automation, research synthesis, file management)
→ 25 Dashboard tips (KPI scorecards, board-ready P&Ls, interactive dashboards)
→ 25 best practices (CSI+FBI prompting, extended thinking, web search)

Why Claude specifically?

Most finance teams I train are using ChatGPT or Copilot.

But Claude is quietly becoming the tool of choice for serious financial analysis:
→ Cell-level citations in Excel
→ Projects that keep your context clean per client
→ Cowork mode for long-running automation tasks
→ Extended thinking for complex scenario planning

I built these resources because I kept getting the same question:
"Nicolas, how do I actually get started with Claude for Finance?"

Now you have the answer.

Comment "CLAUDE" below and I'll send you both resources.

🔁 Repost if your finance team needs to see this!

10 SALES KPIs
👉 Download for free my full PDF collection of the top 100 KPIs: https://lnkd.in/dWcVU-Uv

Here are my top KPIs for managing sales performance effectively:

1/ Sales Growth

Description: Measures the increase or decrease in sales over a specific period of time

Formula: (Current Sales - Previous Sales) / Previous Sales × 100


2/ Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Description: Measures the cost of acquiring a new customer

Formula: Sales and Marketing Costs / Number of New Customers


3/ Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

Description: Measures the expected revenue generated from a customer over their lifetime

Formula: Average Purchase Value × Number of Repeat Purchases × Average Customer Lifespan - CAC


4/ Sales Pipeline Coverage

Description: Measures the ratio between the value of potential sales in the pipeline and the sales target

Formula: Value of Sales Pipeline / Sales Target × 100


5/ Sales Conversion Rate

Description: Measures the percentage of leads or prospects that turn into paying customers

Formula: Number of Customers / Number of Leads × 100


6/ Average Order Value (AOV)

Description: Measures the average value of each order placed by a customer

Formula: Total Revenue / Number of Orders


7/ Customer retention rate

Description: Measures the percentage of existing customers who continue to purchase products or services over time

Formula: (Customers at the End of the Period - New Customers Acquired) / Number of Customers at the Start of the Period


8/ Net Sales

Description: Measures the total value of sales made, taking into account discounts, returns, and adjustments

Formula: Gross Sales - Returns - Discounts


9/ Sales per Employee

Description: Measures the amount of revenue generated per employee

Formula: Total Revenue / Number of Employees


10/ Sales Cycle Length

Description: Measures the average time it takes to close a deal from the initial contact with a lead

Formula: Number of Deals Closed/ Sum of the Time Taken to Close Each Deal​


Don't forget to get a copy of my Top 100 KPIs here: https://lnkd.in/dWcVU-Uv

👉 Which other KPIs would you add?

Top 100 Excel Tips
Download the PDF here: https://lnkd.in/g6fdfCBp

(Plus bonus AI in Finance masterclass, where I will teach you real AI in Finance use cases!
👉 Save your seat here: https://lnkd.in/dZEFWMzh)

The best Shortcuts, Formulas, Formatting & Advanced Tips

Bookmark this, and you'll save 1,000 hours!

If you think you know Excel well, I bet you will still learn something new in the Advanced table (items 76 to 100).

What do we cover?

A list of tips that all professionals need.

Here is a preview:

⌨️ Shortcuts

1. How to hide a column?
Ctrl + 0

2. How to hide a row?
Ctrl + 9

3. How to autosum adjacent cells?
Alt + =

4. How to start a new line in a cell?
Alt + Enter

5. How to insert a new worksheet?
Shift + F11

(get the answers 6-25 in the Cheat Sheet below)


🔢 Formulas

26. How to sum a range of cells?
=SUM(range)

27. How to find an average of numbers?
=AVERAGE(range)

28. How to find the maximum value in a range?
=MAX(range)

29. How to find the minimum value in a range?
=MIN(range)

30. How to link cells from different sheets?
='SheetName'!CellReference

(get the answers 31-50 in the Cheat Sheet below)


📊 Formatting

51. How to change cell color?
Home > Fill Color

52. How to apply bold text?
Home > Bold or Ctrl+B

53. How to insert a border around cells?
Home > Borders > All Borders

54. How to format a number as currency?
Home > Number Format > Currency

55. How to align text to the center of a cell?
Home > Alignment > Center

(get the answers 56-75 in the Cheat Sheet below)


⚡️ Advanced

76. How to remove duplicate rows?
Data > Remove Duplicates

77. How to create a data validation list?
Data > Data Validation > List

78. How to find outliers in a list?
Calculate the Z score of each cell =Z.TEST(array, x, [sigma])

79. How to look up data using INDEX and MATCH?
=INDEX(return_range, MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_range, 0))

80. How to create a named range?
Formulas > Name Manager > New Name

(get the answers 81-100 in the Cheat Sheet below)

Download here: https://lnkd.in/g6fdfCBp

- - -

🎓 Free Masterclass — How to Become an AI CFO

If you want to go beyond theory and actually
• Automate reporting, forecasting, and analysis without writing code
• Cut days of manual finance work down to minutes
• Save 20–40+ hours per month with AI workflows
• Adopt AI securely and stay ahead of fast-changing tools

This 1-hour-per-week framework is built for real finance teams

Tuesday, EST: 11am, UK: 4pm, CET: 5pm

👉 Register for the masterclass here: https://lnkd.in/dZEFWMzh

🔁 Repost if becoming an AI-powered CFO is on your roadmap

Crazy that almost nobody in finance is using Claude
👉 Download my PDF to be better than 99% of Claude users: https://lnkd.in/gsA7buv5

+ Bonus: AI in Finance masterclass, where I will teach you real AI in Finance use cases!
You will get the invite after downloading your PDF cheatsheet

I’ve trained over 10,000 finance pros
And a lot of them are missing a big opportunity not using Claude
So I’ve created for you a cheat sheet
So you can be better than 99% of Claude users starting now

Now you can even use Claude in Excel (I included my secret 25 tips)

And I decided to give you for free something that is worth hundreds of dollars

Most of Claude user that got the subscription
They open it, type a question, and expect magic

But they're missing 90% of what Claude can actually do for finance teams

The formulas it can write
The dashboards it can build
The reports it can generate
The workflows it can automate

So I built the definitive guide

100 Claude tips designed for real finance work

Here is a preview:

📊 Claude in Excel (Tips 1–25)

1. How to install Claude in Excel?
Install the add-in from Microsoft Marketplace (admin deploy via M365 Admin Center if needed)

2. How to get cell-level citations?
Ask "What does this cell/range do?" to get cell-level citations you can click to jump

3. How to create a formula from a description?
Ask "Build a formula that flags overdue invoices" → review → apply

(get tips 4-25 in the Cheat Sheet below)

📋 Dashboard (Tips 26–50)

26. How to set up your board structure?
Set your default dashboard structure (KPIs → drivers → risks → actions) in preferences

27. How to build an interactive dashboard?
Build an interactive dashboard (KPI cards + charts + filters) in an Artifact

28. How to create an executive dashboard?
Ask to "Create an executive dashboard summarizing all worksheets"

(get tips 29-50 in the Cheat Sheet below)

🖥️ Claude Cowork (Tips 51–75)

51. How to get started with Cowork?
Use Cowork inside the Claude Desktop app and switch to the Cowork "Tasks" tab

52. How to plan before executing?
Ask to "Show your plan and the exact files you'll touch, wait for my approval"

(get tips 53-75 in the Cheat Sheet below)

⚡ Tips & Best Practices (Tips 76–100)

76. How to pick the right model?
Use Opus for reasoning, Sonnet for speed/intelligence balance, Haiku for fastest iteration

77. How to structure prompts for finance?
Use the CSI+FBI framework: Context, Specific, Instruction + Format, Blueprint, Identity

(get tips 78-100 in the Cheat Sheet below)

👉 Register for the masterclass here after getting the Claude PDF: https://lnkd.in/gsA7buv5

💬 Which Claude feature surprised you the most? Drop it below

🔁 Repost to share this with your team

Really important note: while Claude is impressive within Excel and Cowork, if your company gives you a business license for Copilot and Gemini: start with these tools.
Do not use Claude with confidential data if you don’t have a business license.

The Finance Collection (how to get ahead of 90% in 2026)
👉 Comment "Finance Collection" and I will send it to you

Only the first 200 comments will get it for sure
Repost it to increase your chances of getting the collection

It includes my Top AI resources inside

This Finance collection can save you 100s of hours in 2026
And it is worth $1000+

Most people don’t need more finance theory
They need plug-and-play resources they can use today

So I bundled my best finance resources into one FREE pack:
Finance 101 Collection

Inside the collection, you will find:
#1 100 ChatGPT Tips (PDF)
#2 AI-Powered CFO (PDF)
#3 Month-End Checklist (Word)
#4 n8n Ultimate Cheatsheet (PDF)
#5 The Ultimate Finance Cheat Sheet (PDF)
#6 Top 100 Excel Tips (PDF)
#7 Break-Even Analysis Template (Excel)
#8 Budgeting Checklist (Word)
#9 Financial Statements Template (Excel)
#10 The 30 Day AI Finance Playbook (PDF)

I’ve seen CFOs and executives spend hours second-guessing numbers
they could’ve understood in 10 minutes with the right template

This is because no one gave them a simple starting point

That’s what this collection is:
The shortcuts I wish more people had earlier

👉 Comment "Finance Collection" if you want to receive the link to download this ebook.

♻️ Repost to help someone who’s tired of feeling behind on finance

CEO, CFO, or CFO?
Which one is more important?
👉 Join my next AI CFO masterclass now: https://lnkd.in/d7XXUNFZ

What are the differences in their roles?

Knowing what the management does is going to help you in your career.

Let's discover together what they do:

1. Their Main Leadership Roles
CEO leads the company
CFO manages finances
COO oversees the day-to-day operations.

2. On Strategic Vision
CEO drives strategy, growth, and innovation
CFO ensures stability and establishes discipline
COO implements the strategic initiatives

3. What Are Their Stakeholder Relations?
CEO represents the company to stakeholders and is the public face
CFO reports financials to the board and shareholders
COO liaises between different departments to ensure smooth execution

4. Their impact on Company's Values & Benchmarks
CEO sets corporate values
CFO sets financial benchmarks
COO ensures operational processes align with these values

5. Their Role in the Market Strategy
CEO drives global expansion
CFO optimizes existing markets
COO manages operational aspects of market penetration

6. What is their Client Focus?
CEO focuses on client acquisition
CFO focuses on client retention
COO enhances service delivery to facilitate both

7. Their Involvement with Risk Management
CEO sets the company's risk appetite,
CFO manages risk, and COO mitigates operational risks.

8. Their Relation to the Brand
CEO develops the brand
CFO tracks the performance
COO optimizes operational efficiency to uphold the brand promise

9. Their Role in Investments
CEO determines the investment strategy
CFO manages investment portfolios
COO allocates resources to meet strategic objectives.

10. Their Involvement in the Product Lifecycle
CEO drives product development
CFO monitors product profitability
COO coordinates product manufacturing and delivery

Here's how I build Excel models faster with Claude
👉 Register for my AI masterclass: https://lnkd.in/dt-EBfs7

Financial modeling is slow for 2 reasons
The math matters
And the tiny Excel mistakes add up

So I use Claude to speed up the build AND reduce the error rate
Without changing the way stakeholders want the output

3 ways I do it, depending on the situation

Method 1️⃣: Running Models Directly in Claude
Build the entire model within Claude’s code interface (Claude 3.5/4.5)

Best for fast, interactive model-building without manual coding

You can update churn rates or prices in the chat and see graphs update instantly

Prompt:
"I am the finance manager of a SaaS company.
I need to build a scenario planning for our sales for our products.
We have the personal plan at $49 per month with currently 1,500 subscribers and with a growth of 8% per month and a churn at 3%.
And enterprise: $99 per month with 400 subscribers and 5% growth with 2% churn.
Build this model for the next two years with formulas and dynamic assumptions and a graph."

Method 2️⃣: Python-Powered Excel Exports
This is the game-changer for offline work. Claude uses Python scripts to manufacture a polished .xlsx file from scratch

This isn't just a data dump; it’s a fully functional workbook with intact, dynamic formulas

Note: You must enable "Code execution and file creation" in your Claude settings

Prompt:
"I am the finance manager of a SaaS company. I need to build a scenario planning for our sales for our products. We have the personal plan at $49 per month with currently 1,500 subscribers and with a growth of 8% per month and a churn at 3%. And enterprise: $99 per month with 400 subscribers and 5% growth with 2% churn.
Build this model for the next two years with formulas and dynamic assumptions and a graph.
Build this in an Excel with formulas."

Method 3️⃣: The Claude for Excel Add-In
Anthropic's official sidebar plugin brings the AI assistant directly into your spreadsheet

Best for eliminating context switching. Claude acts as a co-pilot while you work

Pro Tip: It can read complex multi-tab workbooks and explain cell-level citations

Prompt:
"Build a 24-month financial model for the SaaS subscription plans described in this sheet."

If you want to go beyond and actually save 20–40+ hours per month
I am hosting a live session for real finance teams

- Automate reporting and forecasting without writing code
- Cut days of manual work down to minutes
- Adopt AI securely while staying ahead of 2026's fast-changing tools

👉 How to become an AI CFO Masterclass: https://lnkd.in/dt-EBfs7

🔁 Repost to help a finance peer who is tired of feeling behind on AI

Claude in Excel

You should not reconcile line by line in Excel.

I found a much faster (more accurate) way:

I've trained over 10,000 finance professionals on AI.

But still, month-end is taking too long.

• Variance commentary
• Journal corrections
• Flux analysis

12-hour days hoping you didn’t miss something before somebody asks.

So to help you get out of this painful cycle 

I’ve teamed up with Albert Malikov (Founder and CEO of Stacks)

Join us on Thursday 5th March for a free masterclass here - https://lnkd.in/dk-QJyP9

You will see:

The reconciliation hack
↳ that saves 2 hours / month

What happens when AI matches 95% of your transactions
↳ before you even open your laptop 

How to draft variance commentary
↳ in 5 minutes using AI

How to generate flux explanations
↳ for 20+ accounts in under 30 seconds

What auditors actually look for
↳ and how AI can help you get ahead of It

How to flag unusual journal entries in real time
↳ Instead of finding them three months later

📅 Thursday March 5th | 5PM CET | 60 minutes

I'll cover what you can do today with generic AI tools. Albert will show what happens when AI is plugged into your systems.

Reserve your seat here: https://lnkd.in/dk-QJyP9

Month-end shouldn't cost you your evenings, your holidays, or your happiness.

Look forward to seeing you there.

P.S - How long is your month-end right now?

Brand partnership • I teach Finance Teams how to use AI - Keynote speaker on AI for Finance (Email me if you need help)

I spent 3 days on board decks, now only 3 hours

Most finance leaders don’t lack presentation skills

They lack a board prep system

You don’t need better slides
You need a repeatable AI workflow

In this newsletter, I show you:

1) How to anticipate board questions before you enter the room
2) How to build a dashboard or deck in 10 minutes with AI
3) How to create a 5-minute post-meeting feedback loop

Board meetings aren’t stressful because of PowerPoint

They’re stressful because of unanswered questions

In partnership with Stacks, I’m breaking down how to close faster and walk into the boardroom fully prepared

👉 Register for the masterclass here:
https://lnkd.in/dxU27hjW

💬 Still spending days on board decks?

🔁 Repost if your team needs this

View newsletter: AI+Finance by Nicolas Boucher

Sponsored by Stacks If your month-end close still means late nights, manual reconciliations, and rewriting variance commentary - I have a special mast

Open article: I spent 3 days on board decks, now only 3 hours by Nicolas Boucher • 6 min read

I spent 3 days on board decks, now only 3 hours

I just finished preparing today's masterclass
5 hours tweaking slides and testing demos
Register for the masterclass here: https://lnkd.in/e8ut8seM

Why do I spend so much time preparing?

Because companies normally pay me $10,000 for this workshop
→ And today you'll get it free

Here is what I will teach you:

1. You don't need to be technical to build with AI
• I'll show you how to create dashboards faster than your BI team
• Live demo with a real framework our community uses

2. How to automate hours of work without new tools
• Data cleaning with AI in 2 minutes
• Excel AI Agent Mode in action
• Real use case: 1 full workday saved per month

3. Why every CFO role now requires AI skills
• AI mentions in CFO job listings are up 238% year-over-year (Datarails study on 6,000 job posts)
• What this means for your career and your salary

4. Your AI CFO Roadmap
• The 3 steps to implement AI for you and your team
• How to deal with data confidentiality

👉 Interested? Join us here: https://lnkd.in/e8ut8seM

No catch... just one limitation: seats are limited and we usually reach capacity fast

Why listen to me? I've trained 10,000+ finance pros and work with brands like Mercedes-Benz, KPMG, and Rakuten on AI in Finance

and I run the AI Finance Club, the #1 community for AI CFOs, which has 1,900+ CFOs, Fractional CFOs, and Finance pros!

👉 You can save your seat for the masterclass here: https://lnkd.in/drFcBhYe

See you in 2 hours!

I train Finance Teams at Soft Skills | Corporate Training Facilitator | Course Instructor | Keynote Speaker

You can have a technically excellent finance team... And still find yourself making every major strategic decision alone.(I know because I’ve seen this pattern in dozens of companies)Your team spends weeks perfecting the slides, the analysis and be as complete as possibleBut when you need strategic input for an ExCo meeting, their work doesn’t give you the perspective you need to lead confidentlyThe result is like this:→ Silence in meetings→ Decisions made without financial guidance→ You, the CFO or Finance Leader, doing the heavy lifting yourselfThe problem isn't their technical skill. It’s their system.Most teams are stuck in one of three stages:1. The Reporters: Mastered accuracy, but they are "historians" documenting the past2. The Explainers: Crystal clear on the "why", but provide no actionable guidance3. The Influencers: Highly strategic, but the capability only lives in 1 or 2 "star" performersI help Finance Leaders systematize the shift from Historian to Strategic AdvisorUsing my 4-step Financial Storytelling Framework, I help your entire team:- Step 1: Prepare the Message – Identify what actually matters for the business decision at hand- Step 2: Prepare the Story – Use structures that speak to a specific audience and leads to a decision- Step 3: Prepare the Visuals – Create slides that support a recommendation- Step 4: Prepare the Delivery – Present with the confidence to handle pushback from the CEO or BoardI’ve implemented this system for teams at Holcim, Deloitte, Bauer Media, and IndeedHow we can work together:• For Teams: The Finance Stage — Systematizing storytelling across your whole function.• For Professionals: Financial Storytelling Program — My flagship training for future leaders• For CFOs: 1:1 Coaching and high-impact to change your presentationsThe best financial insight means nothing if it doesn’t change the way we work in a companyReady to de-risk your team's output and get the strategic support you need? Send me a message and let’s diagnose where your team is stuck

Soufyan Hamid

January results

How unuseful is your budget already?

Systematizing Storytelling for Finance Teams | EMBA Lecturer | Keynote Speaker

90% of finance strategies fail for one simple reason

They look impressive

But they don’t change how decisions actually get made

That’s why I like the strategy house framework

It’s simple

And it’s the same structure used by firms like McKinsey & Company to turn strategy into execution

I’ve adapted it here for FP&A and finance leadership

Here’s how to read it.

1. Aspiration

This sits at the top of the house and answers one question

What financial future are we trying to build?

A clear direction for the finance function of the company

2. Vision & financial purpose

This is where strategy becomes concrete for finance

It translates ambition into a financial direction

What does success actually look like in numbers?
What trade-offs are we willing to make?
Where will we invest?

Without this layer, FP&A stays stuck explaining results instead of making them useful

3. Must-win financial battles

These are the few financial priorities that really move the business

Usually three or four and this is where finance becomes strategic

Because every priority means saying no to something else

If everything is a priority, nothing is

4. Strategic financial initiatives

This is where the real work happens:
- Rolling forecasts
- Pricing models
- Scenario planning
- Capex prioritization

Each initiative should clearly support a must-win battle

If it doesn’t connect to strategy, it has no business in your strategy

5. Enablers

These are the capabilities that make execution possible

Without this layer, your strategy stays in PowerPoint/Excel

Execution requires tools

6. Foundations

This is the base of the house

People, culture, governance, performance management...

It’s where finance earns its credibility

Because strategy only works when the organisation trusts the people behind them.

One final point that isn’t on the image:

Decisions

Strategy only matters if it changes decisions

That’s where FP&A creates real impact.


♻️ Repost if you think finance should help drive strategy
➕ Follow for more insights on how FP&A moves from reporting to influence

Financial storytelling isn’t dashboarding

These are two completely different skills

Too many finance teams still mix them up

I’ve trained 100s of pros across FP&A, controlling, and CFO offices

The pattern is always the same:
People think storytelling is about “slides”
Or “focused charts”
Or “nice formatting”

But storytelling starts long before you open PowerPoint

It starts with understanding the business
It grows through driver logic
And it becomes useful when you people remember your message after the meeting... and do something with it

Here are the 6 foundational components of financial storytelling (and why they matter):

1. Business Understanding
Knowing what’s really happening behind the numbers: the decisions, the drivers, the context
You can’t tell a story you don’t understand.

2. Driver Analysis
Breaking down what changed and why: volume, mix, price, timing, churn
This is where insight begins

3. Message Definition
Choosing the one thing people must remember
Everything else should serve that message

4. Visual Structure
Organising your flow so each slide builds on the last
Structure is what aligns with your story

5. Audience Framing
Shaping the message based on who’s in the room
- Some want direction
- Others want to analyse
- Most want impact

6. Connection
Making others feel the story through presence, tone, and attention
Trust is sensed before it’s proven

Most finance teams think storytelling is about charts

But great storytelling is about influence and impact

If you want your insights to land, your message to stick, and your role to grow

This is where it starts

 Financial Storytelling is...

Your words are killing your presence

12 ways to know if you’re doing it:

-----
You want to boost your FP&A team's presence and move them from 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 to 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴
Join our next masterclass "The Financial Storytelling Maturity Model"
👉 https://lnkd.in/efjM-SCd
📅 March 09, 2026 at 5PM CET / 11AM ET
-----

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲:

“Maybe we should…”
“I may be wrong, but…”
“Can I ask a dumb question?”
“Just thinking out loud here…”
“Hopefully this makes sense…”
“This might be overstepping…”
“Does that sound okay to you?”
“I’ll try my best to get that done…”
“I’m no expert in operations, but…”
“I just wanted to share this update…”
“I’m not sure if this adds value, but…”
“Would you mind if I add something?”

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞:
“Here’s the key shift”
“The numbers suggest…”
“Here’s what the data is signalling”
“Here’s one scenario worth testing”
“Here’s how the pieces fit together”
“There’s a financial implication here”
“Does this align with your priorities?”
“Here’s an insight that could shift things”
“You’ll have the updated model by Friday”
“Let me build on that from a financial angle”
“Here’s how this flows through P&L and cash”
“Help me understand how this connects to targets”

In FP&A, your presence depends on what you know

but also on how confidently you deliver it

➟ Your analysis stays the same
➟ Your credibility doesn’t
➟ Strong language creates strong leadership

Which phrase are you eliminating first? 👇

12 Phrases Killing Your FP&A Presence

Most finance teams say they want to be strategic

But few define what that actually looks like

Offsites are great but that's not how you define culture

And that's normal: you recognise culture in your daily life, not with a large slogan hanging on a wall

High-performing finance teams build it through very specific, very ordinary choices

Below are 11 finance habits that weaken your team’s influence

And what strong finance teams do instead:

Avoid: “Here are the numbers for this month”
↳ Instead: Position finance as a decision partner
↳ Example: FP&A opens with, “Here’s the business decision this data supports”

Avoid: Vague feedback like “Good analysis”
↳ Instead: Give precise, actionable feedback
↳ Example: “Slide 4 is strong. The insight is clear. Let’s simplify the visual on slide 6”

Avoid: Long meetings with no conclusion
↳ Instead: End with decisions and clear owners
↳ Example: “We agreed on the forecast adjustment. John owns the model update”

Avoid: Celebrating late-night fire drills
↳ Instead: Reward proactive planning
↳ Example: The team is recognized for flagging risks before month-end close

Avoid: “That’s not our scope”
↳ Instead: Build cross-functional curiosity
↳ Example: Finance asks Sales, “Help us understand what’s driving pipeline changes”

Avoid: Models no one understands
↳ Instead: Transparent, explainable logic
↳ Example: Analysts walk through assumptions before showing outputs

Avoid: Data without narrative
↳ Instead: Teach storytelling with numbers
↳ Example: Decks follow: Context → Insight → Decision → Action

Avoid: Surprises at executive review
↳ Instead: Ongoing alignment
↳ Example: The CFO receives early signals on risks and opportunities

Avoid: Budgeting as an annual ritual
↳ Instead: Treat forecasts as living tools
↳ Example: Rolling forecasts drive real-time decisions

Avoid: Promotions based only on tenure
↳ Instead: Promote based on business impact
↳ Example: An analyst earns a senior role after leading a pricing strategy insight

Avoid: Finance acting as the “no” police
↳ Instead: Finance as strategic co-pilot
↳ Example: “Here’s how we can fund this growth responsibly”

Your team will be much more visible and recognisable with a strong team culture that will make them feel useful

Which of these do you see your teams struggle with most?

Exception française 🇫🇷 aujourd'hui (et il y a une bonne raison)

Sur LinkedIn, je parle toujours en anglais

Mais cet événement mérite qu'on sorte des habitudes

-----
Masterclass exclusive ce 11 mars à 09h
Inscription gratuite pour les membres de la communauté sur
👉 https://lnkd.in/edMMySUN
-----

Le 11 mars, je serai à Paris pour une Masterclass exclusive au sein de Finpal, run by Qonto, la communauté des pros de la finance animée par Qonto

Et sans surprise, le sujet sera mon sujet préféré

"De la donnée à l'influence décisionnelle: la narration financière à l'heure de l'IA"

Parce qu'on a tous des chiffres, des dashboards et des reportings bien construits

Mais la vraie question, c'est : est-ce qu'ils convainquent vraiment votre CODIR ?

Ce soir-là, on va travailler ensemble sur :
→ Comment transformer vos reportings en histoires financières mémorables
→ Comment l'IA peut devenir votre allié pour gagner en influence
→ Comment passer de "bon analyste" à décideur qui compte

📍 Comet, Place des Victoires — Paris
📅 Mercredi 11 mars
👥 30 places seulement en présentiel
🎁 Des surprises pour les plus motivés 😉

Finpal, c'est déjà + de 2 500 DAF et dirigeants qui échangent sans filtre sur leurs défis quotidiens

C'est gratuit, c'est du partage pur et c'est exactement le genre d'endroit où ce genre de conversation a sa place

👉 Rejoignez la communauté et inscrivez-vous via le lien en commentaire

https://lnkd.in/edMMySUN

PS: Vous connaissez des DAF ou responsables financiers qui veulent avoir plus d'impact en réunion ? 

Taguez-les ci-dessous 👇

Every serious FP&A issue starts small

And by the time the CFO fully sees it, it’s already costing credibility

Over the last four years working with FP&A leaders at The Finance Circle, an observation was repeated

Almost everyone has the technical ability, no question about that

What derails teams are small but key issues

The CFO expands the FP&A mandate:
– Own the forecast narrative
– Lead deeper analysis
– Interact directly with the business

On paper, that’s good news

But something structural often changes together with it

As FP&A steps up, it begins to carry the performance story day to day

- Questions from the business land there
- Context gets built there
- Explanations are shaped there

Gradually, FP&A becomes the operational center of gravity

The CFO remains accountable but no longer anchors the narrative daily

And if alignment isn’t intentionally maintained, distance is created

Here are 8 early warning signs that this shift is already hurting your team:

1️⃣ Multiple versions of truth
Different reports tell different stories 
And suddenly, no one knows which number to defend

2️⃣ Forecast fatigue
Forecasts keep changing, but no one can clearly explain why 
Ownership fades. Confidence follows

3️⃣ Ownership gaps
FP&A produces analysis, but it’s unclear who owns the metric or the decision 
So insights float. Nothing lands

4️⃣ Over-engineered models
Models become impressive artifacts instead of decision tools 
Few understand the and even fewer trust them

5️⃣ KPIs disconnected from value creation
Metrics look clean, but don’t reflect how the business actually creates value 
This is often when people start to ignore reports

6️⃣ Low stakeholder trust
Business partners challenge every insight or quietly bypass finance 
Why would they?

7️⃣ Backward-looking energy
Most energy goes into explaining the past 
Very little shapes what happens next

8️⃣ Surprises at executive level
ExCo debates issues Finance should have framed earlier.

But don't worry, it's not the end of the world

These signals are fixable when you spot them early 

But only if you’re willing to look beyond outputs… 
and address how FP&A actually works, decides, and communicates 

I’ve captured concrete ways to tackle each of these points 

If you’re leading an FP&A team today, take a look: I'm sure you’ll recognize more than one 

Which of these signs have you seen most often?

♻️ Share this with a CFO who wants to catch problems before they reach the top

8 Signs of a Dysfunctional FP&A Team

Over the past years, many CFOs I worked with were either in burnout or dangerously close to it

The pressure rarely explodes but it accumulates. Budgets, board meetings, forecasts, ExCo colleagues or your team

All of this inside a calendar with no real space to think

When a CFO is exhausted, decision quality drops

And when that happens, the business feels it in pricing, hiring, investment timing, and risk management

This is why I started looking at energy as decision capacity

Here are a few practices that (ideally) work

1️⃣ Protect the first 60 minutes of your morning

Strong CFOs do not start in email
They use that time to frame what truly matters today

2️⃣ Define 1 to 3 decisions for the day

Be explicit about the calls that require your judgment
Writing them down sharpens your thinking and your communication

3️⃣ Block deep finance time

Several CFOs I worked with reserve 90 minutes before key meetings to review assumptions and pressure test scenarios
They treat preparation as strategic work

4️⃣ Shorten meetings

End with one sentence: here is the decision and here is the owner
Over time, finance becomes associated with clarity

5️⃣ Challenge low-impact requests

If an analysis does not influence a decision, question it
Protecting your attention protects your team’s attention

6️⃣ Maintain one peer conversation

A trusted finance peer to calibrate thinking and reduce isolation can dramatically lower cognitive pressure
For that, CFO networks exist in every country

7️⃣ Protect recovery deliberately

Choose a clear stop time and disconnect properly
I know, easier said than done but a reset is necessary to protect your energy

One nuance though: this is an ideal map

No CFO is expected to implement all of it immediately

Pick one practice, test it for two weeks

Observe what changes in your days

Burnout in finance often comes more from constant switching and carrying unresolved decisions than from volume alone

Your company does not need you constantly available
It needs you sharp when it matters

Which one of these would create the biggest difference for you right now?

FP&A is rarely a straight jump into business partnering
Most people move through it step by step
𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 usually comes first

-----
And if you want to discover how to move your team from reporting to influencing
Join our next FREE masterclass for CFOs "The Financial Storytelling Maturity Model"
👉 https://lnkd.in/efjM-SCd
📅 March 09, 2026 at 5PM CET / 11AM ET
-----

That phase is often underestimated, yet it is where credibility starts

If the numbers are consistent, on time, and trusted, people begin to rely on the team behind them

From there, the role naturally evolves into 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀

Instead of only showing what happened, finance begins to explain why it happened

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 changes the conversation again.

Once you work on forward views, finance is no longer describing the past

You are helping the business think about what comes next, what could go wrong, and what might create opportunity

Only after these steps does 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 really appear

At that point, finance is invited into discussions where choices are still open

Leaders ask for perspective, challenge assumptions, and test options before committing

This progression is also how I approach finance training with non-finance leaders

Starting with strategy or advisory roles rarely works

People connect first with things they already use in their day-to-day work

For some, that entry point is KPIs

For others it is operational drivers or scenario thinking

The path does not need to be rushed

Understanding one layer well creates the foundation for the next

Over time, the role becomes something much more valuable than producing reports

Finance becomes useful exactly when decisions are on the table

When I think back of my time as FP&A Manager, I have a bitter sweet memory

I was always wondering this:

Why do some peopla have a strong impact (what I wanted)…
while others don't (what I did)?

The answer was in the fact that nobody teaches you to be a leader

Or more accurately said, they expect you to learn by yourself

So I observed around, went to finance events, asked a lot

And what I observed is that it was mostly behavioural

I noticed 8 traits that transform FP&A leaders from reporters into trusted strategic partners

And once you start paying attention to them, your leadership never stays the same

1️⃣ Self-Aware

Elite FP&A leaders recognize their own bias, pressure triggers, and blind spots
They regulate themselves before emotion distorts financial judgment

2️⃣ Humble

They treat forecast misses and feedback as information
They improve the system instead of protecting their status

3️⃣ Attuned to the Business

They sense risk, hesitation, and opportunity in the room long before it appears in the variance bridge
They understand operational reality beyond the spreadsheet

4️⃣ Approachable

Bad news travels fast
Issues surface early
Truth does not get filtered on its way to Finance

5️⃣ Empathetic

They understand that every number reflects human behavior, incentives, and trade-offs
That awareness strengthens business partnership and decision quality

6️⃣ Adaptable

They adjust forecasts, capital allocation, and priorities quickly while maintaining financial discipline
Stability and agility coexist

7️⃣ Composed

In moments of volatility, they bring steadiness
Their tone influences the room
Calm thinking drives better capital decisions

8️⃣ Respectful

They challenge assumptions rigorously while protecting trust and professional dignity
Strong debate strengthens alignment

For a technical guy like me, it was weird not to train my technical skills

But that's what changed entirely how I communicated, how I approached my business colleagues and how I finally got the impact I wanted

So, the good news is that it is learnable

We develop these 8 traits inside The Finance Circle when we move teams from reporting to influencing

Which trait do you believe creates the biggest shift in FP&A performance?

Let me know below

I've reviewed 100+ finance presentations

Most of them made the same mistake

They talked to everyone the same way

But your CFO and your department head don't want the same thing from you

Neither does your analyst

There are 3 levels of FP&A content
And each one speaks to a different audience

1. Strategic FP&A Content

High-level, directional
It's built for people who shape decisions and don't have the time
We talk about C-Suite, Board, and Investors
They don't want the logic behind your work but will rather focus on where the business is going

2. Tactical FP&A Content

Frameworks, trade-offs, prioritization
Here, VPs, Directors or Department Heads are the destination
They're trying to hit targets so they need content that helps them adjust

3. Operational FP&A Content

Templates, workflows, step-by-step
The ones like Managers, Analysts or Operational Teams
They need to run the business today

Each level matters

Operational content is not less important than strategic content
It just serves a different purpose.

The problems come when your teams only produce one level
...usually the one they're most comfortable with

That's why their audience tunes out

Make them match the level to the objective

Which level do you naturally ask them to default to?

Chasing AI use cases without a strategy will make your finance team less efficient than before AI
👉 Free webinar March 25 — join us: https://lnkd.in/eAKPvMFf

This week, I scrolled my feed and I saw that everywhere
- AI can automate your close
- AI will do the modelling for you
- AI will summarise your reports

The use cases are real and the tools work, that's not the problem

The problem is this:

If you just jump on every use case that comes your way, with no AI strategy, no governance, no thought for how tasks get redistributed or how any of this connects to actual business outcomes, you will end up more fragmented, more dependent, and less effective than before you started

Basically, the absence of intergration and thinking is the problem—

In 2026, we are at a crossroad:
- Either finance leaders will list their AI tools and small use cases
- Or they will be the ones asking:
→ Where does AI create value for the whole business?
→ How do we govern what AI decides but humans can't fully audit?
→ What happens to the tasks AI replaces (and who owns that transition)?
→ How do we connect finance efficiency to outcomes the CEO actually cares about?

These are strategic and leadership questions and most finance teams aren't asking them

That's exactly the conversation Lucanet is having on their webinar on March 25

Building Trust in Autonomous Finance: The AI Shift in 2026

I won't be another use case demo
It will be a real discussion on what it actually takes to let AI work

It's free, online and it only lasts 1 hour

If you want to efficiently use 1 hour in your week, 
👉 Register now on https://lnkd.in/eAKPvMFf

84% of CFOs are dissatisfied with the presentations their finance team delivers

Yet 83% of finance professionals present to executives regularly

-----
And if you're in that 84%, you probably want to discover how to move your team from reporting to influencing
Join our next FREE masterclass for CFOs"The Financial Storytelling Maturity Model"
👉 https://lnkd.in/efjM-SCd
📅 March 09, 2026 at 5PM CET / 11AM ET
-----

Your team is smart. They know every number, their models are bulletproof, and their data is 100% accurate

But before the ExCo meeting, you're there, fixing headlines, connecting dots, translating the math into a business story

Again

As long as you're doing that, you're the bottleneck of your own department

After 70+ interviews with CFOs and Finance Directors, I found that most teams get stuck at one of two levels

Either they're 

🔴 Reporting (Level 1)
Your team states facts. You ask "so what?" every single time.

🟡 Explaining (Level 2)
Your team finds root causes. But problems are dropped with no accountability.

They've diagnosed the illness, but they drop it on your desk without prescribing the medication, leaving you to make the actual decision

In the ideal world, you'd want them to reach 

🟢 Influencing (Level 3)
Your team connects the dots AND prescribes the next move, helping decisions happen

In the latest group: 43% of teams are at Level 1. Only 21% reach Level 3

The gap isn't talent. It's the absence of a repeatable business methodology, and that can be installed.

On March 9th, I'm running a free live masterclass for CFOs and Finance Leaders to show you exactly how to move your team up the maturity model

✅ The Financial Storytelling Maturity Model
✅ The 3 What method to turn data into decisions
✅ The 4-Step Approach to install this in your team

🗓 Monday March 9 — CET 5PM | GMT 4PM | EST 11AM

Registration here 👇
https://lnkd.in/efjM-SCd

(If this describes your reality, repost ♻️, another CFO in your network probably needs to read this)

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