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

I used to think my forecasts meant I was "strategic"
I couldn't be more wrong

For years, I built forecasts that looked impressive

But when someone asked me to explain our strategy?

I’d default to looking some months ahead until year-end

That’s not strategy

Here’s what I missed:

Strategy is the choice that shapes capital allocation
It answers: Where will we play and what are we willing to risk?

Forecasting is the mechanism that tracks execution
It answers: What’s happening and how do we adjust?

Real strategy sounds like this:

“We will win in [this segment] by doubling down on [these capabilities], accepting lower short-term margins to secure long-term share”

This is a direction, a focus

The forecast that supports it:

• Translate the choice into financial objectives
• Allocate resources accordingly
• Track signals monthly
• Adjust assumptions without changing direction

See the difference?

Strategy is the wish you have
Forecasting is your execution loop

When I started with strategy first:

✅ Investment decisions became clearer
✅ Conversations with the Chiefs got to the point
✅ "Negotiations" were less political

It's not easy to change your way of thinking 

But that’s what changed how I see leadership in Finance

A forecast is not a strategy

Can you explain your strategy without mentioning a single number?

If not, start there

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...

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

Your words are killing your presence

12 ways to know if you’re doing it:

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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

Every CFO I’ve worked with lived under pressure

Boards, markets, CEOs and Investors

And when pressure is high, behaviour changes

Simply because they can’t afford surprises

If you want to really support a CFO and earn lasting trust, don’t push harder

Change how you show up

These are 7 moves I keep coming back to with FP&A and finance teams

1️⃣ Bring them in before things are “ready”
Pressure drops when there’s no reveal moment
- Share a rough first view, even if it’s messy
- Ask what worries them most about this topic
- Frame 2–3 possible directions instead of one polished conclusion

2️⃣ Lead with the helicopter view
CFOs think in terms of risks and trade-offs before details
- Start with a short summary: risks, options, decisions
- Keep it to one page
- The deck is support material, not the main event

3️⃣ Kill surprises early
Nothing erodes trust faster than bad news in public.
- Flag sensitive points one-on-one
- Share which questions you expect from others
- Align on framing before the meeting

4️⃣ Replace recommendations with choices
Your job is to enable judgment
- Lay out 2–3 realistic paths
- Quantify impact, risks, and consequences
- Let them shape the final call

5️⃣ Clarify how they want to engage
Busy doesn’t mean disengaged
- Ask where they want to decide vs delegate
- Agree on red lines and grey zones
- Don’t guess expectations

6️⃣ Close meetings like a pro
Confusion after a meeting recreates pressure
- Restate decisions, owners, deadlines
- Call out what still needs a choice
- Follow up with a short written recap

7️⃣ Help them look strong externally
If they absorb pressure, help them redistribute it
- Anticipate what they’ll be challenged on
- Arm them with simple explanations
- Make the story easy to repeat

When you do this consistently, two things change fast: micromanagement fades and your voice carries more weight in the room

That’s what real business partnering looks like

If you’re a CFO, tell your team which one of these you want them to apply this month

They’ll know exactly how to step up

7 W>ays to Handle a Stressed CFO

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 👇

Most companies invest in systems, tools, and processes
High-performing ones invest in the finance leaders running them

The best organizations do both

Top FP&A leaders think about development across three levels:
1️⃣ Self
2️⃣ Team
3️⃣ Enterprise

Ignore one, and progress slows

Build all three, and performance scales without heroics, burnout, or endless firefighting

If you’re wondering where to focus first, here’s how the top 1% of FP&A leaders approach it

💪 Self-Leadership
How you operate as a finance leader

Financial Self-Awareness
↳ Know your analytical reflexes and blind spots
→ Lead with intention

Strategic Prioritization
↳ Focus on the few analyses that actually move decisions
→ Allocate effort to impact

Energy & Attention Management
↳ Protect deep-thinking time
→ Structure days around insight creation, not meeting overflow.

Emotional Composure
↳ Stay clear-headed in forecast volatility
→ Create space between pressure and reaction

Credibility Building
↳ Do what you say you’ll do, consistently
→ Match the narrative with the numbers, every month

👥 Team Leadership
How FP&A teams actually grow

Narrative Communication
↳ Create shared understanding
→ Define what “winning” means in financial terms

Decision-Driven Meetings
↳ Turn meetings into execution engines
→ Drive clear choices and next steps

Talent Acceleration
↳ Use projects as growth vehicles
→ Empower teams with context

Feedback That Elevates Thinking
↳ Give input that sharpens judgment
→ Focus on insight qualit

Accountability with Ownership
↳ Make commitments visible.
→ Review outcomes to learn

📈 Enterprise Leadership
How finance builds systems that scale performance

Strategy Setting
↳ Anchor finance around a few strategic priorities
→ Align capital allocation to value creation

Operational Excellence
↳ Reduce friction in planning and forecasting cycles
→ Improve handoffs between finance and the business

Culture Building
↳ Reward truth-telling over comfort
→ Reinforce clarity over complexity

Talent Architecture
↳ Put the right finance talent in the right seats
→ Develop storytellers

Predictable Performance
↳ Build reliable planning and review rhythms
→ Replace heroics with repeatable excellence

With this, development stops being theoretical and produces results you can count on

I'm breaking down how top finance leaders scale a storytelling mindset within their teams in a live session: 

Thursday, February 12, 5PM CET. Sign up below 👇

https://lnkd.in/efjM-SCd

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?

I love to teach Finance to Non-Finance people ❤️

Why?

Because I've made my challenge, since the start, to reduce the communication gap between us, Finance, and the rest of the company

My bet has been to take the burden on us

"We must learn to talk business instead of finance"

And that stays true...

...but that is also a lie to think that non-finance people can succeed in a company without having the basic knowledge of finance
- Understand a P&L (and mostly how to use its levers)
- Analyse a report (and detect the problems)
- Participate in budgets and forecasts
- Make decisions based on financial models

And that's why I love it 

Because, no matter what they tell you

Non-Finance people want to learn Finance

They're even excited about it

It's just a matter of finding the way to do it without transforming it into an "Accounting for Non-Finance" course

Because it's just like a car

You can learn to use and drive it...
...and leave the mechanics to the pros

That's my other way of reducing the communication gap 😉

What if you want to compare and show data over time?

A normal bar chart can't do that but...

... an dynamic one can

And unfortunately, if you keep working with Excel, you won't be able to use that

That's why, this time, I jumped to Gemini to build a bar chart that changes over time

You can use that to
- look at the evolution of your different products/customers
- follow your position in the market
- motivate sales teams by comparing their results month by month

You're only limited by your own creativity

If you want my prompt, here it is

Create a web app that shows the top 5 companies with the highest revenues in tech in the US over the last 20 years in a fun, animated way. Use a bar chart where the bars race against each other to show the ranking changes over time. And add the name of the winner in the title and change it every time the first changes

So have a try and let me know what race you created 😉

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

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)

Your Finance Progression + Resilience Partner | Helping New Hires and Managers' Transitions in Finance Teams | VP of Finance | Keynote Speaker | 40 Under 40 CPA Practice Advisor

Finance teams should be able to do more strategic work to support the expanding CFO role, and still have a life outside of work. That is what my work is all about.​

Through Wharton Online, workshops, and The Diary of a CFO podcast, I share practical tools to reset how finance teams work so they can think ahead, partner with the business, and avoid burning out in the process.​

The reality is that most finance functions are still built to report, not to lead. That creates blind spots for CEOs, delays decisions for boards, and leaves CFOs without a real pipeline of ready successors.​

Over the last 15+ years, I have led finance teams across manufacturing, technology, pharmaceuticals, and now a nonprofit CDFI. The pattern is the same: strategy stays with the CFO and maybe FP&A, while the rest of the team is stuck in transactions and constant urgency, with very little time or support to actually think like executives.​

What boards and CEOs value is not more reports. They want finance leaders who can spot signals early, frame choices clearly, and influence outcomes, while staying grounded and human in high pressure environments.​

That is how I build and lead teams, and it is the lens I bring to every class, talk, and episode: practical, realistic ways to grow your impact, develop your team, and build a bench of future CFOs without losing yourself in the process.​

If you are building a pipeline of finance leaders or aiming for the CFO seat yourself and want to do it in a more sustainable way, let us connect.​

🌐 WassiaKamon.start.page
📧 Info@WassiaKamon.com

Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA

It was during my first 90 days as a CFO that I realized how wide the gap was between the expectations for my role and what my finance team was actually set up to do.

See, most of the conversations with my CEO, my peers, and the board were about strategy, growth, and risk.

But most of the work and systems inside finance was about transactions, reconciliations, and compliance.

The reality is the CFO role has evolved, 
but the finance function hasn't kept up.

If the CFO is going to be strategic, the rest of finance has to be strategic too.

That means accounting, FP&A, treasury, tax, plus the processes and systems they use need to level up.

Otherwise, we are asking the CFO to work in the future while the rest of finance is still operating in the past.

No wonder, so many CFOs feel stretched, and everyone around them is frustrated.

What I recommend is to stop treating this as a “CFO problem” and start redesigning the whole finance stack around the new expectations of the role.

1️⃣ Start by redefining each finance role in terms of decisions it supports, not tasks it completes.

2️⃣ Upgrade processes so data moves in real time to the people making decisions, not just into reports.

3️⃣ Invest in systems that give you one clean source of truth instead of spreadsheet gymnastics every month.

4️⃣ Train and coach your team to see the bigger picture and translate numbers into insights for the business.

That is how you close the gap between a strategic CFO and a finance function that can effectively support them.

-------

This visual is just a starting point for rethinking accounting to support a more strategic CFO role.

I will share what that looks like in real life at the upcoming AICPA CFO Conference with my good friend Paul Young, CFO at Liberty Bank.

If you are attending, make sure to stop by our session on April 13.

In the meantime, let me know ⤵️ 
 
Do you feel that same tension between your role and how your day-to-day is set up?

CFO | Helping leaders build high‑performing finance teams without losing themselves | Wharton Online Guest Faculty

Infographic titled ‘How Every Accounting Role Supports a Strategic CFO,’ showing AP, AR, GL/staff accountants, and controllers with examples of value drivers, key metrics, and easy wins to help the CFO be more strategic.

One thing I learned quickly when I became a CFO is that preparing the board deck in FP&A or accounting is not the same as being in the CFO seat.

In FP&A, you can be right and still be safe.

In the CFO seat, you can be right and still lose the room.

Because the board isn’t only listening to the update. 

They’re reading you. Every answer is a signal:
- Is this under control?
- Do you actually know what’s going on?
- Are you the right person for this situation?

That’s why most CFOs don’t lose the board’s trust because of a bad quarter.

They lose it because of the conversations about that quarter.

After a few of those “hot seat” moments and conversations with great CFOs like Scott Meyers and Dr. Tamer Alsayed on my podcast, I built a repeatable way to prepare.

I call it my CFO Template for Board Meeting Prep. It’s a simple framework you can use to prep for any board conversation, good or bad.

That’s what you’re seeing in the cheat sheet.

If you want the full breakdown of the framework and how to use it, I unpack it in my latest blog on The Diary of a CFO Podcast website.

I'm curious to hear:

Which conversation tends to get the most tense in your experience: missed numbers, runway, or strategy? 👇

BOARD CONVERSATION CHEAT SHEET from the diary of a cfo blog

This is my "I've had to make some hard calls to get here" face.

And I know it makes some people uncomfortable.

Because women in leadership are supposed to:
Smile,
Be warm, 
Be likeable,
Be approachable. 

Never too assertive. Never too quiet. Never too much.

We're expected to lead, but make it look effortless.
To have the answers, but not seem like a know-it-all.
To take up space, but not too much of it.

For a long time, it frustrated me.
Until I realized I could flip it and use it strategically.

You want to learn more?

Join me this Friday with other women who have navigated these nuances and are willing to share how they did it.

✦ Sowmya Ranganathan, ex-Controller @ OpenAI & Founder of Lumera
✦ Sarah Sieman, Senior Director @ CBIZ
✦ Rebeca Sanchez Sarmiento, Finance Operating Partner @ Sixth Street

Register here: https://lnkd.in/ekhnVeC4

And tell me: what expectation did you learn to flip? ⤵️

Wassia Kamon standing in a bright space wearing a pink coat, looking intentionally serious for a post about women in leadership.

I don’t think about LinkedIn as a content platform. 
I think about it as a credibility platform.

In this latest CFO. com article, I share why that distinction matters.

Before someone hires you, partners with you, or invites you into a room, they will Google you or look you up directly on LinkedIn.

What will they see?

Like it or not, LinkedIn has become the first impression of your professional life. That’s too important to ignore.

So how can you, as a busy leader, show up consistently and authentically on LinkedIn?

Here’s what I recommend:

1️⃣ Start with what you're already known for offline.

Is it leading people, implementing solutions, driving change?

Just pick one topic and start writing about it once a month. 

That’s 12 posts a year.
Over 10 years, that’s 120 touchpoints for people to understand who you are, what you value, and how you lead.

2️⃣ Make sure your online voice matches your offline one.

That's what being authentic on LinkedIn is really about. 

There should be no gap between who you are online and offline. 

3️⃣ Stop overthinking it!

You don't need to be everywhere. 
You don't need tons of likes. 
You just need to be consistent and real.

➡️If you’re not sure where to start, my LinkedIn guide is available in the Featured section of my profile.

Grateful to Dan Niepow and Adam Zaki for including me alongside other outstanding finance leaders in this CFO Peer Audit.

Read the full article here:
https://lnkd.in/eQN4PQWS

Wassia Kamon, CFO, featured on CFO.com in ‘How to Build a LinkedIn Following Without Being Cringy: CFO Peer Audit,’ sharing insights on LinkedIn audience growth, executive thought leadership, and authentic branding for finance professionals.

The 30 days before you start as a CFO are just as important as your first 90 days in the job. 

Like most people, I had to learn this the hard way.

Here are the things I did well and not so well in those 30 days before I became CFO.

What worked:

✅ I met with my executive coach and one of my mentors and asked them for advice on how I should enter the role.

✅ I looked back at my last role and wrote down what worked and what did not work, so I could decide what I would not do again.

✅ I decided on boundaries early, including that I would not start this role with 80‑hour weeks.

✅ I went through the financials, resumes of my team, bios of my peers and my boss, to create a thoughtful list of questions for our first one-on-ones.

✅ I took a short break before Day 1.

What didn't:

- I did not set a simple system for workouts and meals, so when the job got busy, I defaulted to Chick‑fil‑A, Cheetos, and chocolate.

- I did not plan healthy ways to manage stress or imposter syndrome, so I set unrealistic expectations and deadlines for myself, trying to “know everything fast.”

- I did not do a reset before Day 1. That is to prepare my mind to start operating like a CFO instead of a Controller.

↪️ Which led to me to not doing any strategic homework (SWOT, competitive analysis) because I wasn't fully thinking like a CFO yet.

Looking back, I’m glad the things I did well helped me establish credibility and trust quickly.

The not-so-good set me back on my physical and mental health.

So, if you are about to step into a CFO role or any new leadership role for that matter, use those 30 days on purpose. 

I put together everything I learned plus what other experienced CFOs shared on my podcast here: https://lnkd.in/erRBJnY6

Now back to you: 

If you could rewind the clock, what would you have done differently when you started your current role?

Your First 90 Days as CFO Roadmap, a timeline graphic outlining a new CFO’s first 90 days, with phases for preparation, listening and stabilizing, building cadence, and publishing a finance roadmap based on the diary of a cfo podcast episodes 

"If you have people in your group that can't get excited about your goals and objectives, get them transferred to your competition."

This might sound harsh, but David DeFreitas is right.

People who can't get excited about what you're trying to accomplish will drain the life right out of your team.

And this is just a snippet of the wisdom Dave shared on The Diary of a CFO Podcast this week.

In this episode, he walked me through what it actually took to go from staff accountant to group CFO at Caterpillar Inc.

What stood out:

✔️ He had 7 jobs in 6 years before his first big promotion.

✔️ At 35, he became CFO of Caterpillar UK, leading a 150+ people, and 4 of 6 direct reports were over 60 years old. 

We also talked about AI, the difference between managing change and leading change and so much more!

Side note: Dave has been on my personal board of directors for almost 3 years and I could not be more grateful to have him on the show.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube

Let me know your biggest takeaway once you listen 👇🏽

View newsletter: The Diary of a CFO Recap

Brought to you by Ramp. Join us on March 6th at 1PM ET for a free webinar celebrating Women's History Month. Click here to learn more and register. Mo

Open article: Former Caterpillar Group CFO, Dave DeFreitas, on Essential Leadership Skills for Finance Leaders by Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA • 4 min read

Former Caterpillar Group CFO, Dave DeFreitas, on Essential Leadership Skills for Finance Leaders

To be a woman, to be a leader, and to be in finance is not for the weak.

- The rooms that are not built for you. 

- The moments you have to prove yourself twice, yet often paid less.

- The personal load you are expected to leave at the door but never really can.

Most people don't talk about that part.

But on March 6th, we will.

I am honored to share the stage with women who know exactly what this path looks like behind the scenes.

- Sowmya Ranganathan was the Controller at OpenAI during the launch of ChatGPT and went on to found her own company, Lumera.

- Rebeca Sanchez Sarmiento built her career on Wall Street, became a 3x CFO in PE-backed environments, and is now a Finance Operating Partner at Sixth Street.

- Sarah Sieman started in public accounting at PwC, switched to FP&A, became a CFO, and now leads business transformation and AI adoption at CBIZ.

Topics we will cover:

✅Navigating bias
✅Advocating for yourself and your 💰
✅Building networks that actually support you.
✅Managing caregiving and leadership at the same time

If this resonates, you’re welcome to join us.

📅 March 6 | 1 PM ET
 
Register here: https://lnkd.in/ekhnVeC4

Promotional graphic for a webinar titled “Women Who Lead: Unfiltered Conversations with Top Executives,” happening March 6 at 1 PM ET. Features headshots of speakers Wassia Kamon (CFO, ACE), Sowmya Ranganathan (Founder, Lumera; former Controller at OpenAI), Sarah Sieman (Senior Director, CBIZ), and Rebeca Sanchez Sarmiento (Operating Partner, Sixth Street).

AI transformation is often described as technical, but the reality looks very different once you start implementing it.

In this episode of The Diary of a CFO Podcast, Tariq Munir shares: 

✅ What AI readiness actually looks like, 

✅ The mindset shifts finance leaders need to make, 

✅ How to lead transformation without burning out your team in the process.

One of my favorite moments was when he shared how to identify whether your team was ready for AI or not.

Listen and let me know what you think ⬇️

Most finance leaders think AI readiness is about having the right tools. Tariq Munir sees it differently. As a digital transformation advisor with yea

Open article: Building an AI-Ready Finance Team Without Losing the Human Side, with Tariq Munir by Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA • 3 min read

Building an AI-Ready Finance Team Without Losing the Human Side, with Tariq Munir

Imposter syndrome is the # 1 thing that keeps new CFOs awake at night. 

Not covenants,
Not close calendars, 
Not even board decks.

It's that quiet voice asking:

“Do I really belong in this seat?”  

I was surprised how often this came up in my conversation with Kevin Appleby. 

But the more we talked, the more I realized I’d felt some of the same doubts in my own first year as a CFO too.  

- The second‑guessing before every decision,

- Replaying SLT and board meetings in my head, wondering if one mistake would prove everyone wrong about me.

If you’re there right now, this is the part I wish someone had said to me: 

Feeling that way is not proof you’re in the wrong role. 

It’s often proof that you care,
that you’re stretching, and that you’re no longer hiding in the comfort of what you’ve already mastered.

That's I love the practical advice Kevin shared in this clip on how to overcome imposter syndrome as a new leader.

if you have any more tips, please share 👇

The conversation around AI in Finance continues!

We started last month with 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐩.

Today, we covered 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐠.

And those in attendance got a a free copy of the AI in Finance and Accounting for Dummies book.

Next we are tackling 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐇𝐲𝐩𝐞: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

So, join us February 19th at 1pm ET for more practical insights on the topic.

I'm incredibly grateful to be sharing the stage with Paul Barnhurst and Michael Wiley, as we take a deeper dive into:

- Critical mistakes to avoid when implementing AI
- Best ways to fully leverage AI solutions
- How to overcome common objections
- How to get started regardless of the size of your organization.

Here is the link to register:

https://lnkd.in/ePGrVzxY

It's another conversation you do not want to miss :)

-----------
P.S.: If you attended the past events, what was your biggest takeaway?

Happy to share that I'll be speaking at Al in Finance & Accounting For Dummies: Making Sense of Al for Finance Orgs! 

Attendees will receive a free digital download of this exclusive release. 

So, make sure to register now!!!

Nearly 6 in 10 finance professionals say AI is essential, yet fewer than 4 in 10 feel confident using it.

Many teams are still asking the basics: 
Where do we start? What actually delivers value?

That’s why we’re hosting a live conversation with finance leaders on February 12th to launch AI in Finance & Accounting For Dummies, designed to cut through the hype and make AI usable, not overwhelming.

🎙️ Featuring:
 • Martin C. Baker, Principal Product Marketing Manager at #insightsoftware
 • Paul Barnhurst, The FP&A Guy
 • Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA, The Diary of a CFO
We’ll cover where AI is delivering real value, how to get started with limited resources, and how teams are using AI day to day.

👉 Sign up below and join us live.

#AIinFinance #FinanceLeadership #AccountingTechnology #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfFinance

Lonnisha Billups, Taofeek Raheem MSCSIA ,SMIEEE, CISA, CISM, AAISM,CDPSE,PMP and 397 other attendees

Al in Finance & Accounting For Dummies: Making Sense of Al for Finance Orgs

If you have 8–10 minutes, would you please do me a favor?

I’m running a benchmark survey on how strategic finance teams really are, and I’d love your help.

If you're a CFO or work under a CFO, please take the survey:

➡️ https://lnkd.in/e-BdDWY2

If not, I’d really appreciate you sharing it with a finance leader who fits this description:

- CFO
- CAO
- Controller
- VP of Finance
- FP&A Manager or above
- Treasury Manager or above
- Accounting Manager or above

I’m aiming for about 1,000 responses so we can publish practical benchmarks for how finance teams actually operate today, regardless of company size or industry.

As a thank you, respondents will receive:

✅ Early access to the survey results

✅ A copy of my Personal Board of Directors Playbook

Thank you in advance!!!

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Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA

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