Strength In The Numbers Show

"When you think about it, who's the most trusted executive in a given company, and it's almost always the CFO,” according to our guest mentor Jack McCullough who helps us deconstruct on todays’ episode: - His thoughts on how he thinks CFOs are doing today with the current challenges of a pandemic, climate change, economic turmoil, etc… and how this current crop are different to conventional CFOs. - What are the right steps for a controller to become a CFO. - What Jack meant by his Forbes article when he described the agile CFO, as innovative, collaborative, and visionary. - What most Rockstar CFOs are doing and the importance of ethical leadership If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/308. #FinancialMentor #SITN #CFO

Would a 4-Day Work Week Work In Finance? This question piqued my interest after it appeared in the local news and also following a poll from a well-known accounting body. In this bite-sized episode I share some of my research findings as well as thoughts on the pros and cons about going down this route. #FinanceMentor #SITN #WorkingSmarter

" Being sustainable is really nice, but it's too expensive” which is what one business owner said to our guest mentor Colin Banning who helps us deconstruct on todays’ episode: - What going “Beyond the spreadsheet” means for the triple bottom line - Based on his work with the UN, where we can start facilitating better adoption of corporate reporting and culture around ESG objectives and SDGs - How to get SMEs involved in the process of what is seen as “expensive” sustainable reporting - The importance of cross-functional collaboration and perspectives to improving reporting capabilities and cultures and gaining “exposure opportunities.” If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/306. #FinancialMentor #SITN #Sustainability

“One of the key assets of a great business partner is to provide insights to their stakeholders.” Simone Collins And to arrive at these insights, we must connect these dots. On today’s Monday Memo I share 3 tips from a blog written by Simone on how we can hone our connecting the dot skills. #FinanceMentor #SITN #connectingthedots

"If you stay in your comfort zone you will probably achieve a little more with what you already have … but if you ever want to go further than where you are today it’s probably going to be you doing something that’s outside of what you’re comfortable with today” as our guest mentor Terrell A. Turner will help us deconstruct for todays’ episode where we also examine: - The 3 key building blocks to Terrell’s career progression: - Great advice & examples on how to safely push yourself out of your comfort zone - The story behind how Business Talk Library came to being If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/304. #FinancialMentor #SITN #ComfortZone

Is a hard benefit more important than a soft one? I had this question put to me recently and it got me thinking, is one more important than the other. Do business cases with hard benefits always get approved or are the softer ones more important but difficult to get a CFO to buy-into them? I share some thoughts about the hard/soft benefit spectrum on today’s Monday Memo. #FinanceMentor #SITN #benefits

"Financial considerations impact virtually every significant management decision we make in businesses & society.” A rather special episode today where Andrew has the tables turned on him as he is interviewed by Talita Ferreira as part of the Global Leadership Hypothesis series. Together they deconstruct: • The definition of a great leader • How to start unlocking your potential in accounting & finance and what is holding some back • A common misconception people have about him If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/302. #FinancialMentor #SITN #Leadership

Being seen as defensive in accounting & finance has historically been seen as a good thing, however is it always the case? In this bite-sized episode I share some thoughts on where defensiveness is positive, it’s challenges if we’re looking to build influence, impact and meaningful carrers and also four steps on how to deal with it better. #FinanceMentor #SITN #defensiveness

"It’s all about speed to insight at the speed of thought,” as our guest mentor Brian Kalish will help us deconstruct for todays’ episode as well as: - How to push forward the evolution of the FP&A profession - The holistic role of FP&A and its reporting structure in the business - Building your support structure as we progress into the new normal that nobody knows what it looks like - How we can leverage the right technology over time to reach out to others in the profession If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/300. #FinancialMentor #SITN #FP&A

“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” Oprah Winfrey. There’s no doubt about it, we’re leaving in very strange and uncertain times which has adversely impacted a number of those in our finance community. So In this bite-sized episode I share how some fellow finance professionals are managing through this adversity and ideas on how we can help each other. #FinanceMentor #SITN #community

" I would say the accounting gives you that good foundation being able to transition or pivot into other areas” According to today’s guest mentor Taiwo Okwor who also deconstructs with us: - The strong foundations of accounting & finance enabling it easier to transition into investment & Development Finance - Her work with Femme-Minty helping women to become money confident and equipping them to make the best financial decisions for themselves, their community and society at large - On the main blockers to people becoming a bit more financially savvy and making more confident financial decisions If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/298. #FinancialMentor #SITN #Development

“There are no jobs on a dead planet.” Judy Bonds This was taken from a couple documentaries I recently watched which detailed some actions Business & Finance can take to help create a more stable natural and financial system otherwise there will be no jobs on a dead planet . In this bite-sized episode I share some key thoughts from the documentaries on what we can do. #FinanceMentor #SITN #OurPlanet

"If you are a business CFO you have to deep dive into the business nuances” as our guest mentor Anand Soni will help us deconstruct for todays’ episode how to: - Gain confidence in managing the business through: o competing with yourself everyday o self-belief - The role of the Business CFO and its responsibilities - The Business CFO vs a regular CFO If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/296. #FinancialMentor #SITN #businessCFO

“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.” Miles Kingston This is one of my favourite sayings because it’s so simple, just because we know something to be right or technically true, doesn’t mean it always works out that way, or is obvious to others. In this bite-sized episode I share some thoughts on the importance of wisdom over knowledge in particularly in modern day finance and how we can use this to our advantage. #FinanceMentor #SITN #Widsom

“Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.” James Stephens In this week’s episode we are joined on four prior guest mentors Marcus Thelwell, Khaled Chowdhury, Andi Lonnen and Indran Purushothaman who help us better understand the value of curiosity in Finance & Accounting and share with us practical ways on how we can be curious. We cover: - What the premium of curiosity looks like - How understanding the end to end of a business helps our curiosity. - Where curiosity fits in the 9 skills required in this Age of the Accountant. - The importance of having curiosity about what we’re doing on a daily basis. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/294. #FinancialMentor #SITN #Curiosity

They say a picture paints a thousand words, but a good friend of mine Chris Argent from #GenerationCFO ran a poll recently around what level of business information are you producing as part of a panel with two other thought leaders on Finance Analytics Jesper Sorenson and Brian Kalish at the #Finex summit? In this bite-sized episode I deconstruct the poll results and share a few thoughts on why this should concern us and how we can level up our analytics in accounting & finance. #FinanceMentor #SITN #Analytics

" Leadership is what happened in your absence” as our guest mentor Shiva Vilayanur will help us deconstruct for todays’ episode where we also go through how to: - Help the business reach its goal and creating value to it by: - Being brilliant with the basics - Doing the more advanced stuff - Be comfortable with ambiguity - Know what the Finance and accounting professional should capitalize on If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/292. #FinancialMentor #SITN #strategy

What is a business? What is an accountant? If you’ve ever asked these questions to a classroom full of 10- and 11-year olds you get a load of hands go up, they’re bursting to throw something out there, even if it’s a guess or not. I love that curiosity and eagerness to learn. However, ask the same questions in a lecture hall to a group of undergraduates or even postgraduates and that same enthusiasm, just doesn’t seem to be there. So what’s changed? Where has that curiosity and eagerness gone? Does it matter? In this bite-sized episode I share a few tips on how we can become more curious in accounting & finance. #FinanceMentor #SITN #Curiosity

" Everything moves so quickly. You don't have the ability to look back and reflect … expect the unexpected,” according to this week’s guest mentor Phil Thorne who helps deconstruct with us: - The growing paradigm shift Phil sees emerging in society and finance & accountings role - How we can break out from our old mechanistic ways and move more towards being more like an evolving organism - What successful finance teams are doing to help operations really simplify and actually be of more value with them to the business - The three laws of Agile If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/290. #FinancialMentor #SITN #agile

Want to know more about how finance & accounting can better predict the future with data analytics? In this bite-sized episode I share a taster of some potential avenues we’ll be exploring at #finex on Wednesday. #FinanceMentor #SITN #Development https://www.finexsummit.com/