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

You can build the best reports…
and still struggle to make people care.

(I know because I used to do that, even as FP&A Manager)

I could spend weeks preparing the reports and the deck
only to see eyes glaze over when I presented them.

My “storytelling” looked like this:
- 40 slides
- 200 KPIs
- 0 engagement

Then… silence
No decisions. No alignment. No impact.

The reality check hit me when the CFO told me
"Soufyan, bring me the story. People I will present to need more than tables and graphs"

And he was right: If leaders don’t understand the story,
they can’t act on it, no matter how accurate the numbers are.

That moment changed everything.

I stopped trying to impress, and started trying to connect.

→ I simplified the narrative
→ I turned variance bridges into business stories
→ I built frameworks to help others do the same

A few years later, I was training entire finance pros.
Then entire teams.
Then CFOs started calling.

Today, I run The Finance Circle,
where I help FP&A teams, controllers, and CFOs
turn reports into stories that drive decisions.

Here’s how it works:

• The Finance Stage  for teams
• Financial Storytelling Program — our flagship training for professionals
• Coaching programs — for CFOs and Leaders
• Workshops on AI, Copilot & Storytelling

I’ve trained teams at Holcim, Deloitte, Bauer Media, Ansell, and Proximus.
Different industries, same goal: make Finance heard.

Because the best insight in the world means nothing
if no one remembers it after the meeting.

Ready to make your next presentation land?
Send me a message — let’s make your story stick.

Soufyan Hamid

There are dozens of storytelling frameworks

But only some of them really work in Finance

And it's because we are not on a TEDx stage

The goal is to bring decisions to the table

And in a decision room, leaving things open-ended is a risk

That’s why I put a score on each framework in this visual

Not to rank storytelling theory

But to reflect what actually works when you sit with a CFO, an ExCo, or a board who expects direction by the end of the meeting

Over the years, I’ve used all of these.
Golden Circle ⭐⭐⭐
Driver-based storytelling ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scenario planning ⭐⭐⭐
Bridge frameworks ⭐⭐⭐
Even Monroe (in very specific moments) ⭐⭐

They all have value
They all have limits
And they don’t perform the same in our context

In finance, the question is rarely “Is this a nice story?”
It’s “What decision does this lead to?”

That’s why some frameworks do a better job
Why some bring a real outcom
Why some help leadership move

Like the SCQA ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

And yes, this is the clear winner in my heart

The one that consistently survives board pressure, time constraints, and executive impatience

But I’m curious

What frameworks have you actually used in real finance meetings?
And which one helped you land a decision when it really mattered?

I’m genuinely interested in your winner

Insight Communication for Modern Finance Teams (Storytelling Done The Right Way) | EMBA Lecturer | Keynote Speaker

BEST OF 2025 - Everyone talks about what great finance partners should do

Few talk about what holds them back

And that’s a problem because bad habits don’t always look bad at first

Some of them come from the right intentions.
- Trying to be precise.
- Trying to protect the company.
- Trying to be helpful.

But over time, these habits break trust and distance you from the business

Here are 10 behaviours I’ve seen hold back even the smartest finance teams (and what to do instead)

Being a Gatekeeper Instead of a Partner
 ❌ Saying “no” before understanding the ask
 ✅ Start with the “why” and co-build better options

Speaking in Jargon
 ❌ Flooding the room with ratios and accounting terms
 ✅ Translate numbers into commercial impact

Challenging Without Listening
 ❌ Correcting mid-sentence without full context
 ✅ Listen like a coach, not a cop

Owning the Budget Like It’s Yours
 ❌ Acting like business teams are spending your money
 ✅ Guide the process — don’t police it

Reporting for the Sake of Reporting
 ❌ Sending dashboards with no direction
 ✅ Highlight what matters and what happens next

Showing Up Only at Month-End
 ❌ Being visible only when reviews are due
 ✅ Be present where decisions are made

Trying to Look Smart Instead of Being Helpful
 ❌ Correcting decimals and IFRS details in meetings
 ✅ Help people think better — that’s what earns trust

Micromanaging Forecasts
 ❌ Rewriting inputs instead of coaching logic
 ✅ Let the business own it — just challenge thinking

Escalating Before Engaging
 ❌ Jumping straight to top management
 ✅ Start local, escalate with context — not blame

Being Reactive, Not Strategic
 ❌ Always in fix-it mode
 ✅ Bring your own agenda and help shape the long game

Business partnering is the outcome of how you show up, day after day
One habit earns trust, another erodes it
And over time, the difference is massive.

If you’re leading a finance team, start here: clear out the behaviours that block your team from being invited to the real conversations.

That’s where the work begins

It’s to stop doing the wrong things

Which of these habits do you still see around you?

BEST OF 2025 - There’s no rush to become a CFO

But there’s also no excuse to stay stuck in the same role for 10 years

Finance careers are built step by step

Not by job titles, but by the way you show up at each stage

Here’s what I’ve learned after working across audit, consulting, and FP&A:

🔹 In your early career, curiosity beats perfection
↳ Ask why. Shadow meetings 
↳ Say yes to messy projects
↳ You’re there to absorb

🔹 In mid-career, impact beats perfect
↳ You’ve mastered the model, now use it to be useful
↳ Speak the language of the business
↳ Be the partner they remember

🔹 In leadership, clarity beats control
↳ Your job won't be execution anymore
↳ You have to make sure your team knows where they’re going
↳ The why becomes your North Star

🔹 And as an executive, legacy beats performance
↳ Step back just enough to let others step up.
↳ Use your experience where it counts — in guidance, not control.
↳ Make space for what matters most: people, decisions, and legacy.

Keep asking better questions.
Keep stepping into the next level.
Keep building what outlasts you.

But more importantly today, ask yourself:
What stage am I in?
And how am I making the most of it?

—

♻️ Save or share if someone on your team needs to read this today
📌 Follow me for more content like this

How to Make the Most of Every Step in Your Finance Career

FP&A is not a destination

It’s a progression

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I just notice it's barely readable so download the high definition PDF on https://lnkd.in/eEyZfzZE
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Reporting
Analysis
Forecasting
Consulting

Each layer builds on the one below it

You don’t become a “strategic business partner” by declaration

You grow into it

- 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 earns trust
- 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 creates understanding.
- 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 shifts the conversation forward.

Only then does 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 make sense

Helping leaders think through options
Knowing the risks and opportunities
Make decisions with confidence

That’s also how I approach teaching finance to non-finance leaders

I don’t start at the top of the pyramid

I start where collaboration is natural

Some connect through KPIs
Some through performance drivers
Some through scenarios

And that’s fine

There’s no rush to master everything from day 1

Learn the first layer
Then the second
Then the third

Over time, you arrive at what real finance business partnering actually is:

Being useful when decisions are on the table

BEST OF 2025 - There’s pressure in every team

But in FP&A, it has a particular flavour

It’s the pressure of being the last to know,
but expected to be the first to answer.

It’s the pressure of helping others stay on track
even when their priorities change daily

After almost 20 years in the role, I’ve stopped trying to eliminate pressure

Instead, I’ve learned to navigate it without burning out

Here are 5 habits I come back to, especially during chaotic weeks:

1️⃣Start from what already exists
There’s often a past report, a good comment, a forgotten query
Reusing and reframing is 70% of the job

2️⃣Offer 80% solutions when time is tight
You know the Pareto rule, right? It also applies to our work
People will prefer imperfect instead of nothing
 “Here’s what I can show today” keeps things moving

3️⃣Step back when everything feels urgent
Most deadlines aren’t emergencies
Let's put our work back in perspective
We're not ER surgeons

4️⃣Clarify the real end goal
You often get simple requests of data or report
But if you don't know what the end goal is, you risk having five rounds of rework

5️⃣Learn one thing after every storm
If pressure doesn’t make us smarter, it just repeats
Each cycle is a chance to prep better, say no sooner, or automate next time

I didn’t learn this in a course

I learned it on Thursday nights when the board was the day after

Or during QBRs when the numbers were there but didn't make sense 

If any of these help you next week, I’m glad I wrote them down

What’s the habit that’s helped you most under pressure?

BEST OF 2025 - From Senior FP&A to FP&A Leader

There’s no badge for it

No formal promotion moment

But there’s a shift. And once it starts, you can’t go back

You don’t need to work harder but to work differently

Here are 10 mindset shifts to step up into leadership:

1/ You stop waiting for questions
 ↳ You shape the discussion before it even starts
 ↳ Insight isn’t the goal as such, framing the question is

2/ You stop building for complexity
 ↳ Models support clarity and speed
 ↳ The kind of models that non-trained people could fill

3/ You stop focusing on variance explanations
 ↳ You focus on how the variance changes the next decision
 ↳ That’s what they care about

4/ You stop aiming for templated slides
 ↳ You aim for impactful slides
 ↳ The story matters more than the design

5/ You stop reacting when called
 ↳ You show up early, with options and trade-offs
 ↳ You help shape the path

6/ You stop being judged by your output
 ↳ You’re judged by how empowered your team is when you’re not in the room

7/ You stop reviewing reports to prepare
 ↳ You prep by talking to people
 ↳ Context beats control

8/ You stop being the Excel hotline
 ↳ You’re the person they come to challenge their assumptions

9/ You stop reacting to the calendar
 ↳ You show up with scenarios and trade-offs before they’re needed

10/ You don't sit only with finance
 ↳ You earn your seat where decisions are made

You don’t need a new job title to lead.

You just need to operate like someone whose voice drives direction.

Start before you're invited.

That’s how you get the seat.

Too many meetings are killing finance teams

But the answer isn’t “have fewer meetings”

It’s having the 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀, at the right altitude

Most finance leaders have a 𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺

Everything feels urgent
Every topic ends up everywhere
And by month-end, people are exhausted… but still unclear

I’ve seen this in FP&A teams, group finance functions, and ExCo rooms

Everyone is busy
Very little actually moves

What changed things for me wasn’t another productivity hack
It was a 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺

Here’s the 4-meeting cadence I keep coming back to ↴

A structure that creates alignment without drowning teams in calls.

1️⃣ Daily Team Alignment (5 minutes)
↳ A fast pulse check
↳ Priorities, workload, risks
↳ No metrics review

2️⃣ Weekly Performance Tactical (45–90 minutes)
↳ Review performance signals with the business
↳ Translate KPIs into drivers and action
↳ Leave with decisions

3️⃣ Monthly Strategic Review (2–3 hours)
↳ Zoom out
↳ Connect trends, forecasts, risks, scenarios
↳ Focus on 1–3 topics that actually move the business

4️⃣ Quarterly Business Offsite (1–2 days)
↳ Step back from the noise
↳ Pressure-test strategy and assumptions
↳ Reset priorities and direction together

When this cadence is run properly, you feel it immediately:

– Fewer last-minute surprises
– Clearer ownership
– Faster decisions
– Better conversations with leadership

Meetings stop feeling like reporting rituals
They start becoming decision moments

This is one of the simplest systems I’ve seen work, again and again, in finance leadership teams

Because it creates space for insight, focus, and direction

If you’re a CFO or FP&A leader, I’d be curious:
Which one of these meetings is currently missing, or doing the wrong job, in your organization?

BEST OF 2025 - Some people think the title is enough
“CFO”
“VP”
“Director”

But leadership isn’t pinned to your blazer

It’s what shows up in every decision you make

Empathy
Fairness
Accountability
Communication
Respect

And the courage to choose integrity when it’s hard

Because titles don’t lead

You do
Activate to view larger image,

Every FP&A problem has a root cause

And most CFOs only see it when it’s already expensive

Here are 8 signs to watch out for

After 4 years at The Finance Circle, I’ve worked with enough FP&A teams to know this pattern by heart:

99,99% of the people have all the skills to do the job

But the small signals that feel manageable… are actually the ones derailing the team

The CFO delegates more operational responsibility to FP&A: 
- The forecasting direction
- More analysis led
- More interaction with the business

Generally, we call that "progress"

In practice, something else often happens

As FP&A becomes more autonomous, it naturally starts carrying the narrative day to day

Decisions need context and questions need answers

So FP&A fills the space of being the "delegated right-hand" of the CFO

Over time, the story of performance settles inside the team

And it becomes the default reference in conversations with the business

The CFO is still accountable but no longer the daily point of gravity

While alignement CFO-FP&A should always keep going

And that’s usually when the distance starts

Here are 8 signs your FP&A team may already be struggling:

1️⃣ Conflicting numbers
Different reports tell different stories
And suddenly, no one knows which number to defend

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

3️⃣ Unclear business ownership
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 Misaligned KPIs
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 Reactive, not strategic
Most energy goes into explaining the past
Very little shapes what happens next

8️⃣ Executive escalation
Issues surface at ExCo before FP&A raises the flag
And finance ends up explaining surprises instead of preventing them

The good news is that every one of these signals is 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?

♻️ Repost if this helps another CFO spot the warning signs before they turn into nightmares

BEST OF 2025 - I’ll admit it
Early in my career, I was a bit of a snob
I thought storytelling was FP&A’s secret edge

Our unique value

Later, I realised every finance role is already telling stories...
...just in very different ways:
- Accounting tells the story of rules being followed
- Tax tells the story of efficiency
- Treasury tells the story of resilience
- FP&A tells the story of choices

Trouble starts when we use the same approach everywhere

That’s when we lose people

Because what works in the ExCo won’t reassure regulators
And what convinces auditors won’t inspire executives

Storytelling in Finance must not only adapt to the audience

It must also adapt to its message
 
So ask yourself:
- What does this audience care about?
- What language will they trust?
- How do they make decisions?

This framework helps you find the right angle

Good finance professionals master the numbers
Great ones know numbers only matter when they become useful.

BEST OF 2025 - We like to say we “wear many hats”

But in reality, most of us try to wear all of them

Forecasting. Reporting. Strategy. Tools. Leadership.

And we do it with pride...
...until the weight becomes too much

I wish more people in Finance (and beyond) understood that:

You cannot be exceptional at everything

And the moment you try, everything starts to decline

The higher you grow, the less your role is to do it all

Your real job becomes something very different:
- Finding the best in each area
- Creating the space for them to excel
- And becoming the engine that connects all of them into one direction

You have to accept you can't master every hat

You'll have to hand over some and empower the people who wear them better than you ever could

I know it's frustrating for action people like us

But no one should have to do it all

Especially not you

BEST OF 2025 - I’ve worked with great finance teams

On paper, they had everything right

Good reports and great forecasts

They always delivered on time

But still, they were out of the loop when strategy was being discussed (any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental)

Why?

Because being good at their jobs has never been enough (even though we try to make you believe this is a new trend)

You need to be part of the conversation that happens before and after the report arrives in your stakeholders' hands

Here are 8 things I’ve consistently seen great finance teams do:

1️⃣ They prepare the meeting before the slides
 → They align on the message, test key takeaways, and pre-sell the story. The slides come last.

2️⃣ They always ask what the analysis is for
 → You think having a hypothesis is a bias? Maybe, but people have biases and you're there to confirm or infirm them.

3️⃣ They explain performance through business events
 → Not just % variances or COGS breakdowns. Real understanding of what happened on the ground.

4️⃣ They prepare more than one way forward
 → They bring options. Forecasts are more than predictions — they’re scenarios with ownership.

5️⃣ They step in before the month-end
 → They don’t wait for closing. They test early signals mid-month to support real-time trade-offs (go to (bi-)weekly meetings with your BU).

6️⃣ They make complex topics easy to act on
 → Not oversimplified but usable by people who know more about the business than you do.

7️⃣ They create working relationships
 → It goes further than business acumen. We work with humans, and people work with humans they appreciate.

8️⃣ They follow insights through to action
 → Your job isn’t done when it’s presented. They stay in the loop until it happens.

These aren’t soft skills

They’re operational differentiators

And over time, they’re what turn a support function into a strategic one

Which of these 8 do you already practice?

And which one will your team focus on next?

ONE big difference between Controlling and FP&A

Business 𝗔𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻 translated into Business 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

But for that, you need to value by a chain

A chain you build step by step:

It's tempting to “upgrade FP&A” by starting at the top but most of the time, you face the sitution where nothing changes

Because FP&A isn’t grounded in business understanding but if you want it to create a repercussion in the business, you can't simply show them the problems

You must first translate into values that people understand

And then translate into a narrative (because, no, people won't move unless they feel concerned)

Here’s the sequence that actually works, without shortcuts

𝟭) 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

Before you model anything, you earn the right to model it

You know the revenue engine, the cost structure, the commercial mechanics, the operational constraints

𝟮) 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

You translate finance into business levers

That means that every $/€ movement will lead to a change in drivers...
...and vice-versa

𝟯) 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

Now you shape how leaders interpret performance

Your message framing makes the decision easier for leaders

(Small tip: think of the 3 What)

𝟰) 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

This is where FP&A becomes real

If decisions are made, you don't let them die in the meeting.

You make sure they are in the rolling forecasts
You follow up on the action points with the people accountable
You make it a routine

Each layer builds on the previous one

If you jump straight to forecasting routines without business acumen, you get prettier templates and the same misunderstandings
If you jump straight to storytelling without value translation, you get great slides and zero action
If you jump straight to execution without influence, you get meetings that feel busy and outcomes that feel random

If you want FP&A to be valuable, treat it like a craft with a progression

Start at the bottom

Where does your team spend most of its time today: business understanding, value translation, influence, or execution?

Only 17%* of FP&A teams describe their data as “best-in-class”

That means 83% are still somewhere short of where they need to be

And I’ve seen why
• Too much time lost in reconciliations and manual reporting
• Insights landing too late to influence a decision
• CFOs still chasing reports instead of shaping the conversation

That’s when finance teams stall: hard work replaces smart work and the space for strategy disappears

The truth is: moving from firefighting to impact isn’t one big leap

It’s done step by step

You start with standardization
-> One clear way of working, no more chaos

Then you add automation
-> Cut out the repetitive work

Next comes measurement
-> Focus on the right KPIs and make them visible.

Then, layer in continuous improvement
-> Small weekly fixes that compound into resilience

Only then are you ready for innovation
-> Shaping finance

That’s the journey I’ve seen across my career (and still this week at a CFO event organised by KPMG)

It’s not glamorous (no hero story here)

But it works because at each step, you build on strong grounds

So here it is: 5 Levels of FP&A Maturity (from firefighting to strategic impact)

Share it with CFO. 
Save this for when teams lose motivation.
Use it to make your finance team future proof.

* 2025 FP&A Trends Survey

👉 If you want to go deeper, here are three ways I can help you:

📘 I put together a free Financial Storytelling Starter Pack — you can grab it here: https://lnkd.in/eadSXhKp

🤝 And if you want to explore solutions for your team, you can plan a call with me here: https://lnkd.in/eKTff5s2

BEST OF 2025 - Love him or hate him, Steve Jobs had an edge in presentations

So let’s learn what we can from him and apply it to finance:

But before doing it, it's important to know that I am not asking anyone to become a TED talker or an inspirational leader

Our business updates have a different goal: help leaders grasp what changed, why it matters, and what we do next

So here is how I translate six of his core presentation rules to FP&A work:

1️⃣ Clarity beats complexity

Ask yourself: can a non-finance leader grasp my point in 10 seconds? If not, strip the slide to the essentials and name the decision it supports.

2️⃣ Numbers inform but stories transform

Turn “Q3 margin down by 8%” into a short storyline: pricing lag, mix shift, energy spike, and the fix we control next quarter. 

Use the 3 What: what happened, why it matters, what we do next.

3️⃣ Your voice is the real slide

Slides do not drive change. People do. Rehearse tone and pacing so your presentation leads to engagement....and discussions

4️⃣ Less text -> More impact

One idea per slide. One message per chart. If they read more than they listen, you have already lost them.

5️⃣ Rehearse like a partner

Your goal by rehearsing won't be to know everything by heart. 
Instead, know your structure, detect when something goes wrong, anticipate the CEO’s first question. 
But more importantly, refine transitions, so you won't have to say "on the next slide, ...

6️⃣ Command the room, even virtually

Own the narrative with purposeful pauses, direct headlines, and clear next steps.

A simple checklist I use with teams:
• Headline first, chart second
• One decision per slide
• Driver table before variance waterfall
• “What we’ll change” on the final page
• Rehearse answers to the five hardest questions you expect

Yes, I know, many of his craft weren't directly applicable to Finance

But the outcomes are transferable and learnable, and they work in finance

Let’s make our updates shorter, sharper, and more useful to the business

Steve Jobs 6 Rules of Presentation

I don't know if you know but I have a 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹

It's not big yet but you'll learn a lot

Like the following

****
Before jumping to each video individually, make sure to subscribe to my page so you don't miss any video

https://lnkd.in/eDkW4xxC

****

1️⃣ Create the perfect PowerPoint slides

No matter what people say, 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 is still the go-to resource if you want to share your findings in a presentation.

But most of them are BAD and that must stop. 

So in this video, I give all the best practices so your slides are clean, engaging and to the point

https://lnkd.in/eVPZdmKN

2️⃣ The ONLY 7 Charts You Need as a Finance Pro

There are hundreds of charts available 

But you only need 7 in Finance

Line, Bar, Pie (yes) or 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁. Discover them with tips to make them crispy

https://lnkd.in/exbZmRXM

3️⃣ How to Write TOP Executive Summaries

You know beforehand that nobody is going to read the 30 slides you send as a pre-read

But what they would read is an 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆

Learn what to include, how to structure it and save everybody some time

https://lnkd.in/eDcErvqF

4️⃣ How Great CFOs adapt to their audience

The best CFOs will treat differently the different meetings they attend

ExCo, Board, All-hands,....

They require a different strategy and I'm going to show you how

https://lnkd.in/eCpFtVbb

5️⃣ Will Avatars Change How CFOs Present The Results?

Every quarter, CFOs present the results to the rest of the company

But despite its importance, it's an exercise that's not so easy

Languages, time zones, cultural differences...

Why don't we test what an AI avatar can do? (and the problems that can come with it)

https://lnkd.in/evxc9eZv

6️⃣ Speak Finance That Connects (with Non-Finance)

It's not a secret: jargon is one of the main reasons why finance is so misunderstood

But it's not a fatality! We can make it understandable, engaging and even interesting

Let's learn to do that

https://lnkd.in/e5vAwy5D

-------------------------

Like I said, there are not a lot of videos today

But in 2026, I'm taking the challenge to produce at least 30 videos

So, if you value what I share with you, subscribe 😉

You won't be disappointed

Good Accounting + Good FP&A = Smooth Year-End Closing

Nothing revolutionary

But I’ve seen what happens when one of the two is missing

👎 As FP&A, closing the books myself because accounting was stuck in operational tasks
👍 As FP&A, walking into the closing meeting with one or two questions. And moving on.

Everything starts with accounting

When it’s shaky, FP&A spends the closing fixing numbers instead of using them

So if you’re a CFO, the priority is simple
Have a solid accounting setup

From what I’ve seen, the problem was rarely skills
Most teams knew their job

The issue was 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽
- Where accounting stops
- Where FP&A starts

Once that line is clear, the closing changes
- Numbers come with limited rework
- Analysis starts earlier
- Conversations move faster

You can optimise a closing in many ways

This one already does 75% of the job.

If you’ve seen other levers that really improved the closing process,
I’m curious to hear them 👇

2026 has already started and yet...
...I still look at 2025 to celebrate
- delivering 52 in-person workshops
- organising or simply giving 15 online trainings
- being invited to speak at 5 conferences
- travelling in 12 different countries for work

Those are numbers, but they mean much more

Year after year, this crazy bet I made to myself still makes sense

I wasn't tired of working in FP&A

But I felt that what I created was worth sharing

Sometimes, I doubt
- should I surf on the AI trend and talk about it?
- should I widen the horizon and be more general
- should I simply give up and work again in FP&A

But when the end of year arrives and that I see that I can fill my fridge with my passion

AND moreover that people are satisfied

I can't help but feel happy

Inmensely happy

There will be plenty of time to think about my objectives for 2026

But for now, just thinking that 2025 (like 2024 and 2023) has been good to me gives me good reasons to think 2026 will be great

And there is one thing I hope

It's that 2026 will be good to you too

Thank you for everything

Maybe you're already a great storyteller. Maybe not.

There are signs that indicate you're on the way

Not the kind HR puts in a framework
The kind you notice in meetings

You start with what changed in the business
You don’t use the same slide for the ExCo vs others
You show where things are going
You end your analysis with a choice to make.
You simplify until no one asks you to repeat yourself
You answer the question behind the question
You translate finance into a "common" language

None of this is directly linked to "storytelling" skills

If you think well, they just make someone decide faster

That’s the real difference between "inspiring" storytelling and "efficient" storytelling

And once you got that
your role changes

So does how people listen to you?

BEST OF 2025 - There are 100 charts available 📈

You only need 7 (pie charts are one of them) 

But I do not only name them

Find out which charts to use and understand 
- their goals
- the type of data you need to use
- the pros and cons of their usage
- the key considerations
- when to use (and when not)
- the best practices
- the main use cases

So before jumping on your Excel file to build them, here's some that you want to know

1. Bar/Column Charts: Although many purists would disapprove, for a limited time (like 12 months), they can represent time value. Combined with a line, they're super powerful to explain to show Actuals vs Budget

2. Line Charts: when you show a flow (over a year for example), they're particularly good to show trends. Another good point: you can put multiple lines on the same chart and still be readable.

3. Pie Charts: the little ugly duck of the charts. No one likes them (except me) despite their ease of use and global understanding. They're not good for everything, but they are, they are.

4. Scatter Plot: Not to use in a final presentation but rather as a backup or in a working session. From it, deduce the conclusions and tell them (otherwise, you'll lose everyone)

5. Speedometer Chart (or any indication actually): When you want to show a performance vs a comparative (budget, last year,...), they do the job. Today, cards are more often used.

6. Bullet Charts: if you have a target to reach (especially if the targets are different for each bar), bullet charts can be very efficient.

7. Waterfall: will I have to convince you again how much I love them. The only chart that could possibly tell a story on its own. Of course, make sure the categories are self-speaking enough and run away from the simple accounting categories.

Convinced this is helpful but don't have time now?
Save it 💾

7 Charts You Need in Finance

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:

Finance Thought Leader specialized in AI, trained more than 5,000 people and on a mission to help more than 1 million finance professionals.

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

The Finance Collection (to become better than 90% in 2026)
👉 Comment "Finance Collection" and I will send your copy

I am planning to limit the launch to only the first 100 comments 
so make sure to be quick

This is the premiere release of this collection and 
includes 4 of my top AI for finance resources

This Finance collection can save you 100s of hours in 2025
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

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

Most people will say that this is useless

But for me, having a catalog of KPIs helps me identify my blind spot

Do you agree?

👉 Get my Finance 101 Collection zip file here: https://lnkd.in/dHyVPRqi

We need to make sure we are working with the right KPIs, the right formulas

That’s why I built The KPI Catalog:
a curated list of the 100 most valuable KPIs across every key area of finance

Inside, you will get all the KPIs formulas and definitions

Here's what's included:

• 10 Accounting KPIs
• 10 Cash KPIs
• 10 CEO KPIs
• 10 SaaS KPIs
• 10 Investors KPIs
• 10 Headcount KPIs
• 10 CAPEX KPIs
• 10 Balance Sheet KPIs
• 10 Tax KPIs
• 10 Inventory KPIs

This catalog gives you the most actionable metrics in one high-resolution PDF.

👉 What are the most valuable KPIs in this list?

👉 Which one do you think is not useful?

Top 100 Finance KPIs

90% of finance pros don't know these techniques
Learn them from me and impress your peers

👉 Download my 100 Prompt Tips here: https://lnkd.in/gFAjdmpE

AI isn’t just about faster answers
It’s about asking better questions

I’ve tested thousands of prompts to see what actually helps finance teams get real value from AI
Not just flashy responses...
but insights you can trust, adapt, and explain to your CFO

Here are 11 techniques that actually work:

#1
The CSI + FBI Framework
Frame your prompt with context, format, and intent
Perfect for reports, emails, and summaries where clarity matters most

#2
Chain-of-Thought
Break down complex asks into smaller, logical steps
It’s a game-changer for reconciliations or variance deep dives

#3
Chunking
Instead of dumping huge reports into ChatGPT, slice them into parts
Then process each one to get more accurate, focused answers

#4
Explicit Reasoning
Force the model to explain itself
Like walking through a KPI breakdown or diagnosing a liquidity issue

#5
Meta-Cognition
Ask the model to evaluate its own assumptions
Helpful for strategy reviews or testing data logic

#6
Socratic Prompting
Use layered, open questions to push deeper thinking
I rely on this when prepping audits or exploring strategic options

#7
Agent Prompting
Assign a role like “You’re a senior FP&A analyst” to set expectations
It leads to sharper analysis and more relevant outputs

#8
Team Prompting
Simulate cross-functional collaboration in one prompt
Great for strategic brainstorming across silos

#9
Iterative Inquiry
Don’t ask everything at once
Layer your questions like you would in a real meeting or model review

#10
Fact Checking
Make it justify key claims with sources
Especially critical in investor comms or regulatory summaries

#11
Prompt Expansion
Take a rough draft and ask AI to improve it
Whether it’s dashboards, data requests, or emails, it will polish and push your thinking

These aren’t just gimmicks
They’re the actual prompt structures I teach FP&A teams to get more from their tools

👉 Download my 100 Prompt Tips here: https://lnkd.in/gFAjdmpE

Check my newsletter here if you want to see the actual scripts with execution steps: https://lnkd.in/gCyKDGtJ

🔁 Repost if this gave you a clearer view into the prompting techniques!

Top 50 Finance KPIs
👉Download it in HD now: https://lnkd.in/d5F8bv2m

Includes explanations and formulas!

You see a lot of KPI lists, but they miss something:
1) These lists do not explain the goal of the KPI
2) These lists do not give you the KPI formula

In this Cheat Sheet, you get both!
Because a KPI is not helpful without explanation and without a formula...

Take it as a catalog from which you can pick 3 to 4 key KPIs.

I like to take 4 KPIs to make a 4-quadrant dashboard.

The standard quadrant I would recommend?

This one:

1. Revenue Growth
2. Net Profit Margin
3. Operating Cash Flow
4. Employee engagement

What would be yours?

You can pick from the 50 following KPIs:

🧾 Accounting KPIs:
1. Debt-to-Equity Ratio
2. Invoice Processing Time
3. Working Capital Ratio
4. Net Profit Margin
5. Return on Equity
6. Gross Profit Margin
7. Accounts Receivable Turnover
8. Fixed Asset Turnover
9. Accounts Payable Turnover
10. Inventory Turnover

💰 Cash KPIs:
11. Operating Cash Flow
12. Days Payables Outstanding
13. Average Days Delinquent
14. Days Sales Outstanding
15. Days of Inventory Outstanding
16. Cash Burn Rate
17. Free Cash Flow
18. Cash Conversion Cycle
19. Cash Reserves in Days
20. Overdues Ratio

👨‍💼 CEO KPIs:
21. Revenue Growth
22. Market Share
23. Employee Productivity
24. Innovation Index
25. Brand Equity
26. Market Expansion
27. Sustainability Metrics
28. Employee Engagement
29. Employee Turnover
30. Cash Flow

🖥 SaaS KPIs:
31. Lifetime Value
32. SaaS Quick Ratio
33. New Buyer Growth Rate
34. ARR Per FTE
35. Customer Churn Rate
36. Runway
37. Customer Acquisition Costs
38. Monthly Recurring Revenue
39. Average Revenue Per User
40. Total Addressable Market

💼 Investors KPIs:
41. Earnings per Share
42. Quick Ratio
43. Dividend Payout Ratio
44. Current Ratio
45. Return on Investment
46. Share Buyback Ratio
47. Price-to-Earnings Ratio
48. Gross Margin Ratio
49. Dividend Yield
50. Net Promoter Score

👉Download it in HD now: https://lnkd.in/d5F8bv2m

My 25 Hidden Excel Shortcuts
👉 Get my full 100 Excel Shortcuts PDF: https://lnkd.in/deaTy2Xs


I made a list of 25 underrated Excel shortcuts that can save you hours
(and impress your colleagues)

I bet you don't know at least half of them

Excel Shortcuts List:

1. Move to the next open workbook window: Ctrl + F6

2. Move to the previous open workbook window: Ctrl + Shift + F6

3. Insert current time: Ctrl + Shift + :

4. Paste values & formatting only: Ctrl + Alt + V > T

5. Apply or remove cell wrap: Alt + H + W

6. Clear all formats: Alt + H + E + F

7. Insert a line break in a cell: Alt + Enter

8. Insert a new comment in a cell: Shift + F2

9. Open cell options menu: Shift + F10

10. Paste special - transpose: Ctrl + Alt + V > E

11. Insert sparkline from selected data: Alt + N + SL / SW / SO

12. Enter full-screen mode: Ctrl + Shift + F1

13. Record a macro: Alt + F8

14. Open the Visual Basic editor: Alt + F11

15. Autofit column height: Alt + H + O + A

16. Hide a sheet: Alt + H + O + U + S

17. Unhide a sheet: Alt + H + O + U + H

18. Insert slicers: Alt + N + SF

19. Apply or remove strikethrough: Ctrl + 5

20. Expand or collapse the formula bar: Ctrl + Shift + U

21. Collapse sheet outline: Alt + A + H / J

22. Create names from selection: Ctrl + Shift + F3

23. Insert new worksheet: Shift + F11

24. Select an entire row: Shift + Space

25. Select an entire column: Ctrl + Space


👉 Interested in more Excel shortcuts? Get them all here: https://lnkd.in/deaTy2Xs


What’s your go-to Excel shortcut?

If you want 2026 to be “your” year, then start here

Most finance pros hit “AI overload”:
too many tools, too many videos, no clear starting point

So you end up choosing between two bad options:
1. Watch random clips + forget them
2. or do nothing + continue with you manual work

Here’s what I did instead:

I've pulled together 17 free AI Finance resources (videos and masterclasses) that you can watch over the holidays.

They cover:
• Faster financial models
• Data cleaning + forecasting
• Copilot / Gemini workflows
• Automation for reporting, close, and spend control

👇 Open my newsletter below to get the complete list of links

View newsletter: AI+Finance by Nicolas Boucher

If you want to become an AI Finance Leader I'm launching the best opportunity to transform your career and become the AI Finance Leader of your compan

Open article: 17 AI Finance resources for the holidays by Nicolas Boucher • 3 min read

Excel used to steal 4 hours of my day (not anymore)
Subscribe to my channel to get my latest video every week: https://lnkd.in/eanK4b4a

Last week I rebuilt in minutes what used to take me an entire afternoon 
Not because I worked faster

But because I stopped working manually
After training thousands of finance professionals on AI, I see the same pattern everywhere:

Excel is still powerful but most teams are using it like it’s 2015

Here are 5 practical ways AI now works inside Excel workflows 👇

#1 Excel AI Agent Mode (data cleaning + consolidation)
You receive messy files with dozens of tabs
Instead of cleaning manually, you tell the agent what to keep, delete, and consolidate
Result: 80–90% done in ~1 minute. You just review

#2 Build full Excel models with ChatGPT
Pricing scenarios. Growth impact. SaaS revenue models
Prompt it like a junior analyst and always ask for formulas
You get a dynamic, auditable model in minutes — not hours

#3 Turn models into live “boss-ready” dashboards
Using Canvas, AI converts your model into a visual tool
Change assumptions live in the meeting
Graphs update instantly. No more slide marathons

#4 Clean horrible cross-department data automatically
Different formats. Different languages. Missing totals
Agent mode restructures everything into a clean, pivot-ready table fast

#5 Draft complex models (DCF, sensitivities, visuals)
AI builds the first version
You audit, iterate, and improve

Same process as managing a junior but 10× faster

The rule is simple:
AI doesn’t replace financial judgment

It replaces blank sheets, repetitive work, and wasted hours

👉 Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/dYT_2AXU

Save 10 Hours/Week with Your AI Clone

👉 Download my 100 Prompt Tips here: https://lnkd.in/dmRgrhCj

Ever feel like you’re constantly reintroducing yourself to ChatGPT?

Every time you start a new chat, you waste time explaining your role
Your company
Your style
Your metrics
Your tone

And then you spend even more time fixing generic outputs that just don’t sound like you

That’s the Content Tax
A silent productivity killer that drains 20 minutes per task...
and worse, breaks your consistency

Here’s how I got rid of it 👇

I built my AI Digital Clone
A personalized version of GPT that already knows how I think, write, and work
It understands:
The structure of my board packs
Which metrics I care about
My preferred writing tone and formatting
The level of detail I expect

This isn’t just about using “memory” in ChatGPT
It’s about giving AI a permanent blueprint of you...
your voice, your process, your goals

I broke the setup into 6 clear steps:
1. Gather your professional materials
CV, LinkedIn profile, company info: the building blocks of your digital self

2. Define your tone
Grab a few emails that sound like you and explain how to replicate your writing style

3. Upload everything to a new chat
Your resume, tone guide, and company context go in together

4. Fill in the blanks
Use prompts to help the AI answer key questions about who you are

5. Generate the master prompt
Ask the AI to create a detailed instruction set so it always acts like your clone

6. Build your custom GPT
Now you're ready to create a reusable AI assistant that never forgets who you are

Whether you're using ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot... the process is the same
You just need the right inputs

👉 Download my 100 Prompt Tips here: https://lnkd.in/dmRgrhCj

Key takeaway:
The time you spend not building your digital clone is time lost to repetition
Build it once → save 10+ hours every week

Top Finance Prompts
👉 Download my 100 Prompts PDF now: https://lnkd.in/gzyCJCCp

I put together my Top Finance Prompts, 20 ready-to-use AI prompts designed for FP&A, controllers, CFOs, and ambitious analysts

Here’s a sneak peek 👇

🧠 Use cases include:

✓ Excel formulas via prompt
Prompt: “I’m working in Excel with two sheets: one has sales order & order amount, the other has sales orders with customer names & dates. 
I need a formula to fetch the customer name in the first sheet using sales order as the key. 
Give me the exact formula and explain how to use it.”

✓ Create PPT with AI
Prompt: “I’m a CFO preparing our monthly review presentation. 
Draft the outline of our slide deck, starting with executive summary, commercial update, P&L, Cash and Risks/Opportunities.
Each slide should have 3 bullet points. 
Write the commentaries like a seasoned CFO."
Bonus: you can ask to generate the draft Powerpoint file for you.

✓ Python + Analysis
Prompt: “My data is in an Excel File called “Sales 2025”.
I am using Google Colab.
Generate the full Python code to identify outliers and show me a geographical dashboard.
Here are the headers and first 5 lines as example: [insert data example here].”

✓ Deep Research
Prompt: “I’m a FP&A manager working in SaaS.
I need to perform a benchmark analysis.
Perform the analysis based on US data for SaaS company in Fintech around $20 to $50M revenue.
Add a table as summary of the analysis.”

✓ Financial Analysis
Prompt: “I’m the finance manager of a beverage group.
Based on the dataset attached, give me 5 key bullet points and 5 areas to investigate. First perform data consistency check. Then the analysis.
Show me your calculations.
Do this analysis like an experienced CFO in our industry.”

...and so much more

👉 Download my 100 Prompts PDF now: https://lnkd.in/gzyCJCCp

Tried any of these already? Let me know your favorite

Your team’s output became 10x bigger
That means as a manager your review 10x also!

👉 Enroll in my free AI course now: https://lnkd.in/dNNPzeMX

Reviewing AI work is much easier when you master the fundamentals first
Click on the link above ☝️

AI Broke Your Review Process
It created a massive "Transparency Gap."

Every week, I see the same situation: Your juniors can now produce 10x more output. But more output does not mean better work.

You are left with a pile of deliverables you can't trust because you are starting your review from zero.

You don't know:
• What was AI-generated vs. manual analysis?
• Which parts were reviewed vs. just accepted?
• What context they gave the AI?

The Reality?

You spend your entire Friday trying to figure out
which parts are accurate and which parts are AI guesses

The Solution: The Crystal Method

We built this system to fix the bottleneck. It makes review faster, not slower
It answers three questions for every piece of work:

1️⃣ What did AI do? (Which parts were generated vs. manual)
2️⃣ How was it done? (Which tool, which prompt, what context)
3️⃣ What was verified? (What the human checked vs. accepted)

That’s it. Three answers, massive clarity

The shift? From "Did they do the work?"
to "How did they do the work?"

From "Redo the maths" to "Check the method"

If you lead a team using AI, follow the implementation roadmap in the infographic:
1. Build Awareness: Discuss where AI helps and where it creates problems
2. Define Scope: Use the Golden Rule (Use AI to generate, not calculate)
3. Standardize: Define the tool, model, and verification checklist
4. Create Reusable Tools: Stop copying prompts; start building custom GPTs
5. Full Automation: Only do this when steps 1-4 are solid

Your team is using AI whether you train them or not
Take 60 minutes this week to ensure that usage is clear & transparent

Reviewing AI work is much easier when you master the fundamentals first

👉 Learn the AI Finance Fundamentals here with my free AI course: https://lnkd.in/dNNPzeMX

ChatGPT 5.2 ≠ ChatGPT 5.1 (especially on Thinking)

📥 Download my 100 ChatGPT Tips: https://lnkd.in/djxgz65s

You got a bad AI answer? You used the wrong “brain”

Most finance pros treat every model the same…
then wonder why the output is:
confident but wrong
messy when you need a clean table
inconsistent halfway through a long analysis

Here are the key differences:

Hallucinations
5.2: hallucination rate reduced to 6.2% + errors ~30% less common + improved reliability for professional use
5.1: hallucination rate 8.8% + more errors with longer/complex reasoning + accuracy can decline in research/citation-heavy tasks

Long-context memory & consistency
5.2: retains info ~100% consistently + far fewer memory drops + better for long, multi-source work
5.1: would forget earlier details mid-conversation + frequent re-prompting needed + not ideal for long, multi-source work

Vision accuracy (screenshots, UI, diagrams)
5.2: stronger visual understanding + more accurate at reading screenshots/charts/UI layouts
5.1: vision works, limited UI detail + less reliable for screenshots/app interfaces

Structured output (slides, sheets, apps)
5.2: more polished layouts + ready-to-use slide decks/sheets
5.1: can generate slides & sheets + often needs heavy manual cleanup

Thinking time vs answer quality
5.2: thinking mode can run much longer + longer thinking correlates with better correctness
5.1: auto mode favors speed + thinking helps, but depth is limited

Quick summary:
5.2 = A Serious Analyst (deep reasoning, professional output, long & complex tasks)
5.1 = A Smart Assistant (faster, conversational, everyday tasks, personalized tone)

Here’s my simple rule:

ChatGPT 5.1 = the fast assistant
I use it for quick drafts, short questions, and everyday tasks

ChatGPT 5.2 = the serious analyst
I use it when accuracy matters: long-context work, screenshots/UI interpretation, structured outputs

Using the right model for your needs is also another way to save time

👉 Which one have you used today: 5.1 or 5.2?

Prompting Playbook (to 2x your productivity)
CSI + FBI + Chunking
👉 Enroll in my free AI course here: https://lnkd.in/g_iT_b5V

A CFO preparing a cost-reduction plan types one line into ChatGPT
The answer sounds smart—but it’s useless for the board deck

For CFOs, FP&A and finance leads, vague prompts are expensive
They waste time, hide risks, and make AI look like a toy instead of a strategic partner

I have turned this prompting system into a one-page cheat sheet you can hand to your whole team

It’s the same structure I use when training 5,000+ finance professionals and inside my 1,500+ member AI Finance Club

Here’s what’s inside:
1. What a “prompting technique” actually is
→ Why a precise, well-structured prompt beats a vague question every time.

2. The CSI framework (Context–Specific–Instruction)
→ How to brief AI like a colleague, not a search bar, with a cost-reduction example for a mid-size European company.

3. The FBI add-on (Format–Blueprint–Identity)
→ Turn generic text into board-ready tables, tuned to your tone, industry, and role.

4. The CSI + FBI combo prompt
→ A full example you can paste into ChatGPT to design a structured cost-saving plan with realistic initiatives

5. Chunking technique for complex analyses
→ Break big asks (like an acquisition assessment) into safe, controllable steps the model can actually handle

6. Six-step acquisition prompt chain
→ From “you are an expert financial analyst” to a concise go/no-go summary for your board without leaking sensitive details

7. Guardrails for sensitive data
→ A reminder to keep confidential numbers inside secure enterprise AI accounts only

When your prompts mirror how you brief a senior finance colleague
context, structure, and clear roles

AI finally delivers outputs you can take to the board

👉 Free AI for Finance Fundamentals Email course here: https://lnkd.in/g_iT_b5V

Where I will talk more about the CSI-FBI Framework for Writing Perfect AI Prompts

Repost to help your team work faster

Which point will you try first?

Stop Buying New AI Tools

👉 Download my 30-Day AI finance playbook: https://lnkd.in/dw5DQkaD
(To learn how to train your finance team on AI)

You're probably paying for 3 AI tools, and using none of them well

Your junior analyst is on ChatGPT
Your FP&A manager swears by Claude
Your director is experimenting with Gemini

Meanwhile, you're stuck wondering:
Which AI tool should we standardize on?

Here’s the real problem →
You're not choosing based on what works for the team
You're choosing based on what feels newest or most hyped

Let’s fix that

The Real Problems

Problem 1: You're Paying Twice (or 3x)
• Teams buy Copilot or Gemini licenses
• But still expense ChatGPT Plus
• That’s $2,400/year wasted on duplicate tools

Check your license here:

For Copilot:

Problem 2: Nobody Can Collaborate
• Each AI tool keeps prompts and knowledge siloed
• When someone leaves, their context goes with them

Problem 3: Analysis Paralysis
• 10 minutes wasted just deciding which tool to open
• 3 tools = 3x the time to find one answer

The Smarter Approach: Go Ecosystem-First

Instead of asking “Which AI is best?”, ask:
“What ecosystem are we already in?”

If you're already on:
• Microsoft 365 → Use Copilot
• Google Workspace → Use Gemini

Why this works better:

Security as Standard
• Enterprise-grade data protection
• No personal account sharing
• Audit trails + IT-managed access

Team Collaboration
• Everyone shares prompts and files
• Conversation history is retained
• Knowledge builds over time

Seamless Integration
• Copilot and Gemini access your OneDrive or Google Drive
• No manual uploads or copy-paste
• AI works where your team already works

But What About Advanced Features?

Copilot (GPT-5.2) and Gemini (Gemini 1.5) now support:
• “Thinking mode”
• Slide generation
• Report summaries

And they run on the same foundational models
But directly embedded in your workflow

Follow the 80/20 Rule
80% of work = Ecosystem AI
• Emails, summaries, lookups, reports

20% of work = Specialist AI
• Deep modeling, creative ideation, scratch generation

Your Move (This Week):
1. Open your Microsoft or Google admin panel
2. See what you’re already paying for
3. Pick one ecosystem AI tool for your team

Chances are, you already own what you need
✓ No more tool debates
✓ No more triple testing
✓ No more wasted budget

👉 Learn how to train your finance team on AI in 30 days: https://lnkd.in/dw5DQkaD

The future-ready finance team isn’t chasing the “best AI”

It’s aligning around the one AI mindset that just works

🔁 Repost to help more finance professionals use AI together better

How CFOs use GenAI to cut costs
👉 Enroll in my free AI Course: https://lnkd.in/ggmMizQk

Cost programs don’t fail from lack of ideas
They fail due to lack of structure

Most teams know what could be cut
Very few can rank it, size it, and turn it into an executable plan fast
So instead of starting with blank slides, you start with a structured first draft, then validate it with your data

Here’s what’s inside:
1. The exact prompt I use (copy/paste):
I am the CFO of a manufacturing company

I need to come up with a cost-saving plan

Create a detailed plan for me and my team

The plan should do a table first and then a project plan detailing the top 10 low-hanging fruits and the exact plan to enable them

Write this like the best cost-cutting consultant with super practical and pragmatic approach and bring some innovative ideas

2. Result you will get under 30 seconds
Top low-hanging-fruit initiatives ranked by impact vs effort
Savings ranges benchmarked to EU manufacturing peers
Named roles, KPIs, timelines, and risk mitigations
Tool recommendations (Power BI, e-sourcing, low-code apps, SaaS AI)
Governance cadence and kick-off checklist ready to paste into your deck

3. The keywords that steer the output:
“Table first”
“Exact plan”
“Innovative ideas”
“Practical & pragmatic”

4. Example of a pragmatic mini action plan (this is the level of detail):
Reverse-Auction for Tier-B Materials
Scope: 180 SKUs (fasteners, packaging, secondary alloys) worth €8M p.a.
Owner: Strategic Sourcing Lead

Steps
Cleanse spend data & spec sheets (June)
Bundle SKUs into 4 lots to boost volume leverage (July)
Invite >6 qualified suppliers; supply sample for QA (Aug)
Run 45-min online auction (Sept)
Dual-source top lot to keep pressure (Oct)

Quick win
Pilot 1 lot (€1M) first—often lands ~5% saving within 30 days

Contract guardrails
Index-linked price bands, dual-source clause, quarterly rebates

5. Why this is powerful for you
Instant knowledge synthesis — thousands of best practices, one coherent plan
Iterative co-creation — stress-test ideas and refine in minutes
Cost-free first draft — consultant-grade structure without the day rate
Scalable expertise — pivot from opex to capex, WC, or board-ready scripts fast

6. How to get more value from the LLM:
#1 Be specific in the ask — format, depth, tone (“table first, then plan”)
#2 Provide context — industry, size, constraints
#3 Challenge & iterate — “stress-test initiative #5”
#4 Validate with data — model it before executing
#5 Blend human + AI — AI drafts, humans judge feasibility and drive change

GenAI won’t run your cost program
But it can compress week 1 into minute 1 so your team spends time deciding, not drafting

👇 Master the fundamentals of AI for Finance here: https://lnkd.in/ggmMizQk

Which initiative would you stress-test first?

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The Battle

Soufyan Hamid

Nicolas Boucher

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taplio

The Battle

Soufyan Hamid

Nicolas Boucher

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);}Soufyan Hamid's LinkedIn Performance

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Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

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