I teach Finance Teams how to use ChatGPT - Keynote speaker on AI for Finance & FP&A

For AI Finance Trainings and Workshops:

✉️ Contact me here: hello@nicolasboucher.online

About me:

Number one Finance Thought Leader specialized in AI, trained more than 10,000 people and on a mission to help more than 1 million finance professionals.

3 million people are receiving daily my insights on AI for Finance across all social media channels.

I teach finance people how to use AI.

You can also book me as a keynote speaker.


My previous roles:

🏭 Thales (Germany):
2022-23: Senior manager controlling role for the Transportation business (€500 million business)
2018-22: Part of the management and led the Finance and Controlling team of a production site (400 people) specialised in producing Traveling Waves Tubes for Satellites
2016-2018: Head of Finance Transformation

👨‍💻 PwC:
2014-2016: Audit Manager in PwC Luxembourg
2012-2014: Audit Manager in PwC Singapore
2009-2012: Auditor in PwC Luxembourg


My experience:

Living in 5 different countries across 3 different continents (France, USA, Luxembourg, Singapore and Germany) gave me the capacity to integrate myself quickly and understand different local and working cultures.

Worked 8 years for Thales, an engineering and industrial french multinational.
I had finance manager roles and was part of the management of a 400 people production site.

Prior to that, I worked 7 years as an auditor and consultant for PwC in Luxembourg and Singapore.


My private life:

I am married and a happy father of two young daughters. We both learn from each other and we enjoy reading french books together and play outside.
When I am not busy with my daughters, I am exercising, cooking and spending quality time with friends.
Finally, traveling and tasting new food are some of my favorite experiences. But if you ask me where is the most beautiful place and where can we find the best food in the world, I have only one response: my hometown, Brittany in France.


My Specialties:

-Finance & accounting
-Controlling, budgeting & forecasts
-FP&A
-ChatGPT
-AI
-Storytelling
-Cross-cultural management, coaching and training
-Cost reduction
-Management
-Analytics, Business Performance and Activity Dashboard
-Audit & controls
-Business Processes Modelling
-Financial Statements and Cash Flow
-Business Intelligence
-Fluent in French (native speaker), English & German

Hashtags:
#finance #controlling #accounting #management #cfo #cash #budgeting #forecasting #chatgpt

https://nicolasboucher.online

Nicolas Boucher

Finance teams think they're using Copilot. They're not.
👉 Here's what they're missing: https://lnkd.in/ehpmZm98

They've got the license
They assume it just works

They open it once a week, maybe twice, and call it "transformation"
Only uses a fraction of what it can do and don't even know it

The meetings still drag
The Excel models still eat hours
The insights still land a day too late

Here's the thing nobody wants to admit: the tool isn't the problem. The knowledge gap is.

Most finance professionals are using Copilot the way they used Google, typing in a question and hoping for the best

They don't know the shortcuts
They don't know the workflows
They don't know what it can actually do inside the apps they're already living in

So I built something to fix that.

Top 100 Copilot tips designed for real finance work, not a vendor demo

This isn't theory.

These are the prompts and workflows that CFOs, FP&A teams, and controllers are quietly using to get ahead while everyone else is still doing things the slow way

Here's what's actually in it:
1. Meetings & communication
• Summarize meetings in seconds
• Extract decisions, actions, and owners
• Catch up on Teams chats instantly

2. Excel & data
• Sanity-check files before sharing
• Build Pivot Tables with plain English
• Explain formulas, clean data, find outliers

3. PowerPoint & Word
• Turn raw docs into exec-ready decks
• Rewrite slides for clarity and impact
• Create presentations from a simple prompt

4. FP&A & analysis
• Reconcile numbers across files
• Run scenarios faster
• Produce decision-ready summaries

5. Advanced Copilot workflows
• Research with sources
• Build Copilot agents
• Automate recurring finance tasks

(See the complete list in the cheatsheet)

And if you want to go deeper…

We’re also hosting a live webinar
How to become an AI CFO,
- Automate reporting and forecasting without writing code
- Cut days of manual work down to minutes
- Adopt AI securely while staying ahead of 2026's fast-changing tools

Where I will also talk about Copilot as one of the fast-changing tools

👉 Download the 100 Copilot Tips cheat sheet here: https://lnkd.in/ehpmZm98
(Save your seat for the masterclass, after downloading the 100 Copilot cheatsheet)

💬 What’s the first Copilot task you want to automate? Do you want to join my Live masterclass?

🔁 Repost if this helps your finance team work faster

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

Top 22 Excel Formulas
👉 Download the HHD PDF and register for my AI masterclass: https://lnkd.in/d7Qj5e9n

10x your productivity with these 22 Excel must-know formulas:

1. SUM
Adds all numbers in a range

=SUM(A1:A9)
Add values from cell A1 to A﻿9

2. AVERAGE
Calculates the average of numbers in a range

=AVE﻿RAGE(B1:B9)
Averag﻿e of B1 t﻿o B9

3. ROUND
Rounds a number to a specified number of digits

=﻿ROUND(C1;2)
Round C1 to 2 decimal places

4. MIN
Identifies the lowest number in a range

=MIN(D1:D9)
Find the min﻿im﻿um in D1 to D9

5. MAX
Finds the highest number in a range

=MAX(D1:D9)
Get the maxim﻿um v﻿alue in D1 to D9

6. COUNT
Counts th﻿e number of cells that contain numbers

=C﻿OUNT(F1:F9)
Count numeric cells in F1 to F9
*It only counts the numerical inputs

7. INDEX
Returns a value in table based on row & column number

=INDEX﻿(K1:L10,2,3)
For the value i﻿n the 2nd row & 3rd column from the range K1:K10

8. MATCH
Searches for a value and returns its relative position

=MATCH﻿(L1,M1:M9,0)
To find L1's p﻿osition from the range M1:M9

9. VLOOKUP
Searches for a value in the first column of a range

=VLOOKUP (G1,H1:H10,2,FALSE)
To find G1 in H1:H10

10. HLOOKUP
Searches for a value in the top row of a table

*Number of rows that contains the data you want to retrieve

=HLOOKU﻿P(I1,J1:S2,2,FALSE)
To f﻿ind I1 in the top row J1:S2

11. XLOOKUP
Finds a value in one range & returns a result from another

=XLOOKUP(A7,A2:A4,B2:C4)
To find A7 in A2:A4 & return the corresponding value from B2:C4 if a match is found

12. COUNTIF/COUNTIFS
Counts cells that meet a condition

=COUNT﻿IF (N1:N9;">5")
To count cells greater tha﻿n 5

13. COUNTA
Counts non-empty cells

=COUNTA(O1:O9)
To coun﻿t all non-em﻿pty cells in a range

14. SUMIF / SUMIFS
Counts non-empty cells

=SUMIF(﻿P1:P9,">5")
Add cells that meet a condition

15. IF / NESTED IFS
Performs conditional tests

=IF(R﻿1>5;"Yes";"No")
For sim﻿ple cond﻿itions

Note:

IF: 1 variable
IFS: multiple variables

=IF(test, true, false)

=IF(test1, true, IF(test2, true, false)
Nested IF

=IFS(test1, true, test2, true, test3, true)

16. AVERAGEIF / AVERAGEIFS
Calculates the average for cells that meet criteria

=AVER﻿AGEIF(Q1:Q9;">5")
Average of values over 5

17. Logical Operators (AND, OR)
Combines multiple conditions

=AND(S1>5;S2<2)
Both conditions are true => Output is true

=OR(S1>5;S2<2)
Just 1 condition is true => Output is true

18. CONCATENATE
Joins two or more text strings

=C﻿ONCATENATE(T1," ",T2)
Com﻿bine first name and last name in one cell

19. LEFT/RIGHT
Extracts characters from the start/end of a text string

=LEF﻿T(U1;5)
Excel

=RIGHT(U1;5)
Class

20. MID
Extracts characters from the middle of a text string

=MID(V1;7;7)
7 characters starting from the 7th => Mastery

21. TEXT
Converts a value to text in a specific number format

=TEXT(V1;”MMM-YY")
7/02/2024 => Feb-24

22. IFERRROR
Returns a custom result if a formula errors out

=IFERROR(W1,"0")
Give 0 as output, instead o﻿f "# div" error

Are finance certifications still the "Golden Ticket"? 
Move beyond certifications: https://lnkd.in/dxbPe7P3

While these 10 are the industry gold standards
The "CFO of 2026" needs more than just a certificate

The Top 10 Finance Certifications to Watch:
(Free masterclass to move beyond certifications, See it at the end!)

1. CPA - Certified Public Accountant
Issued by: Local Boards of Accountancy
Focus: Expertise in accounting, tax preparation, and financial planning

2. CMA - Certified Management Accountant
Issued by: Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
Focus: Skills in management accounting, financial planning, analysis, control, and decision support

3. CFA - Chartered Financial Analyst
Issued by: Chartered Financial Analyst Institute
Focus: Widely recognized for investment analysis and portfolio management

4. FMVA - Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst
Issued by: Corporate Finance Institute (CFI)
Focus: Financial modeling, valuation, and analysis skills

5. FRM - Financial Risk Manager
Issued by: Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP)
Focus: Identifying, assessing, and managing financial risks

6. FPAC - Certified Corporate FP&A Professional
Issued by: Association for Financial Professionals (AFP)
Focus: Planning, analysis, budgeting, and decision support in finance

7. CA - Chartered Accountant
Issued by: Local Institutes of Chartered Accountants
Focus: Expertise in financial accounting, taxation, and auditing

8. ACCA - Chartered Certified Accountant
Issued by: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
Focus: Financial management, taxation, and audit expertise

9. CIA - Certified Internal Auditor
Issued by: Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)
Focus: Proficiency in internal auditing, risk management, and control

10. CTP - Certified Treasury Professional
Issued by: Association for Financial Professionals (AFP)
Focus: Managing corporate treasury, cash, and risk management operations

My take? I’m not a big believer in judging talent solely by certifications
They are valuable, but they are often theoretical and expensive

🚀 The Next Level: Beyond the Certification

Certificates show you know the rules
AI shows you how to break the manual workload.

If you want to go beyond theory, join my upcoming Masterclass:
"How to Become an AI CFO"

In 60 minutes, I’ll show you how to:
• Automate reporting and forecasting (zero code)
• Save 20–40+ hours per month.
• Build secure AI workflows for your team.

📅 Tuesday, January 20
⏰ 11am EST | 4pm UK | 5pm CET

👉 Register for the Masterclass here: https://lnkd.in/dxbPe7P3

See you there!

The 100 AI Finance Tips Handbook
(135 pages to become a top 1% AI-driven Finance Pro in 2026)
👉 Comment "AI TIPS" and I will send your ebook (+ your invite)

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

This is the premiere release of this handbook and it’s the most comprehensive AI resource I’ve built for finance teams

This guide can save you 10+ hours every single week in 2026
and it is worth $1,000+ in saved training time

Most finance professionals are stuck in "prompting purgatory." 
They know AI is powerful, but they don't know the specific use cases for their daily work

So I compiled the most practical, "plug-and-play" tips
into one handbook: 100 Tips for AI in Finance

Inside the handbook, you will find:
#1 AI Prompting for Finance: How to get accurate, hallucination-free results
#2 Data Analysis & Clean-up: Speeding up your monthly closes
#3 Forecasting & Modeling: Using AI to spot trends your eyes might miss
#4 Automating Reporting: Moving from manual data entry to strategic analysis
#5 Risk & Compliance: Using AI to audit and find anomalies in seconds
... and 95 other actionable tips you can use today

Also, this handbook is organized into 5 levels: 
Level 1 – Foundations: how AI really behaves, how to handle confidential data, and how to avoid “black box” outputs
Level 2 – Data & Numbers: analysis workflows, modeling, dashboards, and automation (Excel, Power Query, scripts, Colab)
Level 3 – Prompting Mastery: proven techniques to force clearer reasoning, better structure, and more reliable outputs
Level 4 – Custom AI: how to build GPTs/agents/gems that think like finance - consistent, auditable, governable
Level 5 – AI CFO: how to scale AI across the finance function with roadmaps, governance, KPIs, and adoption

I’ve seen FP&A managers and CFOs spend days on manual tasks that these tips could solve in under 15 minutes

This is the shortcut to stop being "the person who does the reports" and start being "the person who provides the insights"

👉 Comment "AI TIPS" if you want to receive the link to download this handbook and your free seat for my upcoming AI masterclass.

♻️ Repost to help a colleague who is still doing finance the "old way"

17 FREE AI Finance Resources (only the fastest one will claim it)
These resources are worth more than $10,000+

👉 Comment "AI" to get it (+ bonus: free AI Finance masterclass invite)

These AI Finance resources are a collection of my top masterclasses, courses, and expert videos that I created in 2025.

All of the methods inside are tested and CFOs reported savings
of 10+ hours every week.

This is more than important now because:
The gap between a "Traditional CFO" and an "AI-First CFO" is now more than a 10-hour-per-week difference in productivity.

To help you bridge that gap, I’ve updated my resource library.

Here is what’s inside the "17 AI for Finance Resources" collection:

- Excel's AI Agent Mode builds complete financial models in minutes
- See how CFO Saul Mateos uses AI to save 10+ hours per week
- How to use ChatGPT 5 to build INSANE financial models
- ChatGPT for FP&A Masterclass with Drivetrain 
- The complete guide to using Microsoft Copilot as a finance pro
- How to Create a Finance Forecast in 30 Minutes with Maxio
- Vibe coding for finance pros - Featuring Christian Martinez
- Advanced AI Tips with Ramp
- The Blueprint to Using AI for Finance in 2026 with Shawn Kanungo
- How to use Gemini for Finance
- Stop Throwing Money Away on SaaS with Vertice
- 3 practical ways to use AI for financial analysis
- Financial Storytelling with AI and Jedox
- Train your finance team on AI in 30 days
- From Traditional CFO to AI CFO with Agicap
- Finance Masterclass: How to Become an AI-First CFO in 2026
- Master AI in Accounting with Zenskar

There are many masterclasses I gave for companies last year, which are included for which companies paid thousands of dollars.

I advise that you stop throwing time away on manual spreadsheets and outdated SaaS

I’m giving this collection away for FREE to help you lead the AI transition in your company

BONUS: When you comment, I’ll also send you your exclusive invitation for my upcoming AI Finance Masterclass

Only the fastest will get it, as last time we had thousands of requests, and unfortunately, we don't have that much capacity yet!

So, don't wait! React fast and comment "AI" to get the downloadable link!

Share it around so that you help other finance pros who are losing hours every week.

You’re not paid to read documents,
you’re paid to see what others miss
👉 Master this at our AI CFO Webinar: https://lnkd.in/dGWTJABy

If you're digging through PDFs and spreadsheets for one insight
You're doing it the hard way

I used to juggle reports, trackers, and memos in my head
but the brain isn’t built for that complexity

I started using NotebookLM. It doesn’t guess; it only works with your uploaded files

Finance Brain in 3 Steps:

Step 1: Upload your files
Organize by project: Strategy (competitor PDFs), Operations (variance reports), or Compliance (regulations)

Step 2: Ask for synthesis, not a summary
A summary repeats data; synthesis finds the insight between files

Try these prompts:
* Strategic: "Compare Competitor A’s risks with ours. What are we missing?"
* Operational: "Cross-reference Q3 expenses with our Operating Plan to find unplanned overspends."
* Regulatory: "Which clauses in this Tax Guide contradict our internal policy?"

Step 3: Get your output
Generate audio overviews, infographics, or slide decks instantly. NotebookLM pulls connections across documents and cites its sources

Now I turn 12 hours of reading into 15 minutes of thinking

Pick your messiest stack of documents, upload them, and run one prompt
You’ll see why this is the secret weapon of modern finance teams

—

If you want to go beyond and actually save 20–40+ hours per month
I am hosting a live session for real finance teams

- Automate reporting and forecasting without writing code
- Cut days of manual work down to minutes
- Adopt AI securely while staying ahead of 2026's fast-changing tools

Tuesday, January 27, 2025
EST: 11am | UK: 4pm | CET: 5pm

👉 Join me here for a live masterclass, together with 1000s of CFOs and finance pros: https://lnkd.in/dGWTJABy

🔁 Repost to help a finance peer who is tired of feeling behind on AI

This changes the game for financial analysis:

(and it’s not an Agent for Excel)

It’s called MCP
(Model Context Protocol)

And you can use it to connect AI to your data, and your apps.

So, if you’re tired of being a data cleaner,
And want to become a better business partner using AI…

You can get ahead by joining my free masterclass (with NetSuite) here - https://lnkd.in/dnZ4Nw5v

Because, most finance teams don’t struggle with AI.
They struggle connecting their data to AI
(securely)

But with MCP or ‘Connectors’ you can connect ChatGPT and Claude to the apps you use every day.

You can ask AI questions like:

“Summarize this Excel forecast in Drive”
“Get last month’s finance slides from Dropbox”
“Find me the last commentary from Sarah in my e-mails”

Plus, it’s super easy to set up.

In ChatGPT - Go into your settings and look for ‘Apps’
2. In Claude - Go into your settings and find ‘Connectors’

But, if you want to get ahead faster, join me next week (with NetSuite) where I will show you:

How to create financial models in minutes
How to use AI to automate financial analysis
How turn data into insights using AI prompts and MCP (Model Context Protocol)

Spaces are limited, so reserve your space here - https://lnkd.in/dnZ4Nw5v

P.S. - For live attendees we’re giving away an exclusive ‘AI for Financial Analysis Handbook’ with prompts, use cases, and step-by-step guides - totally free.

If you want an early copy ahead of the Masterclass, let me know.

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

How I use AI to clean 12 messy Excel tabs in 10 seconds:
(plus, how you can stop your month-end crisis dead)
Join us to get ahead in 2026 → https://lnkd.in/eyc7gb37

It's 2026 and you're still doing month-end the hard way:
1. Downloading your GL,
2. Cleaning your data in Excel,
3. Building your variance tables,
4. Writing your commentary by hand.

Well, you can start getting ahead right now.
↳ Just use AI to create data cleanup scripts.

Here’re the steps:
• Step 1: Give ChatGPT context using the first 10 rows of your messy data
• Step 2: Define your logic (keep columns C, D, E; remove lines 3, 4, 5)
• Step 3: Add metadata like "Cardholder Name" and "Company"[
• Step 4: Run the generated Apps Script in Google Sheets

(Full guide in the document below)

But if you want to skip the scripts entirely?
↳ That is where Concourse comes in.

It’s a dedicated Finance Agent that:
1. Has in-built expert prompts for finance use cases
2. Remembers exactly how you want your reporting done
3. Connects directly to your data so you never export a CSV again

If you felt like you were falling behind in 2025,
2026 is your chance to get ahead

Join me and Concourse for a free 60-minute Masterclass
This Thursday, February 5th 12:30 EST
Spaces are limited so join here now → https://lnkd.in/eRpTPCC9

We are covering:

How to build a variance dashboard to impress your team
↳ (without touching Excel or writing a single formula)

Why formatting slides is a waste of time. And the AI workflow
↳ that builds your deck (so you can level up your analysis)

The best way to connect AI securely to your data
↳ (so you never have to export a single CSV again)

What else do you want to see?

🔁 Repost to help others escape the month-end crisis.

P.S - Does it take you more than 3 days to close your month? Yes or No.

Data Cleaning with AI

Most AI automations fail before they break even.
Here’s the framework finance teams use to avoid that.

Your team is full of AI ideas:
• “Let’s automate monthly reporting.”
• “Can AI draft the board deck?”
• “What about automating forecasts?”

All good ideas in theory.

In practice, most fail because no one asks one question first:
“What’s the payback?”

I learned this the hard way by over-automating tasks that saved minutes…
but took days to build and months to maintain.

So I now use a simple 3-category framework:

1. Pure Automation
Rule-based, stable, repetitive tasks that break even fast

2. AI Workflows (human-triggered)
AI drafts → humans review. High leverage, low risk

3. AI Agents
Promising — but still risky for business-critical finance processes

This lens makes it obvious what to automate, what to augment with AI,
and what to skip entirely.

👉 This Thursday, I’m breaking this down live in a free 60-min masterclass,
sponsored by Concourse, where I’ll also show:
• GL export → full management report in under 10 minutes
• A variance dashboard built without Excel formulas
• How to connect AI directly to your data (no more CSVs)

If you want fewer late nights at month-end and automation that actually pays off:

👉 Reserve your free spot here: https://lnkd.in/ez27Su5v

View newsletter: AI+Finance by Nicolas Boucher

Sponsored by Concourse If your month-end still feels like a recurring crisis, I've found something to help you escape this painful cycle. In next Thur

Open article: I wasted 3 days on finance automation and saved no time (avoid this) by Nicolas Boucher • 8 min read

I wasted 3 days on finance automation and saved no time (avoid this)

If your finance team feels like a service desk, read this.
(my newsletter below has the fix)

It’s Tuesday. Your inbox fills up with the same questions again:
“How are we tracking vs budget?”
“What if we add 2 headcount in Q2?”
“When will the big clients pay?”

You run the scenario, send it back… and a follow-up lands 10 minutes later.

That’s the trap: finance becomes the calculator.
And the queue keeps you away from real analysis.

The fix in 2026: build a self-service scenario tool in ~5 minutes with Canvas (ChatGPT or Gemini).
Your business partners change inputs themselves and see results instantly.

Join me on Tuesday to learn my time saving techniques live:
https://lnkd.in/d9zDFjM2

How to Become an AI CFO Don't miss my first AI CFO Masterclass of 2026 (this Tuesday!) I will teach you: How to automate reporting, forecasting & anal

Open article: Stop being a finance request ‘help desk’ (free yourself in 5-steps) by Nicolas Boucher • 7 min read

Stop being a finance request ‘help desk’ (free yourself in 5-steps)

Stop wasting hours on manual dashboards
Get real-time insights in seconds with AI
Join our live webinar tomorrow: https://lnkd.in/dnZ4Nw5v

Most finance teams spend 80% of their time maintaining models
instead of advising the business

We are stuck rebuilding spreadsheets after every "What if...?"
and waiting days for answers that were needed in the meeting

It is time to close the "hallucination gap" by moving to Connected Data

To help you make this shift,
I’m giving away my Free AI Finance Handbook to everyone who joins our live session tomorrow

Inside the handbook: You’ll find the step-by-step technical setup for the workflows I’m sharing with NetSuite, so you don't have to start from scratch

I’ve designed this handbook specifically to help you master the core of our session: my partnership with Oracle NetSuite

Where we’ll show you how the Model Context Protocol (MCP) acts as a secure bridge between your AI and your live financial data

Make sure to register now and get the handbook: https://lnkd.in/dnZ4Nw5v

The 3-Step Workflow:
1️⃣ Ask in plain English: "Graph our Q3 revenue trends"
2️⃣ Connect to Live Data: MCP fetches data directly from NetSuite using your specific permissions. 3️⃣ Instant Visualization: The AI processes the raw data and instantly renders a chart or dashboard.

Why this is a must-have for 2026:
- No more manual prep: Find trends instantly without the manual data preparation dance.
- Full Auditability: Logic lives in code that you can review or ask the AI to explain.
- Platform Freedom: Whether you use ChatGPT’s Canvas, Copilot’s PowerPoint integration, or Gemini’s Google Slides workflows, MCP connects them all

The Impact:
✅ 20-30% reduction in month-end close cycle time
✅ 50%+ faster variance analysis
✅ 3-5 hours saved per person, every single week

Don't stay stuck in maintenance mode while others reach AI-Native status

Register here and get the handbook: https://lnkd.in/dnZ4Nw5v

See you on January 22nd!

This post was sponsored by NetSuite.

Buying AI licenses won’t upskill your finance team
(here's what will)

CFOs have asked me the same question for 3 years:
“How do I train my team on AI without chaos or security risks?”

What I see in most companies:
Multiple AI licenses are bought, then a big announcement and the team goes exploring
On the end: nothing happens

Here’s the 30-day blueprint that actually sticks:

Week 0: Pick one tool and commit 
Week 1: 1-hour “Eye Opener” 
Week 2: Hands-on workshop with your team’s own files
Week 3: Build Sharing habit 
Week 4: Mini hackathon: 

Open my newsletter below to learn in detail.

👇 Join my FREE masterclass next week to see the playbook + 5 high-impact use cases (and get the AI in Finance Handbook).
https://lnkd.in/dkfJ6jkM

This newsletter was sponsored by NetSuite

Sponsored by NetSuite If you’re a finance pro that's tired of cleaning data, who wants more time to become a better business partner. Next week I have

Open article: 30 days to a finance team your competitors will envy (full guide inside) by Nicolas Boucher • 8 min read

30 days to a finance team your competitors will envy (full guide inside)

Are you still grinding through manual data entry?
Stop losing the time you should spend on strategy
👉 Learn my AI workflows here: https://lnkd.in/dsrAdd3P

I’ve been testing Gemini Canvas for a few weeks, and here’s what surprised me

It’s not just another doc tool
It’s a smarter workspace that cuts the grind from reporting, analysis, and content creation

Here’s how I use it in my workflow

I log into gemini.google.com and open a Canvas
From there, I can drop in my data points, themes, or even a rough outline
Gemini instantly turns it into a draft tailored for reports, financial briefings, or client notes

I adjust the tone depending on the audience
Regulatory? Keep it formal
Execs? Make it sharp and concise
Clients? More persuasive

You can choose the length and even ask Gemini to suggest edits to improve clarity
Headings, bullets, numbered lists... all done automatically

But the real power is in visuals
With one click, Gemini turns long reports into infographics or interactive web pages
Great for internal dashboards or exec presentations
You can also take deep-dive research and convert it into quizzes, visuals, or other engaging formats

Everything stays inside the Canvas
I just hit Create when I’m ready, and choose a format: PDF, infographic, web page, or Google Doc

And yes, you still need to be mindful of data security
I use a Google Workspace Business account that fits my company’s needs

If you’re in finance, reporting, or content-heavy roles
This tool is worth exploring
The free tier gives you the core features
Paid plans unlock deeper integration if needed

If you want to go beyond and actually save 20–40+ hours per month
I am hosting a live session for real finance teams

- Automate reporting and forecasting without writing code
- Cut days of manual work down to minutes
- Adopt AI securely while staying ahead of 2026's fast-changing tools

👉 How to become an AI CFO Masterclass: https://lnkd.in/dsrAdd3P

🔁 Repost to help a finance peer who is tired of feeling behind on AI

How to build an AI roadmap for Finance
👉 Sign up for my live masterclass: https://lnkd.in/d3iBWyvg


Most finance teams want to use AI
Very few know where to start

The result
Too many tools
No clear impact
And growing frustration across FP&A and accounting teams

But don't worry, I have already built a roadmap
Already used by 1000s of finance teams

Here’s the framework 👇

1. Start with a corporate AI license
• Enterprise-grade security and privacy
• Clear rules for your finance team
• No shadow AI usage

2. Automate finance processes first
• Use AI to generate scripts
• Python + AI = fast automation
• Focus on repetitive tasks

3. Automate payables with AI
• AI AP tools connected to your ERP
• Invoice capture, checks, postings
• Immediate time savings

4. Add AI-native finance tools
• Forecasting
• Reporting
• Planning and analysis
• Pick tools that solve one clear problem

5. Create custom AI agents
• Custom GPTs or Copilot agents
• Gemini Gems for finance use cases
• Your own finance copilots

6. Build AI workflows
• Text analysis
• Code automation
• Audio workflows
• Insights from large datasets

7. Move to AI forecasting
• Only once data foundations are ready
• Predict trends, not just report history

And if you have some problems or questions
about this AI Roadmap

You can join us here in my Live Masterclass next week Tuesday
Save your seat here: https://lnkd.in/d3iBWyvg

I’ll walk through this roadmap live
Practical examples, no buzzwords

• Automate reporting, forecasting, and analysis without writing code
• Cut days of manual finance work down to minutes
• Save 20–40+ hours per month with AI workflows
• Adopt AI securely and stay ahead of fast-changing tools

Built specifically for CFOs, FP&A and finance teams

Live on Tuesday, January 20
EST: 11am | UK: 4pm | CET: 5pm

💬 Where is your finance team today on this roadmap

🔁 Repost if this helps you structure your AI journey

The Top 1 mistake finance teams make in analysis?
They describe everything, but prescribe nothing
👉 Learn how to automate analysis: https://lnkd.in/ddrH2SD5

They act like reporters, not advisors
They tell the board what happened, but not what to do next
They explain results, but stay silent on risks and decisions

And it’s costing them influence

"Revenue grew 8%" is safe
"Revenue will likely slow to 4% next month" is bold
But only one of those statements moves strategy forward

To shift from being a back-office observer to a strategic partner, you need all 4 types of analysis:

Type 1: Descriptive
What happened and by how much

Type 2: Diagnostic
Why did it happen and what caused the change

Type 3: Predictive
What’s likely to happen next and what risks or trends to watch

Type 4: Prescriptive
What should we do now based on what we know

Most finance teams stop at Type 1
Some reach Type 2
Very few consistently deliver Types 3 and 4

That’s the gap
That’s the opportunity

I created the 4-Analysis Prompt Framework to help close this gap
Use it to level up your analysis, train your teams, and shift your role from data summarizer to strategy enabler

Because when you bring predictions and recommendations to the table,
people stop seeing you as just the numbers person

They see you as the business partner who drives better decisions

Be the strategic voice your company listens to
Not just the one that recaps last quarter

Here's the quick recap
1. Descriptive – What happened?
2. Diagnostic – Why did it happen?
3. Predictive – What’s likely next?
4. Prescriptive – What should we do now?

Most teams stop at Type 1
Some make it to Type 2
Very few touch 3 and 4

That’s the gap. That’s your opportunity

-

In my How to Become an AI CFO Masterclass: https://lnkd.in/ddrH2SD5

I will share how to:

1. Automate reporting, forecasting & analysis without writing code
2. Cut days of manual work down to minutes with AI workflows
3. Adopt AI securely with confidence
4. Keep on top of the rapid developments in tools and when you should use them

All of these AI for finance lessons
Live, and most importantly free!

I am giving away these lessons to help finance pros
start using AI in 2026 the right way

👉 You can join me and 1000s of finance pros: https://lnkd.in/ddrH2SD5

🔁 Repost to help a finance peer who is tired of feeling behind on AI

See you in the masterclass!

Still paying the “PowerPoint tax”?
👉 You can change that by joining me live: https://lnkd.in/dHDshJZK

Most finance pros spend 6 hours "fixing" slides
Formatting, aligning, and manual labor

You weren't hired to be a designer
You were hired to be a strategic partner

The "New Way" transforms you into the AI CFO
You save 5.5 hours per presentation

Shifting from a mechanic to a strategist
(Which is what you want to be!)

Here is how to do it in 4 simple steps:

1. Generate Your Story Structure
• Open an LLM and use a prompt for the "three whats"
• Define your role, audience, and context
• Get an outline: What happened, what it means, what to do

2. Create Your Slides
• Open PowerPoint online for better AI features
• Use Copilot to "Create a presentation about..."
• Paste your LLM outline directly into the tool

3. Refine and Verify
• Trim the content to make slides scannable
• Verify all numbers to avoid hallucinations
• Apply your corporate theme for a professional look

4. Practice Your Delivery
• Use "Rehearsal Coach" in the Slide Show tab
• Let AI track your pace, tone, and filler words
• Get feedback on body language and slide reading

👉 You can go to my newsletter if you want more details: https://lnkd.in/dcitBYfH

or even better get my Top 100 AI tips here: https://lnkd.in/d6AHmc78

After you get the Top 100 AI tips,
You will be redirected to a webpage about my "How to become an AI CFO" masterclass!

You will learn even more AI use cases for finance!
These are real, solid, and concrete examples of AI in finance

Which I have taught to 1000s of finance pros!
👉 Join us here next Tuesday! https://lnkd.in/dHDshJZK

🔁 Repost if this helps your team work faster

Month-end still feels like a recurring crisis?
Here’s how finance teams are escaping it with AI

If you’re honest, building a solid 13-week cash flow model takes at least 1–2 hours.
That’s assuming:
• no broken formulas
• no off-by-one errors
• no “quick question?” messages on Slack or Teams

Recently, I built a 13-week cash flow model with:
• 2 products
• Different payment terms
• Leasing costs
• Salaries
• Machine down payments

👉 It took under 10 minutes.
Not because the logic was simpler 
but because I wasn’t stuck linking cells.
I was thinking about:
• Timing assumptions
• Cash pressure points
• Whether the model actually reflected reality

This is the shift happening with Excel Agent Mode.
You brief the model like a junior analyst.
It builds the formulas, structure, and documentation.

This Thursday, I’m breaking this down live in a free 60-min masterclass,
sponsored by Concourse, where I’ll also show:
• GL export → full management report in under 10 minutes
• A variance dashboard built without Excel formulas
• How to connect AI directly to your data (no more CSVs)

👉 Reserve your free spot here: https://lnkd.in/ez27Su5v

Sponsored by Concourse If your month-end still feels like a recurring crisis, I've found something to help you escape this painful cycle. In this Thur

Open article: Why my 10-minute cash flow beats your 2-hour version (steal this) by Nicolas Boucher • 6 min read

Why my 10-minute cash flow beats your 2-hour version (steal this)

I will teach you AI for finance
In my free masterclass today
👉 Interested? Join us here: https://lnkd.in/evHKSuhA

The problem isn’t ambition
It’s time

You’re stuck in:
→ Endless reporting cycles
→ Manual forecasting
→ Ad-hoc analysis requests
→ Finance workflows built in the Stone Age

AI fixes this
If you actually know what you’re doing

Today, I’m running a free 1-hour masterclass:
How to Become an AI CFO

Here’s what you’ll learn 👇

1. Automate reporting (no code required)
• Stop doing Excel gymnastics
• Let AI generate management-ready reports
• Turn raw data into insights in minutes

2. Forecast like a machine
• Build budgets faster
• Stress-test scenarios instantly
• Without writing code

3. Kill manual work
• Build AI workflows that actually work
• Eliminate repetitive tasks
• Scale without hiring

4. Use AI without getting fired
• What’s safe to share (and what’s not)
• Avoid the mistakes everyone makes
• Stay compliant

📅 Today, Tuesday, February 3, 2026
⏰ 11 am EST | 4 pm UK | 5 pm CET

2,400+ finance professionals already signed up!

👉 Like this post and tag somebody who should come with you
Then go here to reserve your seat: https://lnkd.in/evHKSuhA

Why listen to me?
I’ve trained 10,000+ finance pros and work with brands like Mercedes-Benz, KPMG, and Rakuten on AI in Finance

P.S. Already using AI in finance?

💬 Drop a comment below and share to your finance team!

“The first useful AI presentation”
One of the real comments from my latest masterclass

Last night reminded me why I keep running “How to Become an AI CFO” sessions:

Finance professionals don’t need more AI hype
They need a clear path and use cases proven to work

That’s what we did live with 100s of CFOs and finance pros

What I shared in the masterclass

1) 3 secrets to become an AI CFO
- You don't need to be technical with AI
- How to automate hours of work without new tools
- Why now, every CFO role requires AI Skills

2) Your AI CFO Roadmap
Build an AI roadmap based on your company size

3) Practical, not theoretical
You could feel it in the chat: people weren’t just “impressed”
they were identifying use cases for their own portfolio dashboards, reporting, analysis, and automation

(And yes… someone called it the first useful AI presentation they attended , that’s the goal)

You could feel it in the chat people weren’t just “impressed”…
they were identifying use cases for dashboards, reporting, analysis, and automation

"Didn't believe this was possible"
“Powerful honestly”
“Did you say ‘Team of Avengers’? Love it!”
…made my day

Want the invite to the next masterclass?

Comment “AI CFO” below and I’ll DM you the registration link as soon as it opens

Let’s make AI actually useful for finance leaders

and ofcourse, I am not letting you leave this post
Without something valuable

My Top 100 Prompt Tips: https://lnkd.in/deCEf7WX

100 AI tips for AI in Finance eBook: https://lnkd.in/duzE3g-3

30-Day AI Finance Playbook: https://lnkd.in/dTa_HjzK

🔁 Repost if you found these resources super valuable!

The ChatGPT feature CFOs need
👉Download my 100 AI Tips Handbook: https://lnkd.in/djTrG6_7

Most people are still using ChatGPT like a search bar

But there’s a whole other level that unlocks serious productivity

It’s called Agent Mode

Instead of just helping you think, it can actually do work
Like extract data from websites
Build Excel models
Transform messy files
And even create full presentations

The best part
You stay in control while it handles the execution

Here’s how to get started in under 5 minutes

Step 1: Turn it on
Click Tools → Agent mode inside any ChatGPT chat

Step 2: Write a better prompt
Give it context, a clear problem, and a defined goal
For example, don’t just say “clean this file”
Tell it what the file is, what’s wrong, and what you want as output

Step 3: Try real use cases
Finance pros are already using it for
Adding variance commentary
Building weekly KPI packs
Reconciling bank vs GL
Department-level budget analysis

Step 4: Review like a manager
Think of it as checking a junior’s work
You’re not doing the formulas anymore
You’re deciding, correcting, guiding

One thing to keep in mind
Agent Mode isn’t about speed
It’s about doing work you probably wouldn’t have attempted solo

And yes, it can handle some of your toughest tasks in under 15 minutes

If you’ve been waiting to try Agent Mode
This is the week to do it

And if you liked this, I have something that you will like even more
In this link: https://lnkd.in/djTrG6_7

Contains my Top 100 AI tips for finance, which you can have for free!
+ A free seat for my Live AI for Finance masterclass

Next week, Tuesday! January 27, 2025

Save your seat,
And I will see you there with live AI in Finance use cases!

🔁 Repost if you want to master AI in 2026!

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

Every FP&A problem has a root cause

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

Here are 8 signs to watch out for

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

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

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

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

Generally, we call that "progress"

In practice, something else often happens

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

Decisions need context and questions need answers

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

Over time, the story of performance settles inside the team

And it becomes the default reference in conversations with the business

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

While alignement CFO-FP&A should always keep going

And that’s usually when the distance starts

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

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

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

3️⃣ Unclear business ownership
FP&A produces analysis, but it’s unclear who owns the metric or the decision
So insights float. Nothing lands

4️⃣ Over-engineered models
Models become impressive artifacts instead of decision tools
Few understand the and even fewer trust them

5️⃣ Misaligned KPIs
Metrics look clean, but don’t reflect how the business actually creates value
This is often when people start to ignore reports

6️⃣ Low stakeholder trust
Business partners challenge every insight or quietly bypass finance
Why would they?

7️⃣ Reactive, not strategic
Most energy goes into explaining the past
Very little shapes what happens next

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

The good news is that every one of these signals is fixable when you spot them early

But only if you’re willing to look beyond outputs…
and address how FP&A actually works, decides, and communicates

I’ve captured concrete ways to tackle each of these points

If you’re leading an FP&A team today, take a look: 

I'm sure you’ll recognize more than one

Which of these signs have you seen most often?

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

Communicate Like A Strategic CFO | Storytelling for Finance | EMBA Lecturer | Keynote Speaker

In 2026, FP&A teams will face a choice

(Small hint: it won't be an AI choice but a leadership one)

𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟭: Chase what makes noise
𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮: Build what actually holds

Because, right now, you almost only hear about:
- New planning platforms
- Plug-and-play FP&A apps
- AI forecasting tools
- Real-time dashboards
- “Next-gen” analytics

And with so much energy that you can only feel behind if you don't jump on the train

Whatever happens, you feel like you're late

But my take is (and it will maybe not be shared with everyone):

That’s the surface level...and it moves (too) fast

If you focus on them, you will run without moving

On the contrary, there are 2 things that will build serious foundations

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲

I know, it's not exciting or trendy, but it's non-negotiable
- Single sources of truth
- Clean data architecture
- Clear metric definitions
- Forecast accountability
- Strong planning cadence
- Repeatable close routines
- Consistent executive narratives
- Trust in the numbers, every month

It's tempting to skip them but believe me, if they break, your whole function breaks

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱: 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

Helping decisions (and we know there will be a lot in 2026)

- Driver-based and capacity-based planning.
- Scenario modeling that leaders actually use.
- Cross-functional planning that reflects how the business runs.
- Forecast-to-action loops
- Financial storytelling
- Business partnering

This is where FP&A becomes leadership-ready

And builds its future

When you have that set, tools with enhance your value

But only in that order

So now, tell me, what are your priorities this year?

There is a massive difference between Information and Insight

And I made a template for you to avoid the trap

I've reviewed hundreds of finance presentations, and I see teams constantly falling into "Information Mode":
• Detailed tables 
• Every single variance explained 
• A comprehensive look at "what happened"

But stakeholders are looking for Insight:
• What actually matters? 
• Why should I care? 
• What are we going to do about it?

The problem is that most finance professionals know they need to be more strategic, but they 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺 to filter the noise.

So I created a system.

It’s the exact logic I use with my clients to turn a 50-slide data dump into a 5-slide strategic narrative.

Inside the "3 Filters Framework™" folder:

✅ The Excel Filter Template: A structured tool to validate every KPI against Materiality, Explanation, and Actionability 
✅ The "Noise vs. Signal" Logic: How to cut 80% of your data without losing credibility
✅ The Video Walkthrough: A step-by-step guide on how to apply this to your P&L immediately

Use it once 

You'll never build a presentation the same way

I’m giving the full system away for free today

Want it?
- Follow me (so I can DM you)
- Like this post
- Get your template AND the video on https://lnkd.in/e_vDMm-m

PS: there are a lot of requests and as weird as it can sound in 2026, I don't use automations here so it will take some time. Thank you for your patience 🙏

7 Principles of Powerful FP&A Storytelling

1️⃣ Start with tension
Open with the problem/opportunity the business needs to face

2️⃣ Make it human
Show judgment, trade-offs, and impact
Your opinion matters more than you think

3️⃣ Speak in business images
Impacts and visuals will be stronger if shown in business drivers

4️⃣ Make it about them
Frame insights around executive priorities and risks

5️⃣ Show the stakes
What happens if nothing changes

6️⃣ Close the loop
Tie outcomes back to the original question

7️⃣ Leave a decision
End with a clear choice the room needs to make

Each of these is illustrated in the visual below 👇

If you work in FP&A or lead a finance function, storytelling isn’t a typical "soft skill"

It’s how strategy gets understood, trusted, and acted on

💬 Which of these principles do you find hardest to apply in real meetings?

If FP&A had a transit map, this would be it 🚇

Too often, finance processes are viewed in isolation

Budgeting happens here, reporting happens there

But in a healthy organization, these are continuous lines of transit

The 4 Lines that keep the business moving:

🟢 Green: Telling the story of what happened.

🔵 Blue: Uncovering the drivers behind the numbers.

🔴 Red: Modeling the path forward.

🟡 Yellow: Guiding the capital allocation.

The goal is to ensure the connections are seamless. 

When "Reporting" feeds "Planning" without friction, and "Analysis" automatically triggers "Decision Support," you have a world-class function

FP&A Central is where data meets dialogue

Where does your organization experience the most "delays" on this map?

You can tell a lot about a CFO

by how they run their 1:1s

If it is just a status meeting, they might as well use a checklist

But if they're serious about building the best finance team they can,
their 1:1s look very different

That’s why how you frame questions will determine the value you'll get from your teams 

Here are 10 questions great CFOs ask in 1:1s 👇

1️⃣ What’s been the most frustrating part of your week?
Because friction always shows you where the system is broken.

2️⃣ Where do you feel you’re doing your best work right now?
That’s where leverage already exists.

3️⃣ What’s one thing you wish we did differently as a finance team?
This tells you more than any engagement survey.

4️⃣ Is there a decision you’re waiting on that I can help move along?
Speed is leadership.

5️⃣ What part of your role feels unclear or messy at the moment?
Ambiguity is where performance quietly erodes.

6️⃣ If you could fix one process overnight, what would it be?
Listen carefully. This is usually expensive friction.

7️⃣ What skill do you want to build next, and how can I support that?
Future capacity starts here.

8️⃣ What’s a win from this month that deserves more visibility?
Because finance teams don’t lack impact. They lack airtime.

9️⃣ Where do you feel stretched, and where do you feel stuck?
This is how you prevent burnout before it shows up in performance.

🔟 What would make your job feel easier next quarter?
Small answers. Big signals.

Don't get me wrong: being supportive is not the number 1 priority here

But thanks to these, you'll build capacity

Which one of these questions do you already use?
And which one do you avoid asking?

-----

I'm Soufyan and I do 3 things to help CFOs and FP&A Leaders
- I train your teams to become real Finance Business Partners https://lnkd.in/ee66bB4q
- I teach you how to prepare and deliver engaging presentations https://lnkd.in/ezh29XRk
- Every week, 20,000s finance leaders learn to go beyond the numbers with my newsletter, FP&A Stories https://bit.ly/fpastories

46 Executives. One Saturday. 1 topic: The art of Storytelling

This weekend, I led the Public Speaking and Storytelling module for the Executive MBA at Solvay Lifelong Learning | Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management

Usually, my audience is strictly Finance

But this group was different: a mix of (future) Executives, Engineers, Admins, Marketers and even Psychologists

I could have just taught them the theory 

But my main goal was to get them out of their comfort zone and practice as much as possible

And the energy was intense

They didn't sit the whole day in the classroom

At one point, I walked through the building and saw students rehearsing in the stairwells and practicing their pitches in the corridors

They took the "performance" aspect seriously

One student summed up the experience perfectly: "It has been an inspiring Saturday and, going forward, I'll be frequently using the offered knowledge"

We focused heavily on structure

Before you open PowerPoint, and before you worry about body language, you need to know exactly where you are taking your audience

Whether you are an executive or an engineer, if the structure isn't clear in your head, chance is it won't be for the audience

A huge thank you to the class for trusting the process...
...and for the energy in that final group photo!

----
I'm Soufyan and I do 3 things to help your teams
- I train your teams to communicate like leaders https://lnkd.in/eC8uvdZ8
- I teach your non-finance teams to understand and use finance https://lnkd.in/eAy-W7z8
- Every week, 20,000s finance leaders learn to go beyond the numbers with my newsletter, FP&A Stories https://bit.ly/fpastories

ONE big difference between Controlling and FP&A

Business 𝗔𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻 translated into Business 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

But for that, you need to value by a chain

A chain you build step by step:

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

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

You must first translate into values that people understand

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

Here’s the sequence that actually works, without shortcuts

𝟭) 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

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

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

𝟮) 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

You translate finance into business levers

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

𝟯) 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

Now you shape how leaders interpret performance

Your message framing makes the decision easier for leaders

(Small tip: think of the 3 What)

𝟰) 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

This is where FP&A becomes real

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

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

Each layer builds on the previous one

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

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

Start at the bottom

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

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

I am repeating myself but I keep on seeing the problem in so many finance teams

- we want impactful FP&A teams
- we need to automate our work
- my team needs AI

The problem is that, although this is something I would love to see in finance teams, most teams are not ready for it

Because these processes are fed with the wrong base

Data that's either wrong or doesn't mean anything

And despite all your efforts, you can’t automate that

You can’t shortcut it either

That’s why I like to think about FP&A as a funnel and each stage is a progress towards the famous impact that we want

Here’s how it actually plays out.

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟭 – 𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗟𝗘
Most of your job consists in chasing and fixing data 
Time investment is extreme, and nothing really sticks

Most teams live here longer than they admit

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟮 – 𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧
You start creating consistency and that often goes along with standard reports and shared definitions
It’s less visible work, but it’s foundational

This is where discipline starts to matter

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟯 – 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦
Now numbers begin to mean something, and not only for finance but for the whole business
Decisions happen faster because finance explains

This is where FP&A earns credibility

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟰 – 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
Systems finally run the show and you can count on them to provide your insights in due time 
Automation works because the groundwork is done

Not before

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟱 – 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗧
FP&A drives strategy with finance-led decisions that create value
The team is guiding with influence and human touch

I know, it appears more sexy to jump from SCRAMBLE straight to AUTOMATION with fancy tools

But skipping stages will make the whole setup fragile

The real breakthrough is to find at which stage you're in...
... and know how to go to the next

That’s how FP&A becomes useful

♻️ Repost if this matches what you see in your organization
👇 Curious: which stage do you see most FP&A teams stuck in today?

-----

I'm Soufyan and I do 3 things to help CFOs and FP&A Leaders
- I train your teams to become real Finance Business Partners https://lnkd.in/ee66bB4q
- I teach you how to prepare and deliver engaging presentations https://lnkd.in/ezh29XRk
- Every week, 20,000s finance leaders learn to go beyond the numbers with my newsletter, FP&A Stories https://bit.ly/fpastories

Systematizing Storytelling for Finance Teams | EMBA Lecturer | Keynote Speaker

There are dozens of storytelling frameworks

But only one of them really works in Finance

---------
 I'll share tips about this framework and help leaders like you improve their storytelling skills in a webinar organised by Lucanet called Stop Reporting, Start Influencing - The Storytelling framework for Finance Leaders

It's FREE, it's on January 21st at 2pm CET and I want to see you there

Register here https://lnkd.in/esqapHNu
--------

The difference is that we are not on a TEDx stage

The goal of our presentations is to bring decisions to the table

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

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

Not to rank storytelling theory

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

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

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

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

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

Like the SCQA 

And yes, this is the clear winner in my heart

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

But I’m curious

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

Don't forget to register if you want to learn more about the SCQA and see how I use AI to prepare my presentations
https://lnkd.in/esqapHNu

I’m genuinely interested in your winner

A CFO once told me something I wish I’d learned earlier in my career:

“People in front of me don't work in your models
So bring them what influences their decisions”

That sentence is still what brought doing what I do

Because, contrary to the usual storytelling, where you keep the a-ha moment for the end

In finance, you have to be clear about what you expect from the review...

...and count on your performance to generate trust

Presence is what allows you to:

• Frame the decision before the data
• Hold attention when numbers get uncomfortable
• Stay credible when assumptions are challenged
• And actually land an outcome, not just a discussion

When it slips, even a perfect work goes nowhere

So to avoid that, here are 9 moments where your presence disappears:

1️⃣ Opening with numbers instead of context
2️⃣ Apologizing for the forecast
3️⃣ Burying the recommendation
4️⃣ Reading the deck word-for-word
5️⃣ Freezing when challenged
6️⃣ Fighting the sceptic
7️⃣ Drowning in detail
8️⃣ Rushing the close
9️⃣ Ending without a clear ask

Yes, your work, data, dashboard are expected to be perfectµ

But most of them are and yet, most finance presentations are not great

That’s exactly why you should also care about "how" you deliver your presentation

So tell me: 

Which one have you seen most often in your own meetings?

9 Mistakes That Kill FP&A Presentations

7 ideas I wish more FP&A teams carried with them into 2026

Save this

These are the kinds of principles that quietly shape better decisions

If you’re serious about influence in finance, stay around

7 powerful ideas to carry with you in 2026

I’ll admit it
Early in my career, I was a bit of a snob
I thought storytelling was only for FP&A

---------
👉  24 hours before my webinar with Lucanet called 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

I'll share tips about 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 incl. frameworks, tips and AI tools

It's FREE, it's on 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟭𝘀𝘁 (𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄) 𝗮𝘁 𝟮𝗽𝗺 𝗖𝗘𝗧 and I want to see you there

Register here https://lnkd.in/esqapHNu
--------

Our unique value

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

Trouble starts when we use the same approach everywhere

That’s when we lose people

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

Storytelling in Finance must not only adapt to the audience

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

This framework helps you find the right angle

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

👉 Don't forget to register if you want to learn more on how to manage different audiences in your finance specialty https://lnkd.in/esqapHNu

Not all CFOs are influential

That's because being the best won't help

Just before you read further, yes I know

You have to be technically good to be a CFO, I don't discuss that

But doing your job and having your job approved are 2 different things

People resist when
- they don't understand
- they don't agree
- they don't see the added value (for them)

And a way to go over that resistance is influence

In finance, there are a few predictable principles to influence

Here are the ones every CFO should understand:

• Reciprocity
Executives become far more open to finance when you first help them see something they hadn’t fully understood yet

• Consistency
Decisions land more easily when they feel like a natural continuation of assumptions leaders have already agreed to earlier

• Social proof
Uncertainty drops when finance shows how similar decisions played out elsewhere, because risk feels smaller when it’s shared

• Authority
Clear, calm explanations of complex situations build trust faster than confidence theatrics ever will

• Strategic scarcity
Focus increases when finance protects leadership attention by saying no to low-value work and yes to what truly matters

Together, these principles change how finance is perceived

Resistance fades, conversations change, and finance stops being questioned at the end of the meeting

80% of finance presentations fail to influence decisions

I'll fix that in a free webinar on Jan 21 with Lucanet 👉 

Register here https://lnkd.in/esqapHNu

Most executives leave finance meetings unconvinced, unconcerned, or unsure of what to do next

The numbers are right, no concern about that

But we, finance, didn't make it important or actionable

In this session, I’m breaking down the exact storytelling framework I use, built specifically for finance, not generic "hero stories"

We will cover: 

▪️ How to structure insights so execs instantly grasp the "so what" 
▪️ 3 concrete tools to turn data into decision-ready messages 
▪️ How AI can support your narrative (and prep you for tough questions)

I’ll be joined by Tobias Riffel from Lucanet to discuss the strategic shift finance leaders need to make right now

🚨 Important: This is NOT a product demo. It’s a mindset shift and a practical training session

Stop reporting. Start influencing.

See you there?

Register now on 
https://lnkd.in/esqapHNu

If you’ve ever left a meeting thinking,
“They don't care about what I've just said…”
read this 👇

Presenting a monthly/quarterly review is a leadership skill.

But only if you stop presenting it
like a you would defend your work

The thing is:

Great CFOs don’t hide behind what made them strong

They use their complex skills to guide the room without losing credibility or trust

Some might say you need to simplify your analysis

It's wrong

You need to use the complexity of your analysis to make people think in their own ways

Here’s how that sounds in practice.

What not to say/think:

❌ “These numbers speak for themselves”
❌ “We’re doing great”
❌ “I don’t have time to go into details”
❌ “That’s not in my report”
❌ “These are just assumptions”
❌ “That’s just how the model works”

What to say/think instead:

✅ “Let me walk you through the story these numbers are telling”
✅ “We’re ahead of plan, and here’s what’s driving it”
✅ “I can go deeper where it matters most. Where should we focus?”
✅ “That’s a good question. Here’s how it connects to what we’re seeing.”
✅ “These assumptions drive the outcome. Let’s pressure-test them.”
✅ “Here’s the logic behind the model so we can trust the output.”

The difference is in using the WHY rather than the HOW

One version protects the analysis
The other moves the conversation forward

You don’t need:
- More slides
- More backup
- More dashboards

You need:
- A point of view (that one is a pain for finance peoples)
- A clear storyline (that's not the structure of the P&L)
- And the discipline to lead the interpretation (requires strength)

That’s how top-class CFOs present data
And that’s why people listen

♻️ Repost if this sounds like a meeting you’ve lived through

(And yes — even the one that was supposed to be “just a quick update”)

We all think "presenting the numbers" is like this:

Align on the data → share insights → decision made

But that happens maybe 1 time out of 10

Normally, this happens: 
- Numbers get challenged
- Priorities shift mid-meeting
- You get interrupted at least once
- Someone asks the one question you didn’t prepare for
- Stakeholders interpret your insights diff
- Tensions rise
- Time runs out

And somehow… “good enough” wins

Every finance leader has lived this moment

We spend hours preparing the slides but once we’re in the revie, we get hijacked by timing, pressure, and politics

That’s not a failure of storytelling

It’s proof that decision-making is human

And this is why storytelling is so important

If it was just “presenting the numbers”, it would be easu

But you need to steer attention when everything else is pulling it away

So for your next MBR, just think this one thing

How is the reviw going to be?

...and prepare for the inevitable

Stop presenting like a tree 🌳

Many finance pros are taught to stand still, deliver the data, or sit down

But standing like a statue (or twisting like you're using a hula-hoop) signals stress

And stress = lack of trust

If you want to be convincing, you have to move with intention

Here are 3 micro-adjustments that instantly boost authority:

1. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

Don't rush to answer tough question

Pause for 2 seconds

It makes you look calm, sure of yourself

2. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗲

Slow down your hands

Fast hands signal nervousness; controlled movement signals leadership

3. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲

Don't just stand there

Move in all 4 directions to cover the space and occupy the sight

These are tools to help you lead with authenticity

Try just one of these in your next meeting

And tell me: which one did I forget?

8 Body Language Shifts

Reporting vs Explaining vs Influencing
Where would you put your team?
(Test it on on https://tally.so/r/ODlAXA)

It's important because you can't change anything with reporting

But today, most teams I've seen are still blocked there

It could still work 10 years ago (and even so...) 
- gathering the different data sources
- cross-checking to verify the accuracy
- setting them in a usable report/dashboard

But the problem has always been that the rest of the company expects more from our job

Even 10 years ago, our stakeholders thought: "and now what?"

Leaders push back because they still don’t know what to do with what you showed them

So there's only one thing to do: move from hindsight to foresight

When you move your partners from the rear mirror to your windshield 

You become a finance business partner

If you want a simple way to diagnose where your team stands (reporting, explaining, or influencing) I’ve put together a visual that breaks down the differences with business impact included

It’s the framework I use in my workshops when teams want to raise the level of the conversation inside the business

If you want the high-res version, I’ve made it available as a free PDF

👉 https://lnkd.in/e9m42D9Y

And if you want to see where your team is, go to 

👉 https://tally.so/r/ODlAXA

Early in my career, I believed: “If the work is good, it will speak for itself”  
Then I started presenting

That’s the moment executives decide whether to trust you...
...often before they’ve even understood the results

The reassuring part: strong presenting is a set of behaviours you can practice

And because finance doesn’t teach that nearly enough, I turned my biggest public-speaking takeaways into a resource

A few that consistently help:
- 𝟱–𝟱–𝟱 𝗲𝘆𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 (calm eyes, calm room)  
- 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 (silence used on purpose)  
- 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟯-𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿 (problem → why it matters → what’s coming)  
- 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀 (repeat the 2–3 points that orient the audience)  
- 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 (make the deck feel like one story)

Pick the technique that fits the moment

When people feel your certainty, they’re far more willing to follow your conclusions

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