In this episode, John Sanchez delves into an insightful conversation with Carolina Lago, the esteemed managing director of Tactic Financial and a financial modeling expert whose career spans continents and industries.Carolina's expertise is deeply rooted in her experiences with large organizations including A Testing Service, Avon, as well as in her work with small to midsize companies in organizing their finances. With a focus on real-world application of financial modeling, Carolina crafts scenarios to train practitioners in projecting future financials while comprehensively understanding business operations and costs.Key insights from our dialogue include:1. Constructing Scenarios on Financial Models: Gain insight from Carolina’s webinar success in building scenarios that mirror actual industry challenges, which is vital for professionals who desire to translate theory into pragmatic outcomes.2. Laying the Framework for AFM Exam Preparation: Learn Carolina’s approach to simplifying complex financial principles, ensuring readiness for the AFM exam and encouraging pursuit of distinguished certifications with minimal additional training.3. Fostering a Culture of Continuous Learning: Explore the significance of integrating real-world problems into academic endeavors, and the impact this can have on sharpening financial acumen and cultivating a learning mindset.4. The Importance of Financial Tools: Uncover the limitations and benefits of using planning software like Cognos and NetSuite, and understand why mastery of Excel remains crucial for nuanced financial analysis and modeling.5. Personal Financial Organisation: Engage with Carolina’s insights on personal finance management, its cultural impacts, and the value of actionable insights derived from data to inform decision-making.6. Communication and Simplification: Carolina underscores the necessity of conciseness in FP&A, from one-page business reports to presentations. The episode highlights methods to distill complex data into lucid, impactful communication.7. Course Offerings and Professional Growth: Discover opportunities for professional development through Carolina’s offerings, including a course on Maven, designed to impart her financial modeling acumen.Whether you are an emerging professional or an experienced analyst, this episode with Carolina Lago is laden with vital counsel and tips to aid in streamlining your FP&A capabilities and advancing your career.For more such enriching episodes and insights from the experts, do not forget to subscribe. Share this episode with your peers to spread valuable knowledge, and we welcome your comments below with reflections or inquiries.Connect with Carolina Lago on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/s-carolinalago/

for her wealth of content and to sign up for her newsletter, Tactical Room, and find her financial modeling course on Maven. Join us as we thank Carolina for the valuable insights she has provided and for contributing greatly to the FP&A community.EPISODE INDEX=============00:00 Creating special financial modeling course for public.05:26 Experienced in TOEFL, business, finance, and partnering.08:39 Effective planning software aids budget consolidation and analysis.10:07 Excel remains essential despite fancy planning software.13:26 Many Brazilians do not have mortgages.19:06 Absorbing information without planning, then connecting later.21:43 Weekly note review helps him refine ideas.25:46 Teaching fast thinking in finance, connecting ideas.29:22 Recognizing patterns through repetition sharpens brain.31:46 Understanding evaluation model is crucial in M&A.36:42 Experience classroom problems, real case scenarios, modeling.40:09 Learn framework for AFM, practice, sit.43:49 Simplicity is crucial in financial communication.47:56 Emotions grab attention before logic and data.49:24 Encouragement to follow Carolina's free content.

In this episode, John Sanchez, chats with Gary Cokins, a big name in the world of corporate performance management (CPM). Gary took an unexpected turn from dreaming of engineering to becoming a key figure in industrial engineering. He's now all about helping CFOs and accountants be savvy with the tools and mindset they need to master the finance of business.Here are some of the key takeaways from this conversation:1. Asking the Right Questions: Gary talks about the shift to learning through questions, using smart tools like SaaS, and why it's crucial in today’s leadership.2. Tackling Change in Accounting: Getting new accounting methods on board isn't easy. Gary breaks down how to get through the thick wall of tradition with things like activity-based costing and lean accounting.3. Corporate Performance Management Deep Dive: Unpack the toolbox of methods like reporting profits and strategy maps that make up the world of CPM, and how blending these can lead to big wins.4. The Triple C's - Communication, Competence, and Culture: From his own experiences mentoring, Gary shares why talking openly, being skillful, and building a supportive work culture matter.5. Metrics and Culture Matter: We chat about why the right metrics and a thoughtful approach to your organization’s culture can make or break your strategy.Gary's deep dive into his world of expertise is a treasure trove for anyone in the financial field wanting to step up their game. He challenges the norms and shows us how evolving in accounting and analysis is non-negotiable.Don’t forget to hit subscribe to stay in the loop with groundbreaking chats like this one with Gary Cokins. Jump into the episode, share it around, and let us know your thoughts in the comments. Let's keep the conversation going!Episode Index====================00:00 Extensive career in strategic planning and consulting.08:05 Unexpected question leads to interesting responses.10:17 Best leaders ask great questions, not give answers.15:54 Customer profitability is key for business success.18:02 Supplier negotiations, supply chain competition, ERP issues.20:16 Frequent budgeting, resource planning, enterprise risk management.23:57 Developing strategic objectives with a disciplined approach.27:45 ERP and FP&A software lacking critical features.31:18 Failure to communicate strategy; focus on financials.33:34 Discussion about communication and culture impact on it.36:51 Leaders need vision, inspiration, and communications.41:17 Strategy with bravery may face challenges and fears.45:11 Many organizations struggle to move beyond raw data.47:25 Blockbuster's decision on Netflix: a good idea?51:27 Organization risk from relying on intuition alone.55:50 Mentor guided, provided support, emphasized importance of structure.====================Gary's contact information: www.garycokins.comemail: gcokins@garycokins.com

Welcome to the latest installment of The FP&A Fast Track podcast, your source for insights from FP&A experts and thought leaders. Your host John Sanchez sits down with Christian Wattig, a seasoned FP&A expert and trainer with a diverse background spanning over two decades in firms like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Squarespace, and DataRails. Throughout his extensive career, Christian has not only honed his expertise in FP&A roles but has also embraced education for both finance teams and business leaders. His dedication stems from a firm belief in the transformative value of knowledge sharing, evident from his FP&A boot camp and comprehensive course offerings at fpaprep.com. The dialogue between John and Christian unveils vital insights across seven key topics: 1. Rotational Programs and Skill Development: Christian discloses the significance of rotational experiences, allowing him to finesse competencies in communication and collaboration, essential for distilling insights from data across varying business contexts. 2. Importance of Business Partnering: The importance of nurturing relationships within the company to leverage insights across departments is highlighted, demonstrating FP&A's role in driving change and adding value that exceeds the confines of traditional number-crunching. 3. Embracing Proactivity and Leadership Buy-In: Christian encourages FP&A professionals to persistently seek active participation in operations and decision-making spheres, securing leadership support to entrench a culture of proactive contribution. 4. Harnessing Psychological Safety and Trust: Insights on creating an environment characterized by psychological safety, and the pivotal role of encouraging iterative contribution in decision-making processes are shared. 5. The Nuances of Feedback and Communication: Christian and John underscore effective strategies for feedback communication, emphasizing the merits of informal settings and the positive framing of "carburetor adjustments" for performance enhancement. 6. The Fusion of Empathy and Business Understanding: A deeper look into the balance of empathy and a solid grasp of business planning is presented, signifying the necessity of understanding multiple perspectives to foster well-rounded decision-making. 7. Dispelling FP&A Misconceptions: Christian confronts common misconceptions about FP&A, asserting the department's front-office capabilities and integral role in strategizing and executing business growth. This episode is a treasure trove of Christian's valuable expertise and applied teachings. Don't forget to subscribe to The FP&A Show for more insightful conversations with experts in the field, positioning you on the quickest path to success within FP&A. ================================== Episode Index ============= 00:00 Finding common ground, teaching, and public speaking. 07:02 Rotational program teaches diverse business aspects. 14:02 Chat GPT may not excel in directing questions. 19:16 Royal Caribbean Cruises monitored reservations agents' talk time. 25:49 Guiding others to find their own solutions. 29:24 Pausing to consider options leads to better solutions. 38:50 Psychological safety in workplace: trust and communication. 40:40 Patterns important, build rapport for tough conversations. 46:01 Finance classes lead to Excel joy & collaboration. 51:08 Enhancing financial planning and analysis skills effectively. 58:17 Rolling forecast challenges traditional end-of-year planning. Connect with Christian Wattig at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-wattig/ FP&A Prep: https://www.fpaprep.com/