Paul Barnhurst

The FP&A Guy

Founder

FP&A Tomorrow

FP&A Tomorrow is a podcast focused on discussing not only what is happening in FP&A but what does the future look like for FP&A. The show is hosted by The FP&A Guy and is the premier podcast FP&A podcast. The show launches in April 2024.

Podcast Host

Financial Modeler's Corner

Hosting a world-class podcast all about Financial Modeling.  The podcast is for anyone who wants to listen to and learn from the best financial modelers in the world.

Future Finance

Future Finance is the podcast show that illuminates the future of finance through the lens of AI, innovation, and technology.  I co-host the show with the amazing Glenn Hopper.

Co-Host

The FP&A Hub

Co-founder of the only dedicated planning and analytics community created by and for planning and analytics professionals.  

Com join us today at https://community.plan-buddies.com/c/about-us

Co-Founder

Born Capital

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

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

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

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

Advisory Board Member

Operators Guild

The Operators Guild is an independent, invitation-only group, home to the world’s top finance and operations (high growth and technology) leaders.

Scaling a company is hard. We are working together to share best practices, help one another solve similar problems, and invest in the operator community. We meet and connect regularly to support each other as we create the next generation of high-growth companies and company leaders.

Member

FP&A Today

Host FP&A Today, one of the premier podcasts on FP&A.  It is a weekly show where we bring you the latest news and actionable tips about all things FP&A.

DigiCert, Inc.

Director of Finance Sales Operations and Analytics

Solera, Inc.

Director of FP&A - Dealer and Aftermarket Division

Director of FP&A - Dealer Divison

Built Excel data model and developed financial reporting tool that allows easy review of budget and actuals for 30 North American legal entities transactional data, this model has helped reduce accounting errors and improved insight into key business expenses and vendors.
•	Provide support to NA CFO for $500M+ SaaS business to include preparing decks, providing ad-hoc analysis, and attending various leadership meetings.
•	Coordinate consolidation of forecasts and monthly results for 3 North American business units
•	Co-Led team effort to select software financial planning system and led effort to select consulting company to implement TM1 panning tool.
•	Worked closely with accountants to improve balance sheet reconciliation reporting for prepaid and capitalized software projects allowing business to have a clearer picture of actual spend on software & software projects.
•	Supported various accounting improvement initiatives resulting in improved accounting processes, to include reconciling over $4M of unreconciled balance sheets.

FP&A Manager

Founder of The FP&A Guy | Providing training and content that helps FP&A and Finance Professionals be better at their job today and tomorrow.

I am a passionate teacher and creator of FP&A content. I enjoy helping FP&A professionals become more effective creators of value for their businesses. Today, I provide content and training on important subjects, including FP&A, Excel, Power Query, Data Visualization, Storytelling, and more. 

I host three popular podcasts, FP&A Tomorrow, Future Finance, and Financial Modeler’s Corner, which bring you the best and brightest people in finance and FP&A. 

I am a Microsoft MVP and have earned the AFP FP&A Certification and the FMI Advanced Financial Modeler Certification. 

I am a big advocate of FP&A planning tools and share research on FP&A software. I have also published several market guides to help buyers understand the landscape. 

☛ Feel free to contact me – Pbarnhurst@thefpandaguy.com

Paul Barnhurst, The FPandA Guy

Who wants to invest in The FP&A Guy?

I get one of these every few weeks on LinkedIn. Anyone else want to invest in The FP&A Guy?

Offering shares for the low/low price of $1,499.00 per share mine have the Beard premium think of it like the Buffett premium.

"If you don't know what a LET function is or what variables are, how are you going to debug this formula?"
 
=ROUND(200/(LET(
mvpPos,XLOOKUP(G240,'Dancers + Formations'!$T:$T,'Dancers + Formations'!$U:$U),
dancerPos,INDEX(XLOOKUP(G240,'Dancers + Formations'!$T:$T,'Dancers + Formations'!$T:$BM),1,MATCH(H240,'Dancers + Formations'!$U$1:$BM$1,0)),
mvpRow,VALUE(RIGHT(mvpPos,LEN(mvpPos)-1)),
mvpCol,CODE(LEFT(mvpPos,1))-64,
dancerRow,VALUE(RIGHT(dancerPos,LEN(dancerPos)-1)),
dancerCol,CODE(LEFT(dancerPos,1))-64,
rowDiff,ABS(mvpRow-dancerRow),
colDiff,ABS(mvpCol-dancerCol),
diagonals,MIN(rowDiff,colDiff),
straights,rowDiff+colDiff-2*diagonals,
diagonals*1.4+straights)),0)
 
Giles Male asked this question during our latest AI tool test, and it perfectly captures the paradox FP&A professionals face with AI-powered Excel tools.
 
This week on The ModSquad, we tested Tab AI—and the results were both impressive and sobering.
 
The standout moment? TabAI crushed our trial balance analysis test, creating comprehensive dashboards with charts, KPIs, and financial ratios. It was genuinely the closest thing to "presentation-ready" output we've seen.
 
But here's where it gets interesting...
 
→ Structured tasks (PVM analysis, deferred revenue schedules): Solid performance, fast results
 
→ Complex modeling (five-year forecasts): 30+ minutes of processing and still no usable output. Really struggled
 
→ Formula quality: Correct answers, but often using obscure functions or hard-coded values
 
Ian Schnoor, CFA, CFM made a crucial observation: "You might spend a couple of hours learning and understanding what AI did to confirm it's right, as opposed to building a simpler solution that would take longer but you'd know exactly what you're doing."
 
The reality? AI tools are accelerating specific finance workflows significantly. But they're not replacing the need for financial modeling expertise—they're actually increasing the Excel skills you need to properly validate their output.
 
Want to see exactly how we tested Tab AI across multiple real-world scenarios then check out the episode: https://lnkd.in/gbX8qM7x
 
What's your experience with AI in FP&A? Are you seeing similar patterns?
 
 
 
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎓 ​ Earn your Advanced Financial Modeler accreditation from the @Financial Modeling Institute (FMI) at https://lnkd.in/gQV55MxS (Use code Podcast to save 15%)
📰 Join The Modern Finance Playbook Newsletter and receive access to a free FP&A Business Partnering Digital Course Module - https://lnkd.in/g5H4YsvH
📺 Check out the podcast on our YouTube Channel at https://lnkd.in/gxZ45zXN

A "Star was Born" 👇
 
A finance leader told me, "A star was born" during their planning system implementation. The person they assigned to project manage it knocked it out of the park, smooth implementation.
 
I've watched the opposite scenario: companies select the cheapest software, the cheapest implementation partner, and six months later spend an extra $100,000+ cleaning up a project that never properly launched.
 
This week on FP&A Unlocked, Glenn Snyder and James Myers joined for a discussion on FP&A software implementation.
 
Here's what stood out:
 
→ "New technology plus old processes equals expensive, broken old processes."
 
Don't replicate your Excel workflows in new software. James shared a story about a company that copied their process into a modeling solution and couldn't even run a monthly forecast because they ignored how the new platform worked.
 
→ Run a proof of concept with YOUR data:
 
Demos always work perfectly with vendor data. Test 2-3 months of real data with their actual use cases. It reveals limitations before you're locked into a multi-year contract.
 
→ The implementation partner matters as much as the software:
 
If you're not 100% comfortable with the implementation partner, ask for a different one or choose another software vendor. These are bespoke tools requiring specialists. A great tool with a mediocre implementer leads to failure.
 
→ Don't base decisions solely on Software subscription price:
 
Look at total cost of ownership—licenses, professional services, training, ongoing support etc. Glenn shared a great example of a CFO who insisted on an enterprise solution for a mid-market company because "it's the best one everyone talks about"—but its cost was 5x more than necessary.
 
→ Build cross-functional teams from day one:
 
Include your business partners. They'll surface requirements you haven't considered, and when they're involved from the start, adoption skyrockets.
 
→ Negotiate for value beyond price:
 
Consider pushing for additional modules, extra consulting hours post-launch, recorded training sessions for new hires, and flexibility to scale users gradually. You don't need 200 licenses on day one if you'll only have 30 active users
 
🎧 Give it a listen—you'll save yourself time, money, and headaches next time you implement a software
 
https://lnkd.in/gvC786Nd
 
Campfire sponsors FP&A Unlocked. It is the AI-first ERP powering next-gen finance & accounting teams. General ledger, revenue automation, close management, and so much more—all on one unified platform. Learn more https://lnkd.in/dKxnyDNV 
 
 
⭐⭐⭐
📰 Join The Modern Finance Playbook Newsletter for more great content at https://lnkd.in/g5H4YsvH
📺 Check out the podcast on YouTube https://lnkd.in/ejtkdsQd

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked Paul Barnhurst welcomes James Myers , a financial systems and planning expert known for helping organizations moderni

Open article: Best Practice Tips to Successfully Implement FP&A Software with James Myers by Paul Barnhurst • 2 min read

Best Practice Tips to Successfully Implement FP&A Software with James Myers

Learning to say no

One of the best decisions you can make in business is learning to say no. 

Dealing with a health scare this summer has made it a lot easier to say no and focus on the most important pars of my business. 

In the last week I have turned down 4 revenue opportunities because they did not fit with my business or with what was most important. 

It use to be painful but today it is getting much easier to say no and focus on my core strengths.

Bringing value daily, regardless of audience size, with wisdom and by being authentic. 

Being authentic - some of my favorite people to follow on LinkedIn are those who are authentic and constantly bring value, despite having smaller audiences. 

A few people I like to follow whom I have met in real life and found to be the real deal, both on and off screen. 

I recommend following them even though none of them have huge audiences. However, they always deliver incredible value. 

➡️ Glenn Hopper - No person in finance knows and delivers as much value as Glenn when it comes to AI. His books, courses, podcasts, and newsletter are second to none. 

➡️ Ron Monteiro, CPA, CMA - He is always super positive, no matter what challenges he faces, and he brings a ton of wisdom to his posts and life. Well worth following, and he is a fantastic finance teacher. Plus he Loves Mondays. 

➡️ Duke Heninger, CPA - Duke brings excellent content for Fractional CFO types. He is one of the nicest people I have met, and he always offers me great advice in person, just as he does for others on LinkedIn. 

➡️ Lauren Elizabeth Pearl, her excitement for life is contagious. Every time I talk to her, I cannot help but laugh. She has a unique perspective and a unique background, and brings a ton of value as a Fractional CFO

I could keep going and list others, but instead, I will ask you: Who is someone that might not have a big following, but you love to follow because they are authentic and bring real value to the content they share?

We are Shortcut, we solve Financial Modeling World Cup cases "10𝐱 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬." We also find it acceptable to leave a B/S with an out-of-balance error of $1.3 million.
 
This week, we tested Shortcut against its bold claims and found that it does not live up to them, but it did perform several tasks very well.
 
My co-host Giles Male and I tackled Shortcut without Ian Schnoor, CFA, CFM 😢 , who was traveling back from London, and our honest, no-hype feedback is below.
 
Shortcut is the AI spreadsheet tool that went viral, claiming to solve Financial Modeling World Cup cases "10𝐱 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬." and today it makes the bold claim on its website to be
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥'𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭 𝘈𝘐
 
The results?
 
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝:
→ Best visual formatting we've seen—color coding, layout, separate assumption tabs
→ Solved 5 of 7 intermediate Excel esports challenges correctly
→ Built a three-statement model structure that looked incredibly professional
 
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐬:
→ Created custom number formatting that literally REVERSED positive and negative signs (We've never seen this in our careers)
→ Built a model with an unbalanced balance sheet, then rationalized why a $1.3M variance was "acceptable" and said it was not going to fix it.
P.S. This would get you fired if you told your boss this was acceptable.
→ Hard-coded calculations instead of using dynamic formulas
→ When we asked to solve Excel Esport cases, it didn't even attempt the bonus questions that other tools tackled without us having to prompt it.
 
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: Solid tool that fails to live up to its bold claims
 
Giles and I disagree on which tool we like best for different reasons, but we are aligned on one thing:
 
AI is not ready to take a modeler's job. In fact, Giles said this moment is "the most dangerous moment in Excel financial modeling, and he expects it will only get better from here"
 
It is so dangerous because the outputs look SO professional. A junior analyst could easily submit this work without catching the fundamental errors hidden beneath the polished surface.
 
My take for FP&A professionals: This isn't about whether AI tools work—they absolutely can enhance productivity. But the marketing hype claiming these tools replace expert modelers is dangerously premature. You need strong foundational skills to catch what AI gets wrong.
 
Listen here:
https://lnkd.in/gTA-H6kY
 
⭐⭐⭐
🎓 ​ Earn your Advanced Financial Modeler accreditation from the Financial Modeling Institute (FMI) at https://lnkd.in/gQV55MxS (Use code Podcast to save 15%)
📰 Join The Modern Finance Playbook Newsletter https://lnkd.in/g5H4YsvH
📺 Check out the podcast on YouTube https://lnkd.in/gxZ45zXN

The truth about Microsoft Excel Agents!!!

Next week, I will be sharing my frank, unfiltered, and candid thoughts on AI Spreadsheet agents.  

When we can use them, when we should not, and why Excel skills are as critical as ever. 

I have spent hours testing multiple Microsoft AI tools, including Microsoft's Excel AI agent, and they are incredible.

They can make us more productive, but they have limitations, and we must understand how to work with these limitations if we hope to benefit from these agents. 

We are in the early days of what many have termed Vibe Working, and many of the data outputs leave something to be desired. 

That is why I am excited to bring you a webinar sponsored by Drivetrain and co-hosted with my good friend Kirk K. focused on reality, not hype, even though the webinar title has some hype :)   

Master Excel Agents with Paul Barnhurst: What Works, What Doesn't & What's Next

Date: November 20th, 2025
Time: 10 AM PT, 1 PM ET
Register Here: https://lnkd.in/gHiKXUmG

During the webinar, we will focus on the following:

1. How to work with the current Excel AI tools - where they work, where they do not

2. Three examples with AI Agent: price volume mix analysis, headcount schedule, and smart chart selection

3. Why Excel and modeling skills are as important as they have ever been

I look forward to having you join me as I walk through several use cases and share my thoughts, along with those of other professionals, on how to get the most out of these AI spreadsheet agents.

Paul’s beard alone has more industry credibility than most SaaS startups.

AI Roasts The FP&A Guy- Since everyone uses AI for everything I figured I would get in on the fun. 

I asked AI to do a mean-spirited roast of me but every model said it could not that. One even said I might lose my credibility. It did however say it could do a light-hearted roast. Which AI did best?

Claude

🔥 LinkedIn Roast Draft (Safe but Savage)

“Paul Barnhurst calls himself The FP&A Guy. Translation: he’s the dude who can make a 200-slide deck about why your budget still sucks. He’s the only person who thinks Excel pivot tables are a personality trait. 

Honestly, if FP&A were a sport, Paul would be the guy keeping score while everyone else plays the game… and then charging you for the scoreboard subscription.”

“But hey, at least he rebranded his podcast to FP&A Unlocked — because apparently the only thing locked was his sense of humor. Follow him if you want to learn FP&A, or if you just enjoy watching someone argue with spreadsheets like they’re sentient beings.”

---
ChatGPT

🔥 Friendly Roast of Paul “The FP&A Guy” Barnhurst 🔥

(Completely safe… but still spicy enough for LinkedIn!)

If spreadsheets had a spirit animal, Paul Barnhurst would be it.

This is the only man who can turn a simple budget question into a 47-slide deck, three metaphors, a webinar, and a poll asking which FP&A meme best represents your Q4 forecast.

Paul’s beard alone has more industry credibility than most SaaS startups.

Honestly, if his facial hair ever launches its own newsletter, it’ll probably get more subscribers than his podcast—and the podcast is already really good.

And let’s be honest: Paul is the only person who can walk into a room and make everyone suddenly feel guilty about not updating their rolling forecast.
He’s basically the Santa Claus of FP&A—except instead of gifts, he leaves behind KPIs you didn’t ask for but definitely needed.

---

CoPilot

🔥 LinkedIn Roast Draft (Safe but Savage)

“Paul Barnhurst calls himself The FP&A Guy. Translation: he’s the dude who can make a 200-slide deck about why your budget still sucks. He’s the only person who thinks Excel pivot tables are a personality trait. Honestly, if FP&A were a sport, Paul would be the guy keeping score while everyone else plays the game… and then charging you for the scoreboard subscription.”

“But hey, at least he rebranded his podcast to FP&A Unlocked — because apparently the only thing locked was his sense of humor. Follow him if you want to learn FP&A, or if you just enjoy watching someone argue with spreadsheets like they’re sentient beings.”

I liked the beard roasts best myself :) Happy Friday and please use AI responsibly. 

As for the image it was so bad I had to share.

No alternative text description for this image

Vibe working is here, and yes, you can build a model in 5 minutes 👇 



However, the hype videos fail to tell you the real story, in the words of one of the smartest financial modelers I know:

𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘐'𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯...'𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘴𝘩'—𝘪𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴.”

This is why it is more important than ever to have strong Excel and modeling skills, not less important. 

But it's not all doom and gloom vibe working, and Excel agents are here to stay, and if you use them correctly, they can make a huge difference. 

That is why I am excited to partner with Drivetrain and Kirk K. for a webinar this Thursday: 

Excel Agents: What Works, What Doesn't & What's Next

In this webinar, I will share lessons learned from testing several Excel and spreadsheet AI tools on the market today.  

I will share:

➡️ What tools are available today, and how can you prepare for the Excel future of tomorrow
➡️ How to navigate the tools today and ways to work with current limitations
➡️Show real-world use-cases including PVM analysis, smart chart selection, and headcount schedules


Date: Thursday, November 20th, 2025
Time: 1 PM ET
Register Here: https://lnkd.in/gHiKXUmG

Let me know in the comments how you Vibe Work responsibly?

Anders Liu-Lindberg

Business Partnering Institute (BPI)

As the author of Communicating Financials to Executives, I empower finance professionals to bridge the gap between financial reporting and executive decision-making.

The book offers a structured, practical guide for CFOs, FP&A teams, and finance business partners to communicate financials with clarity, context, and impact. It’s not about dumbing down the numbers; it’s about elevating the conversation so that financial insights drive real business decisions.

Core Concepts Covered:

- A 5-step framework for turning raw data into executive-ready insights, messages, and actions.

- Audience-first communication that speaks the language of decision-makers.

- Framing financials in a business context, highlighting risks, opportunities, and trade-offs.

- Structuring and simplifying complex information without losing substance.

- Using visuals and storytelling to make data engaging and memorable.

- Crafting impactful reports and presentations that inform, influence, and accelerate decisions.

Whether you're preparing a board pack, presenting monthly results, or enabling strategic planning, this book helps you become a trusted advisor, not just a reporter of numbers.

Author of Communicating Financials to Executives

Imagine you've stumbled upon a complex problem. It's a problem that's affecting millions of people across the world. At the time, no one has been successful in solving the problem, and as time passes more and more people's careers are being impacted. That's how I feel about business partnering.

All finance and accounting professionals face a choice. Evolve or be automated. Business partnering is one of those evolutionary paths that these professionals can take. However, despite being a desirable path for more than two decades only a few have found the way and made it to the other side. Most are still on the journey and are having a hard time making it.

This is why we have founded Business Partnering Institute and why I have made it my mission to help these millions of people find their way. In my role as Chief Commercial Officer, I'm responsible for creating awareness around what business partnering is and how you become good at it. In doing that I'm making the connection between companies and individuals who are looking for guidance and how BPI can help them.

As a former business partner myself, I have been on the journey and know all about the struggles that others are facing. That's why I and the team at BPI are ideally suited for helping finance teams across the world elevate their influence in the company through business partnering. We can help you too. Just send a message and let's get the conversation started.

Partner | Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)

We've founded the Business Partnering Institute because we want to crack the code on Business Partnering and unlock the value potential hidden in finance functions around the world. By helping them adopt a business partner mindset they'll instantly move closer to the business and start Creating Value Together.

At BPI we want to be the catalyst for change in Finance and help individuals and organisations to change in a digital world where the finance function of tomorrow looks very different from that of yesterday!

We focus on three core areas being Training & Advisory, The Business Partnering Round Table and an online Business Partnering Community. You can read more about each of the three areas at www.businesspartneringinstitute.org.

At the Business Partnering Institute my main focus is to grow the online community and in particular, the Finance Business Partner Forum which is the largest online Business Partnering Community in the world with close to 5,000 members. You can join the forum here https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8475765. In the forum thought leaders will share relevant content and new articles about Business Partnering and the changes happening all around the finance function. Everyone can join in the discussion and ask questions directly to the leadning thinkers in Business Partnering. What are you waiting for? Join today!

Here's the most comprehensive piece ever written on how to become a successful finance business partner and how to implement the concept in your company. Moreover, we describe how being a finance business partner is just as much a mindset for the whole finance function as it is a specific role.

In essence, it's about knowing your business and how to create partnerships with your stakeholders/internal customers by always having the customer's needs left, front and center of everything you do.

Finance is not here to do Finance but to support the business create value or even create value on its own. Without value creation, neither you, your finance function nor your company will go anywhere.

You can buy the book here www.financebusinesspartner.dk [Currently only available in Danish).

Co Author of the book "Create Value as a Finance Business Partner"

Imagine you could work with something that you're immensely passionate about and fulfill your purpose. What would that be? To me, it's helping finance professionals across the world becoming better business partners. That's exactly what I can do at the Business Partnering Institute which I was part of founding in April 2018. 

Through learning and development programs we train finance professionals in the skills that are needed to succeed with business partnering. We also advise senior leaders in Finance to help them better understand how strong their teams are at business partnering. Lastly, we cover immediate needs through interim business partnering when you've received a critical resignation.

What's my role in all of this? As a partner, I deliver our services and am in charge of our research and networks service line where we release business partnering best practices every day. As a COO I make the company run from strategy to execution and drive us to achieve our goals. It's also my job to take the company from a start-up to a scale-up. As a CMO I do marketing when it comes to our point of view on business partnering as well as our product offering.

Our ultimate goal is to crack the code on successful business partnering and start creating some value together with you! If you want to join the journey and improve on business partnering then don't hesitate to reach out!

Partner | Chief Operating Officer (COO) | Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

As the CMO of the Business Partnering Institute, I'm in charge of all online marketing activities aiming at increasing brand awareness and placing the institute as the go-to company for training and advisory on business partnering. This includes lead generation and talking about business partnering with individuals and companies all around the world.
I'm also responsible for creating and publishing content that showcases the latest developments within business partnering and case studies of how individual companies are doing it.
Reach out to me if you'd like to learn more about our approach to business partnering and how we could potentially help you and your company.

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

LinkedIn

As a LinkedIn Learning instructor I create finance and accounting related content to the LinkedIn Learning platform. The content is routed in the thought leadership that we publish at Business Partnering Institute.

The first course is titled "Driving Business Impact for Finance Professionals".

LinkedIn Learning Instructor

LinkedIn is the world's largest networking site for business professionals. Since 2014, they have opened up their platform for the members to write content which they can share with other members.

I write about how the finance function is changing and what you as a finance professional or company can do to keep up with the changes. In addition, I write about personal branding, disruption, networking, leadership and other areas where I think I can add some insights.

I'm not a specialist, but I share my opinions and discuss them with other LinkedIn members.

Blogger

Linkedist

LinkedIn is the best marketing channel you haven't heard of yet! Most see it as a resume platform however there's a thriving content community on the platform and professionals go there for the latest news within their field. From companies to individuals this is a cannot miss opportunity to improve your employer or personal brand. Linkedist is your go-to company in the Nordics and Baltics for help unlocking this potential.

As advisory board member at Linkedist I help shape the strategy for the future and make real choices about where to play and how to win as a company. I use my experience from my own start-up and other advisory board roles to help the Linkedist team make the right choices. That and I get to further pursue my passion for how to best use LinkedIn as a platform!

Profitability Analytics Center of Excellence

The Profitability Analytics Center of Excellence (PACE) is a non-profit community of professionals dedicated to helping organizations make better, more informed decisions through the use of data analytics employing integrated, causal models.  Focusing exclusively on how to enable better managerial decision-making within organizations through the use of such models, PACE is the go-to source for people looking for independent and impartial (vendor and methodology neutral) information in this area.

Board Member

A.P. Moller - Maersk

8 months into my new senior finance business partner role I got an added scope. Now It's my job to drive value creation as a trusted partner for the trades from Asia to/from Middle East and Europe as well as Middle East to/from Europe. This scope makes up roughly 30% of Maersk's Ocean Business and a massive opportunity to create value!

My approach to business partnering is simple. 

Step 1: Go learn about how the business is doing. 
Step 2: Pair your newly acquired business understanding with your understanding of the numbers and present your view on the business. 
Step 3: Make recommendations for how to improve performance. 
Step 4: Follow-up on if the decisions made to improve performance yielded the expected results.

From here you repeat steps 3 and 4 and elevate your impact from an operational level, to tactical, and to a strategic level. This is my mission with my added scope as it was since I started my new role. Meet or beat targets and get a positive NPS score from my stakeholders. That's really all that counts!

Senior Finance Business Partner, EMEA (Europe & Middle East)

Business partnering is simple to understand but hard to do successfully. That's why I've decided to once again be a finance business partner at Maersk. I want to crack the code on successful business partnering and I hope that you want to help me! We need to collaborate on solving this challenge and it starts now. Connect with or follow me and let us create value together!

At Maersk, I'm a business partner to our largest product being the trade lane between Asia and Europe. I challenge the strategic direction setting and ensure we make the right choices about Where to Play and How to Win. It's my responsibility to answer the question "Are we Winning?". If we're not winning then I collaborate with my stakeholders to come up with actions that can improve performance. If we're winning I challenge them to deliver even better performance.

I measure myself on two success criteria: 1) are we achieving or overachieving on our targets and 2) do my stakeholders think that I made a positive contribution to that end. Nothing else matters.

Senior Finance Business Partner; Europe Trade Cluster

What would you do if someone offered you the opportunity to create a World-Class finance function? I decided to say "Challenge Accepted!" when offered this opportunity back in the Spring of 2017. With a purpose of helping the finance function become more involved with the business and drive value creation this role was ideally suited for me!

Now I work with providing strategic advice to our senior finance leaders in terms of how to develop our finance function at Maersk. I also help them execute on their strategic plans through overall program management and specific project support where needed.

I collaborate with The Hackett Group on understanding where we need to further develop the function and with top-tier consulting companies on some of our large-scale initiatives. One such initiative which I am particularly proud to have been part of is our Business Finance College. Probably the largest training program of its kind ever globally, we took 500 Finance Business Partners and leaders through a tailormade training program designed to make them better business partners and better leaders. We are aiming for a complete culture and mindset change with a winning aspiration to Drive Value Creation as a Trusted Partner.

We're not World-Class yet but we're not far off so watch out for the big fanfare when we reach this milestone!

Head of Global Finance PMO

Maersk Line is the world's largest container shipping company and operates a vast logistics network covering almost all countries in the world. Whether you need transportation from door to door, port to port or any other connection Maersk Line will get the job done for you.

I work as a Senior Finance Business Partner in the Europe Region where I help shape the finance function of the future in a global finance transformation project. We're moving almost all finance staff from the frontline to global service centers. Teams that only a handful of years ago consisted of several hundred people are now down to pure business finance teams supporting the front line. Consequently, the global service centers take end-to-end responsibility for processes and tasks and can make significant improvements the former teams could only dream about.

I work with defining what good finance business partnering looks like and how the remaining teams can accelerate their value adding activities. I help them implement the strategic direction set by top management and through performance management ensure that we reach Maersk Line's strategic goals.

In addition, I have been the project manager on a cost saving project where we several years running have saved upwards to USD 100M. I set the direction for the region and facilitate knowledge sharing sessions where operations managers come together to discuss how to come up with new savings ideas.

You should also read some of my articles on finance business partnering and how you can transform your finance function below.

Senior Finance Business Partner

Freelance writer at D!gitalist Magazine where I write about digital finance, finance transformation and the future of finance. 

Have a good story you want to publish? Reach out and let’s work on it together!

Freelance Writer

CFO innovation Asia

Contributing with articles about current developments in the finance function and in particular around how Finance can help the business add value.

Techstory.in

Jobindex A/S

Jobindex is the leading job site in Denmark where companies post their positions and enlist Jobindex to encourage candidates who have an active CV to apply for the positions.

I help people who are looking for a job refine their resume and cover letter and prepare pitches for interviews and have so far helped more than 10 candidates whereof several of them have found interesting jobs after receiving my guidance. My offer of assistance isn't limited to Jobindex as I generally try and help all job seekers out there getting closer to their dream job.

I have been recognized by https://www.topresume.com/ for having a resume ranking in top 4% of all resumes and I want to use that expertise to help you write a stellar resume too!

You can read some of my advice in below articles.

Job Search Coach

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

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

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

Who Am I?

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

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

What We Do at Business Partnering Institute

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

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

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

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

Why Reach Out?

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

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

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

📞 +45 2926 6410
✉️ anders@bpidk.org

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝟵𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻.
And executives lose attention in just 47 seconds.

We just released Chapter 2 of our new book "Communicating Financials to Executives," and it exposes the brutal disconnect.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝗲:

Only 20% of finance professionals make actual recommendations in their presentations.

The other 80%? They're dumping data and hoping executives figure it out on their own.

Meanwhile, the average executive attention span has dropped from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to 47 seconds today. We're talking goldfish short!

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

Three fatal flaws kill every presentation:

• 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: Tables plastered with numbers. Every variance explained. Zero focus on what matters.

• 𝗡𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Random numbers in chronological order. Starting with financials instead of business issues. Completeness over importance.

• 𝗡𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The 99%-mindset paralyzes action. "They know best" becomes an excuse. Analysis without synthesis.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗲:

The book follows Sarah, a Senior Financial Analyst at Solara Tech, as she transforms from data dumper to strategic advisor.

Her journey mirrors what thousands of finance professionals face daily.

Meetings that finish early.
Zero action on critical issues.
Standard reports nobody reads.

Sound familiar?

𝗠𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲?

Stop defending the details. Start driving decisions.

Know the numbers, but show the story.
Anticipate questions, but lead with insights.
Build credibility through clarity, not complexity.

Chapter 2 is yours free. It diagnoses the problem.

The full book? It delivers the solution.

𝗦𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁: How many of your last 10 presentations actually led to action?

Ready to change that?

Get your copy here: https://bit.ly/4h2P9AA

P.S. That finance team still starting presentations with variance tables? They lost their audience before slide 2.

----------

🧑‍💼 I'm a partner at Business Partnering Institute
🆘 Need immediate help in your finance team, call us!
🤝 We help increase the influence of your finance team
🔔 To see more content, hit the bell on my profile
🧑‍🎓 Enroll in our LinkedIn course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l
📻 #FinanceMaster podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73
📺 Follow us on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6
📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc
📄 Check out all our templates and cheat sheets here: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4

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

Communicating Financials to Executives - Chapter 2

𝟭𝟯 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀.
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗽 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

Looking at this framework, I'm reminded of a painful truth.

We've turned financial analysis into a checkbox exercise when it should be a strategic weapon.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝗲:

Everyone starts with financial statements. Most stop at ratios.

They calculate liquidity ratios like robots.
Generate trend charts on autopilot.
Then wonder why their recommendations fall flat.

The real magic happens in steps most analysts rush through or skip entirely.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀:

Step 2 - Business Understanding - is where 80% of value lives.

You can't analyze what you don't understand. Yet I see analysts diving into numbers without knowing how the business actually makes money.

The other missed goldmine? Steps 10-13.

• 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Not just "improve working capital." Specific, actionable steps.

• 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: Storytelling, not spreadsheet dumping.

• 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀: Where insights become influence.

• 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆: Because one-time analysis is like checking your health once a decade.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗲:

The analysts who nail all 13 steps become indispensable.

They don't just spot problems. They connect dots others miss.

They benchmark against competitors AND understand why differences exist.

They turn cash flow analysis into strategic recommendations.

They present insights that change decisions, not just inform them.

𝗠𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲?

Print this framework. Circle the steps you're weakest at.

Those are your biggest opportunities.

Stop treating analysis as a monthly ritual. Make it a continuous conversation.

Stop hiding behind numbers. Start telling stories that drive action.

Because here's what separates great analysts from spreadsheet mechanics:

They understand the business before they analyze it.
They recommend specific actions, not generic advice.
They communicate insights, not just calculations.

𝗦𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁: Which of these 13 steps does your team skip?

More importantly, what insights are you missing because of it?

P.S. If your financial analysis doesn't lead to changed decisions, you're just doing expensive arithmetic.

----------

🧑‍💼 I'm a partner at Business Partnering Institute
🆘 Need immediate help in your finance team, call us!
🤝 We help increase the influence of your finance team
🔔 To see more content, hit the bell on my profile
📘 Order our new book now: https://bit.ly/4h2P9AA
🧑‍🎓 Enroll in our LinkedIn course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l
📻 #FinanceMaster podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73
📺 Follow us on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6
📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc
📄 Check out all our templates and cheat sheets here: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝘀. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. No, that's not a typo.
It's the most expensive confusion in our profession.

Sitting at the airport heading to London for the CFO Summit, my phone rang. A guy wanted to write a book about "The Future of Finance" and saw my 450,000 followers.

Perfect candidate for an interview, he thought.

Five minutes in, it became obvious. He was writing about banking, insurance, and fintech.

Not the finance function.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝗲:

He'd done his research. Found my profile. Saw "finance professional."

And still got it completely wrong.

The next day at the summit, a participant wanted to explore collaboration opportunities. Which conferences would be best for her?

Then she mentioned asset management and fintech.

She was at a CFO Summit. An FP&A Summit. The wrong room entirely.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻:

People are wasting years building the wrong careers.
Networking with the wrong people.
Attending the wrong events.
Reading the wrong content.

All because we use the same word for two completely different worlds.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Managing money within companies. Budgeting, forecasting, reporting. Internal focus. Led by CFOs and Finance Directors.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: Providing money-related services to external clients. Banking, insurance, trading, asset management. External focus. Led by CEOs of banks and funds.

One uses management accounting to guide internal decisions.
The other uses financial products to serve external clients.

One exists within every company.
The other is an entire industry.

𝗠𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲?

Before you apply for that "finance" job...
Before you attend that "finance" conference...
Before you reach out to that "finance" professional...

Ask yourself: Which Finance are we talking about?

Because showing up at a CFO Summit to talk about asset management is like bringing a surfboard to a ski resort.

Both involve boards. Both involve going downhill. But they're completely different games.

𝗦𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁: Have you ever confused the two?

More importantly, are you absolutely certain you're building your career in the right Finance?

P.S. I created this graphic to settle it once and for all. Save it. Share it. Let's stop the confusion.

⸻

🧑‍💼 Partner at Business Partnering Institute
🆘 Need help strengthening your finance team? Let's talk.
🤝 We help finance teams increase their influence and impact.
🔔 Follow me for more CFO insights and hit the bell on my profile
📘 Order our new book: https://bit.ly/4h2P9AA
🧑‍🎓 Take our LinkedIn course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l
📻 Listen to the #FinanceMaster podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6
📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc
📄 Explore our templates and cheat sheets: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4

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Anders Liu-Lindberg

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The Battle

Paul Barnhurst, The FPandA Guy

Anders Liu-Lindberg

Followers

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