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:

Finance Thought Leader specialized in AI, trained more than 5,000 people and on a mission to help more than 1 million finance professionals.

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

Top 100 KPIs (I wish I knew them sooner)
👉 Download your PDF copy here: https://lnkd.in/drNX_va6

Most finance teams drown in metrics but miss the few KPIs that actually move the business.

I’ve created this Top 100 KPIs collection every finance team should know across 10 categories that cover the full finance spectrum:

1. Accounting KPIs
Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), Days Payable Outstanding (DPO), Days Inventory Outstanding (DIO), and the full Cash Conversion Cycle
→ These show how efficiently you manage working capital and operations

2. Cash KPIs
Operating Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow, Cash Burn Rate, Runway, and Liquidity Ratio
→ Track how long your business can survive and when to act

3. CEO KPIs
Revenue Growth, Gross Margin, EBITDA, Net Profit Margin, and ROI
→ The metrics every CEO and board watch first

4. SaaS KPIs
MRR, ARR, CAC, LTV, Churn Rate, and Payback Period
→ If you run a subscription model, these define your business health

5. Investor KPIs
Earnings per Share, ROE, ROA, Debt-to-Equity, and P/E Ratio
→ Metrics that signal financial strength and investor confidence

6. Headcount KPIs
Revenue per Employee, Cost per Hire, Turnover Rate, and Productivity Index
→ Connect finance and HR to improve efficiency and retention

7. Capex KPIs
Capex to Revenue, Capex ROI, Depreciation %, and Asset Turnover
→ Reveal how well you invest and utilize company assets

8. Balance Sheet KPIs
Current Ratio, Quick Ratio, Debt Ratio, and Working Capital
→ Essential for liquidity and solvency checks

9. Tax KPIs
Effective Tax Rate, Deferred Tax %, and Tax Liability to Revenue
→ Track the real cost of taxation and compliance performance

10. Inventory KPIs
Inventory Turnover, Stockout Rate, and Holding Cost %
→ Keep cash flow healthy and avoid overstock or shortages

This is the checklist I wish I had as a Finance Manager and CFO

Use it to:
✅ Select the KPIs that truly drive your business
✅ Assign owners and targets
✅ Review them monthly and make decisions faster

Save this post for your next board or planning session.

If you want the PDF of my Ultimate Finance Cheat Sheet in addition to the 100 KPIS collection, comment "cheat sheet" below and I will send it to you.

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

What is CapEx?
👉 Download my Ultimate Finance resources: https://lnkd.in/e7DPs84q

The Ultimate Breakdown for Finance Teams

CapEx is one of those concepts everyone thinks they understand…
Until they have to explain it in a board meeting

“CapEx looks simple… but it’s where most teams make the wrong calls”
Here’s the post that fixes that

CapEx matters because it shapes:
• Your growth story
• Your asset health
• Your company valuation

But most confusion comes from how to calculate it, when to use it, and how it differs from OpEx

Here’s what’s inside the infographic:
1. What CapEx actually is
Funds used to acquire, upgrade, or maintain long-term assets
Not day-to-day expenses. Capitalized on the balance sheet

2. Why it’s crucial for businesses
• Indicates growth and reinvestment
• Maintains aging assets
• Impacts Free Cash Flow and valuation

3. How to calculate CapEx
PP&E (current) – PP&E (prior) + Depreciation
Or pull it from Investing Cash Flow

4. CapEx vs. OpEx
CapEx = long-term, capitalized, depreciated (trucks, buildings, patents)
OpEx = daily operations, fully expensed (rent, salaries, utilities)

5. Limitations of CapEx
• Huge cash drain
• Risk of asset impairment
• Inflated earnings quality

6. When to analyze CapEx vs. when NOT to
✔ High-heavy industries
✔ Free Cash Flow analysis
✔ Expansion strategy
✖ Early-stage startups
✖ Short-term liquidity checks
✖ Lease vs. Buy distortions

If your team misunderstands CapEx, you’ll misread cash flow, misjudge performance, and mislead investors

This infographic fixes that in 60 seconds

👉 Download my Ultimate resources for finance pros here: https://lnkd.in/e7DPs84q

💬 Want me to make an OpEx version next?

🔁 Repost to help another finance pro understand CapEx

ChatGPT vs Copilot 
👉 Download my 100 ChatGPT Tips: https://lnkd.in/e6VC4Rhq

Which GenAI should you actually use: ChatGPT or Copilot?
That’s a question I get a lot

That’s why I created this guide for you.

Here are my clear rules on which one to choose:

1 - INDIVIDUALS & SMALL BUSINESSES

You’re an individual or small business, not fully in Microsoft or Google?

Recommendation: ChatGPT (take the Teams license if you’re a small business; it has enterprise-grade security and is SOC2 Type II compliant).

It has the best functionalities, best interface, and always ships innovative models first.

Drawback: it's not yet fully connected with your business data (though it's improving with connectors to Google Drive, Calendar, OneDrive, and Outlook).

This is the one I use for my team and me.


2 - BUSINESSES USING MICROSOFT

You guessed it: Copilot.

Why?
Because Copilot 365 with Microsoft 365 brings AI directly to your work data.

This is Copilot’s most underrated feature and the main reason to choose it if you’re a Microsoft shop.

Try this:
Step 1. Switch to "Work" mode
Step 2. Type "/" in Copilot and access a doc
Step 3. Enter the file name
Step 4. Ask Copilot to perform a task on it
Step 5. AI works with real context from your files

That’s a huge advantage over ChatGPT or tools not connected to your work data, where you need preliminary steps to provide context

If you already trust Microsoft with Outlook and Excel online, Copilot makes perfect sense:
- No extra vendor to manage
- Your confidential info stays in Microsoft’s security graph (the same Copilot uses)
- No separate user/license management (it’s tied to Microsoft 365)

And Copilot is just getting started
I got insights from Microsoft Teams telling me that they are working to integrate AI deeper, with more promising features coming soon

Bottom line
Choose based on where your work lives, not the hype
Tell me which one is your favorite one and why

👉 Download my 100 ChatGPT Tips: https://lnkd.in/e6VC4Rhq

Top 100 Excel Shortcuts
👉 Download the High Resolution PDF: https://lnkd.in/dXhJ4HvF

Make yourself 2x more productive in Excel

100 shortcuts ranked from Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Underrated

Like, Bookmark this and Share it.
Thousands of hours will be saved!

If you think you know well Excel, I bet you will still learn something new in the Advanced table (items 51 to 75).

What do we cover?

A list of essential Excel shortcuts for professionals.

Here is a preview:

🟠 Basic

1. How to copy text?
Ctrl + C

2. How to cut text?
Ctrl + X

3. How to paste?
Ctrl + V

4. How to undo?
Ctrl + Z

5. How to redo?
Shift + F11

(get the answers 6-25 in the Cheat Sheet below)

⚪ Intermediate

26. How to autosum?
Alt + =

27. How to fill down?
Ctrl + D

28. How to fill right?
Ctrl + R

29. How to do flash fill?
Ctrl + E

30. How to insert hyperlink?
Ctrl + K

(get the answers 31-50 in the Cheat Sheet below)

⚫ Advanced

51. How to show / hide ribbon?
Ctrl + F1

52. How to create custom view?
Alt + W + C

53. How to paste special (values only)?
Ctrl + Alt + V > V

54. How to change font format?
Ctrl + Shift + F

55. How to goal seek?
Alt + A + W + G

(get the answers 56-75 in the Cheat Sheet below)

🔵 Underrated

76. How to move to the next open workbook window?
Ctrl + F6

77. How to move to the previous open workbook window?
Ctrl + Shift + F6

78. How to insert current date and time?
Ctrl + Shift + :

79. How to paste values & formatting only?
Ctrl + Alt + V > T

80. How to apply or remove cell wrap?
Alt + H + W

(get the answers 81-100 in the Cheat Sheet below)

📥 Get the full HD cheatsheet for free: https://lnkd.in/dXhJ4HvF

🔁 Repost to help your team get faster in Excel

💬 Which shortcut do you use most? Drop it below

Steal my Audit Checklist (Excel Template)
👉 Download yours for free here: https://lnkd.in/dFWf3YRA

I have prepared an Excel Checklist to help you in your audit preparation

Use this checklist to get ready for your next audit

If you are a CFO, a controller, an accountant, or a Finance manager, this checklist is for you.

What is inside the Excel file?

19 tabs comprising the following checklists:

1. Overview Checklist (in the picture below)
2. Financial Statements Preparation
3. Account Reconciliation and Analysis
4. Documentation and Record Keeping
5. Internal Controls and Compliance
6. Risk Management
7. Tax Review and Planning
8. Inventory Management
9. Fixed Assets and Capital Expenditures
10. Investments and Other Financial Assets
11. Employee Benefits and Pensions
12. ESG Compliance
13. Technology and Data
14. Review of New Accounting Policies
15. Related Party Transactions
16. Subsequent Events and Contingencies
17. Sustainability and Continuity Planning
18. Communication with Auditors
19. Final Review and Reporting

👉 Don't forget to download it for free here: https://lnkd.in/dFWf3YRA

If you need any other template, let me know in the comments

CEO, CFO, COO, CIO, CMO, and CRO

👉 Download my top 100 KPIs here: https://lnkd.in/edvvYTJc

They sound impressive
but what do they actually do?

I broke it down in one visual below

Here’s a sneak peek at what each role owns
As well as the first 5 rows of the comparison

See the full comparison in the image below

1. CEO → Strategy, growth, vision, investors, expansion
CEO leads the company
CEO drives strategy, growth, and innovation
CEO represents the company to stakeholders & is the public face
CEO sets corporate values
CEO drives global expansion

2. CFO → Financials, performance, risk, profitability
CFO manages finances
CFO ensures stability and establishes discipline
CFO reports financials to the board and shareholders
CFO sets financial benchmarks
CFO optimizes existing markets

3. COO → Daily ops, resource planning, execution
COO oversees daily operations
COO implements the strategic initiatives
COO coordinates departments for smooth execution
COO aligns operational processes with said values
COO manages operational aspects of market penetration

4. CIO → Tech stack, security, data
CIO defines & leads the company's tech strategy
CIO oversees IT infrastructure and systems
CIO ensures technology aligns with business goals
CIO manages cybersecurity and data protection policies
CIO establishes IT Governance & IT Budget (CAPEX, OPEX)

5. CMO → Brand, demand gen, customer journey, messaging
CMO leads marketing strategy & brand position
CMO drives brand awareness & customer acquisition
CMO represents the brand across channels and media
CMO sets brand voice and messaging tone
CMO plans market penetration campaigns

6. CRO → Revenue growth, monetization, customer value, sales performance
CRO drives revenue growth
CRO monetizes strategic initiatives
CRO reports revenue metrics to the board & stakeholders
CRO sets revenue targets & quotas
CRO crafts revenue models for market penetration

This visual will give you instant clarity on who does what at the top

Also, get your copy of the Top 100 KPIs here: https://lnkd.in/edvvYTJc

🔁 Repost to help your network understand the C-suite

Free AI for Finance Course

👉 Download my 100 Prompt Tips PDF: https://lnkd.in/dZ4WKBvS

Save 1000s of dollars with this free course

Bookmark this and follow the curriculum below
+ TONS of FREE RESOURCES at the end!

You want to learn AI for Finance?
I have built and curated a free finance course for you

15 free lessons to make you more knowledgeable than 90% of the finance professionals in using AI

🙏 Help me spread this free course: like, share and comment!

Leverage AI to boost your career
and become irreplaceable

1. AI for Finance Fundamentals Email Course - https://lnkd.in/gFbWBDQ9

2. Prompting & Data-prep - https://lnkd.in/gtz7Bd78 & https://lnkd.in/gC8MqVG7

3. AI Roadmap for Finance team - https://lnkd.in/gK7svud4

4. Generative AI for managers - https://lnkd.in/g_EAYwv8 

5. ChatGPT vs Copilot vs Gemini - https://lnkd.in/gd-8ysiv

6. Top 100 ChatGPT Tips - https://lnkd.in/gX2sekmf

7. Top 100 AI Finance Tools - https://lnkd.in/gvKvkbvA

8. ChatGPT for Finance - https://lnkd.in/grBz2tGv

9. ChatGPT Image Generation for finance - https://lnkd.in/g55D5PtP

10. 30 Ways ChatGPT Helps Finance - https://lnkd.in/gwJ5CKXx

11. 28 Ways to use ChatGPT in Finance - https://lnkd.in/gV8FV82e

12. 6 AI Use Cases for Finance (real ones) - https://lnkd.in/g4wbFW7Q

13. 3 Ways to automate your work with AI - https://lnkd.in/gwUqv83G

14. Save 1 hr per day with ChatGPT - https://lnkd.in/gGdsC-Vr

15. The fast close playbook - https://lnkd.in/gniqwtju

- - -

Here are my bonus resources for you:

My Ultimate Finance Cheatsheet 2025
👉 https://lnkd.in/dxRatm2A

Top 10 Free Finance Resources
👉 https://lnkd.in/d9TA7bNu

Ultimate Finance Resources
👉 https://lnkd.in/dnfrN6R8

🙏 Help me spread this free course: like, share, and comment!

🔁 Repost to help more finance professionals
start using AI in their daily workflow

Atomic Habits for Finance
👉 Download my 48 Laws of Power applied to Finance: https://lnkd.in/edgY7bWe

What if the real difference between an average finance team
and a world-class one wasn’t talent… but habits?

Most teams try to “work harder” during closing, forecasting, or budgeting.
But the truth?

Finance improves in the same way individuals do
through tiny, consistent behaviors that compound over time

That’s why I built this cheat sheet: to translate Atomic Habits into Finance habits you can start today

Here’s what’s inside:

1. How Atomic Habits actually work
Identity, systems, and tiny gains matter more than intensity.
A finance team that sees itself as reliable and data-driven behaves differently.

2. The 4 Laws applied to Finance
#1: Cue – Make it obvious
– Clear dashboards
– Daily stand-ups
– Simple finance scorecards
– Habit stacking during closures and POs

#2: Craving – Make it attractive
– Temptation bundling (variance analysis + coffee)
– Social groups that celebrate clean and on-time data
– “Forecast accuracy leaderboard” for business units
– Motivation rituals in meetings

#3: Response – Make it easy
– Smaller, more frequent forecasting cycles
– Pre-built templates for P&L, variance, board packs
– Standard naming conventions
– The 2-minute rule: if it takes <2 minutes, do it now

#4: Reward – Make it satisfying
– Show reduced cycle times and error drops
– Visible payoff dashboards
– Track on-time submissions & forecast accuracy trends
– Reward behaviors that stick

1% daily improvement
A finance team improving 1% per day becomes 37× better after one year
Tiny process improvements beat massive transformation projects

How to break bad habits
– Make them invisible (remove distractions)
– Make them unattractive (highlight cost of errors)
– Make them difficult (add friction to bad habits)
– Make them unsatisfying (reinforce consequences)

Finance excellence isn’t built in Q4 but it’s built in the daily routines you repeat all year

💬 Which habit are you implementing first?

🔁 Repost to help more finance teams improve 1% every day

👉 Download my 48 Laws of Power applied to Finance: https://lnkd.in/edgY7bWe

100 Prompt Tips
👉 Download the PDF here: https://lnkd.in/dzTqfSjX

Stop writing prompts that confuse AI instead start using ones that compound your results
Most people don’t have a prompt problem

They have a framework problem
Here’s what this visual makes painfully clear:

Clarity > Cleverness
Structure > Guessing
Process > Randomness

The image breaks down 100 prompt tips into 4 categories:

FRAMEWORKS
Tools like CBI-FBI, AIDA, CARE, STAR, SWOT, PESTLE and more that turn vague ideas into precise instructions

DATA TIPS
How to extract tables, convert data, build dashboards, clean datasets and automate insights with
ChatGPT

HACKS + PROMPT ENGINEERING
Templates, constraints, version control, chunking, clarifying questions - all to get higher-quality outputs

FINANCE + PROCESS
Ready-to-use scripts for P&Ls, FP&A workflows, scenario modeling, investor updates and reporting automation

Here’s the real takeaway:

If you learn even 5 of these frameworks, your output improves instantly

Not because AI gets smarter
But because you stop asking messy questions

Want the PDF version of this post?

👉 Download it here: https://lnkd.in/dzTqfSjX

🔁 Repost to help your team get better at prompting

Top 50 Finance KPIs
👉Download it in HD now: https://lnkd.in/d5F8bv2m

Includes explanations and formulas!

You see a lot of KPI lists, but they miss something:
1) These lists do not explain the goal of the KPI
2) These lists do not give you the KPI formula

In this Cheat Sheet, you get both!
Because a KPI is not helpful without explanation and without a formula...

Take it as a catalog from which you can pick 3 to 4 key KPIs.

I like to take 4 KPIs to make a 4-quadrant dashboard.

The standard quadrant I would recommend?

This one:

1. Revenue Growth
2. Net Profit Margin
3. Operating Cash Flow
4. Employee engagement

What would be yours?

You can pick from the 50 following KPIs:

🧾 Accounting KPIs:
1. Debt-to-Equity Ratio
2. Invoice Processing Time
3. Working Capital Ratio
4. Net Profit Margin
5. Return on Equity
6. Gross Profit Margin
7. Accounts Receivable Turnover
8. Fixed Asset Turnover
9. Accounts Payable Turnover
10. Inventory Turnover

💰 Cash KPIs:
11. Operating Cash Flow
12. Days Payables Outstanding
13. Average Days Delinquent
14. Days Sales Outstanding
15. Days of Inventory Outstanding
16. Cash Burn Rate
17. Free Cash Flow
18. Cash Conversion Cycle
19. Cash Reserves in Days
20. Overdues Ratio

👨‍💼 CEO KPIs:
21. Revenue Growth
22. Market Share
23. Employee Productivity
24. Innovation Index
25. Brand Equity
26. Market Expansion
27. Sustainability Metrics
28. Employee Engagement
29. Employee Turnover
30. Cash Flow

🖥 SaaS KPIs:
31. Lifetime Value
32. SaaS Quick Ratio
33. New Buyer Growth Rate
34. ARR Per FTE
35. Customer Churn Rate
36. Runway
37. Customer Acquisition Costs
38. Monthly Recurring Revenue
39. Average Revenue Per User
40. Total Addressable Market

💼 Investors KPIs:
41. Earnings per Share
42. Quick Ratio
43. Dividend Payout Ratio
44. Current Ratio
45. Return on Investment
46. Share Buyback Ratio
47. Price-to-Earnings Ratio
48. Gross Margin Ratio
49. Dividend Yield
50. Net Promoter Score

👉Download it in HD now: https://lnkd.in/d5F8bv2m

My 25 Hidden Excel Shortcuts
👉 Get my full 100 Excel Shortcuts PDF: https://lnkd.in/deaTy2Xs


I made a list of 25 underrated Excel shortcuts that can save you hours
(and impress your colleagues)

I bet you don't know at least half of them

Excel Shortcuts List:

1. Move to the next open workbook window: Ctrl + F6

2. Move to the previous open workbook window: Ctrl + Shift + F6

3. Insert current time: Ctrl + Shift + :

4. Paste values & formatting only: Ctrl + Alt + V > T

5. Apply or remove cell wrap: Alt + H + W

6. Clear all formats: Alt + H + E + F

7. Insert a line break in a cell: Alt + Enter

8. Insert a new comment in a cell: Shift + F2

9. Open cell options menu: Shift + F10

10. Paste special - transpose: Ctrl + Alt + V > E

11. Insert sparkline from selected data: Alt + N + SL / SW / SO

12. Enter full-screen mode: Ctrl + Shift + F1

13. Record a macro: Alt + F8

14. Open the Visual Basic editor: Alt + F11

15. Autofit column height: Alt + H + O + A

16. Hide a sheet: Alt + H + O + U + S

17. Unhide a sheet: Alt + H + O + U + H

18. Insert slicers: Alt + N + SF

19. Apply or remove strikethrough: Ctrl + 5

20. Expand or collapse the formula bar: Ctrl + Shift + U

21. Collapse sheet outline: Alt + A + H / J

22. Create names from selection: Ctrl + Shift + F3

23. Insert new worksheet: Shift + F11

24. Select an entire row: Shift + Space

25. Select an entire column: Ctrl + Space


👉 Interested in more Excel shortcuts? Get them all here: https://lnkd.in/deaTy2Xs


What’s your go-to Excel shortcut?

CEO vs CFO vs COO KPIs
👉 Download my Top 100 KPIs here: https://lnkd.in/dgwVdfEM

📊 CEO KPIs
1. Revenue Growth
(Current period revenue - Previous period revenue) / Previous period revenue

2. Gross Profit Margin
(Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold) / Revenue

3. Net Profit Margin
Net Income / Revenue

4. Return on Investment (ROI)
Net Income / Investment Cost

5. Earnings per Share (EPS)
(Net Income - Preferred Dividends) / Average Outstanding Shares

6. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
(Marketing + Sales Costs) / New Customers Acquired

7. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
(Average Revenue per Customer × Average Customer Lifespan) / CAC

8. Employee Engagement
Measures employee satisfaction and engagement using surveys or performance reviews

9. Employee Turnover
Number of Employees Who Left During the Period / Average Number of Employees

10. Net Promoter Score (NPS)
% Promoters - % Detractors

---

📉 CFO KPIs
1. EBITDA
Net Income + Interest + Taxes + Depreciation + Amortization

2. Return on Equity (ROE)
Net Income / Shareholders’ Equity

3. Working Capital Ratio
Current Assets / Current Liabilities

4. Debt-to-Equity Ratio
Total Debt / Total Equity

5. Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC)
Days Sales Outstanding + Days Inventory
Outstanding - Days Payable Outstanding

6. Debt Service Coverage Ratio
Net Operating Income / Total Debt Service

7. Return on Assets (ROA)
Net Income / Total Assets

8. Inventory Turnover
Cost of Goods Sold / Average Inventory

9. Quick Ratio
(Current Assets - Inventories) / Current Liabilities

10. Cash Flow
Operating Cash Flow + Investing Cash Flow + Financing Cash Flow

---

⚙️ COO KPIs
1. Project Efficiency
Actual Project Cost / Planned Project Cost

2. Productivity of Staff
Total Output (unit or value) / Total Number of Employees

3. Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
Image is wrong (will be corrected in next post).
It should be Unit sold x Standard Cost

4. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
Availability × Performance × Quality

5. Operational Efficiency
Total Output / Total Input

6. Customer Satisfaction
Number of Satisfied Customers / Total Number of Customers

7. Time to Market
Number of Orders Delivered on or Before Promised Delivery Date / Total Number of Orders

8. Quality Index
Defects / Total Units Produced

9. Capacity Utilization
Actual Output / Potential Output

10. Safety Incident Rate
(Number of Incidents × 200,000) / Total Hours Worked

👉 Get my Top 100 KPIs here: https://lnkd.in/dgwVdfEM

🔁 Repost if this gave you a clearer view into the C-suite mindset

Your team’s output became 10x bigger
That means as a manager your review 10x also!

👉 Enroll in my free AI course now: https://lnkd.in/dNNPzeMX

Reviewing AI work is much easier when you master the fundamentals first
Click on the link above ☝️

AI Broke Your Review Process
It created a massive "Transparency Gap."

Every week, I see the same situation: Your juniors can now produce 10x more output. But more output does not mean better work.

You are left with a pile of deliverables you can't trust because you are starting your review from zero.

You don't know:
• What was AI-generated vs. manual analysis?
• Which parts were reviewed vs. just accepted?
• What context they gave the AI?

The Reality?

You spend your entire Friday trying to figure out
which parts are accurate and which parts are AI guesses

The Solution: The Crystal Method

We built this system to fix the bottleneck. It makes review faster, not slower
It answers three questions for every piece of work:

1️⃣ What did AI do? (Which parts were generated vs. manual)
2️⃣ How was it done? (Which tool, which prompt, what context)
3️⃣ What was verified? (What the human checked vs. accepted)

That’s it. Three answers, massive clarity

The shift? From "Did they do the work?"
to "How did they do the work?"

From "Redo the maths" to "Check the method"

If you lead a team using AI, follow the implementation roadmap in the infographic:
1. Build Awareness: Discuss where AI helps and where it creates problems
2. Define Scope: Use the Golden Rule (Use AI to generate, not calculate)
3. Standardize: Define the tool, model, and verification checklist
4. Create Reusable Tools: Stop copying prompts; start building custom GPTs
5. Full Automation: Only do this when steps 1-4 are solid

Your team is using AI whether you train them or not
Take 60 minutes this week to ensure that usage is clear & transparent

Reviewing AI work is much easier when you master the fundamentals first

👉 Learn the AI Finance Fundamentals here with my free AI course: https://lnkd.in/dNNPzeMX

ChatGPT 5.2 ≠ ChatGPT 5.1 (especially on Thinking)

📥 Download my 100 ChatGPT Tips: https://lnkd.in/djxgz65s

You got a bad AI answer? You used the wrong “brain”

Most finance pros treat every model the same…
then wonder why the output is:
confident but wrong
messy when you need a clean table
inconsistent halfway through a long analysis

Here are the key differences:

Hallucinations
5.2: hallucination rate reduced to 6.2% + errors ~30% less common + improved reliability for professional use
5.1: hallucination rate 8.8% + more errors with longer/complex reasoning + accuracy can decline in research/citation-heavy tasks

Long-context memory & consistency
5.2: retains info ~100% consistently + far fewer memory drops + better for long, multi-source work
5.1: would forget earlier details mid-conversation + frequent re-prompting needed + not ideal for long, multi-source work

Vision accuracy (screenshots, UI, diagrams)
5.2: stronger visual understanding + more accurate at reading screenshots/charts/UI layouts
5.1: vision works, limited UI detail + less reliable for screenshots/app interfaces

Structured output (slides, sheets, apps)
5.2: more polished layouts + ready-to-use slide decks/sheets
5.1: can generate slides & sheets + often needs heavy manual cleanup

Thinking time vs answer quality
5.2: thinking mode can run much longer + longer thinking correlates with better correctness
5.1: auto mode favors speed + thinking helps, but depth is limited

Quick summary:
5.2 = A Serious Analyst (deep reasoning, professional output, long & complex tasks)
5.1 = A Smart Assistant (faster, conversational, everyday tasks, personalized tone)

Here’s my simple rule:

ChatGPT 5.1 = the fast assistant
I use it for quick drafts, short questions, and everyday tasks

ChatGPT 5.2 = the serious analyst
I use it when accuracy matters: long-context work, screenshots/UI interpretation, structured outputs

Using the right model for your needs is also another way to save time

👉 Which one have you used today: 5.1 or 5.2?

Stop Buying New AI Tools

👉 Download my 30-Day AI finance playbook: https://lnkd.in/dw5DQkaD
(To learn how to train your finance team on AI)

You're probably paying for 3 AI tools, and using none of them well

Your junior analyst is on ChatGPT
Your FP&A manager swears by Claude
Your director is experimenting with Gemini

Meanwhile, you're stuck wondering:
Which AI tool should we standardize on?

Here’s the real problem →
You're not choosing based on what works for the team
You're choosing based on what feels newest or most hyped

Let’s fix that

The Real Problems

Problem 1: You're Paying Twice (or 3x)
• Teams buy Copilot or Gemini licenses
• But still expense ChatGPT Plus
• That’s $2,400/year wasted on duplicate tools

Check your license here:

For Copilot:

Problem 2: Nobody Can Collaborate
• Each AI tool keeps prompts and knowledge siloed
• When someone leaves, their context goes with them

Problem 3: Analysis Paralysis
• 10 minutes wasted just deciding which tool to open
• 3 tools = 3x the time to find one answer

The Smarter Approach: Go Ecosystem-First

Instead of asking “Which AI is best?”, ask:
“What ecosystem are we already in?”

If you're already on:
• Microsoft 365 → Use Copilot
• Google Workspace → Use Gemini

Why this works better:

Security as Standard
• Enterprise-grade data protection
• No personal account sharing
• Audit trails + IT-managed access

Team Collaboration
• Everyone shares prompts and files
• Conversation history is retained
• Knowledge builds over time

Seamless Integration
• Copilot and Gemini access your OneDrive or Google Drive
• No manual uploads or copy-paste
• AI works where your team already works

But What About Advanced Features?

Copilot (GPT-5.2) and Gemini (Gemini 1.5) now support:
• “Thinking mode”
• Slide generation
• Report summaries

And they run on the same foundational models
But directly embedded in your workflow

Follow the 80/20 Rule
80% of work = Ecosystem AI
• Emails, summaries, lookups, reports

20% of work = Specialist AI
• Deep modeling, creative ideation, scratch generation

Your Move (This Week):
1. Open your Microsoft or Google admin panel
2. See what you’re already paying for
3. Pick one ecosystem AI tool for your team

Chances are, you already own what you need
✓ No more tool debates
✓ No more triple testing
✓ No more wasted budget

👉 Learn how to train your finance team on AI in 30 days: https://lnkd.in/dw5DQkaD

The future-ready finance team isn’t chasing the “best AI”

It’s aligning around the one AI mindset that just works

🔁 Repost to help more finance professionals use AI together better

Prompting 101 Cheatsheet
👉 Enroll in my free AI course: https://lnkd.in/dgFNrHuC

A CFO preparing a cost-reduction plan types one line into ChatGPT
The answer sounds smart but it’s useless for the board deck

For CFOs, FP&A and finance leads, vague prompts are expensive
They waste time, hide risks, and make AI look like a toy instead of a strategic partner

I have turned this prompting system into a one-page cheat sheet you can hand to your whole team

It’s the same structure I use when training 5,000+ finance professionals and inside my 1,500+ member AI Finance Club

Here’s what’s inside:
1. What a “prompting technique” actually is
→ Why a precise, well-structured prompt beats a vague question every time.

2. The CSI framework (Context-Specific-Instruction)
→ How to brief AI like a colleague, not a search bar, with a cost-reduction example for a mid-size European company.

3. The FBI add-on (Format-Blueprint-Identity)
→ Turn generic text into board-ready tables, tuned to your tone, industry, and role.

4. The CSI + FBI combo prompt
→ A full example you can paste into ChatGPT to design a structured cost-saving plan with realistic initiatives

5. Chunking technique for complex analyses
→ Break big asks (like an acquisition assessment) into safe, controllable steps the model can actually handle

6. Six-step acquisition prompt chain
→ From “you are an expert financial analyst” to a concise go/no-go summary for your board without leaking sensitive details

7. Guardrails for sensitive data
→ A reminder to keep confidential numbers inside secure enterprise AI accounts only

When your prompts mirror how you brief a senior finance colleague
context, structure, and clear roles

AI finally delivers outputs you can take to the board

👉 Free AI for Finance Beginner Email course here: https://lnkd.in/dgFNrHuC

Where I will talk more about the CSI-FBI Framework for writing perfect AI prompts

Repost to help your team work faster

Which point will you try first?

How CFOs use GenAI to cut costs
👉 Enroll in my free AI Course: https://lnkd.in/ggmMizQk

Cost programs don’t fail from lack of ideas
They fail due to lack of structure

Most teams know what could be cut
Very few can rank it, size it, and turn it into an executable plan fast
So instead of starting with blank slides, you start with a structured first draft, then validate it with your data

Here’s what’s inside:
1. The exact prompt I use (copy/paste):
I am the CFO of a manufacturing company

I need to come up with a cost-saving plan

Create a detailed plan for me and my team

The plan should do a table first and then a project plan detailing the top 10 low-hanging fruits and the exact plan to enable them

Write this like the best cost-cutting consultant with super practical and pragmatic approach and bring some innovative ideas

2. Result you will get under 30 seconds
Top low-hanging-fruit initiatives ranked by impact vs effort
Savings ranges benchmarked to EU manufacturing peers
Named roles, KPIs, timelines, and risk mitigations
Tool recommendations (Power BI, e-sourcing, low-code apps, SaaS AI)
Governance cadence and kick-off checklist ready to paste into your deck

3. The keywords that steer the output:
“Table first”
“Exact plan”
“Innovative ideas”
“Practical & pragmatic”

4. Example of a pragmatic mini action plan (this is the level of detail):
Reverse-Auction for Tier-B Materials
Scope: 180 SKUs (fasteners, packaging, secondary alloys) worth €8M p.a.
Owner: Strategic Sourcing Lead

Steps
Cleanse spend data & spec sheets (June)
Bundle SKUs into 4 lots to boost volume leverage (July)
Invite >6 qualified suppliers; supply sample for QA (Aug)
Run 45-min online auction (Sept)
Dual-source top lot to keep pressure (Oct)

Quick win
Pilot 1 lot (€1M) first—often lands ~5% saving within 30 days

Contract guardrails
Index-linked price bands, dual-source clause, quarterly rebates

5. Why this is powerful for you
Instant knowledge synthesis — thousands of best practices, one coherent plan
Iterative co-creation — stress-test ideas and refine in minutes
Cost-free first draft — consultant-grade structure without the day rate
Scalable expertise — pivot from opex to capex, WC, or board-ready scripts fast

6. How to get more value from the LLM:
#1 Be specific in the ask — format, depth, tone (“table first, then plan”)
#2 Provide context — industry, size, constraints
#3 Challenge & iterate — “stress-test initiative #5”
#4 Validate with data — model it before executing
#5 Blend human + AI — AI drafts, humans judge feasibility and drive change

GenAI won’t run your cost program
But it can compress week 1 into minute 1 so your team spends time deciding, not drafting

👇 Master the fundamentals of AI for Finance here: https://lnkd.in/ggmMizQk

Which initiative would you stress-test first?

ACE | Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs

ACE | Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs is the largest exclusively small business focused CDFI in the state of Georgia, providing capital, coaching, and connections to underserved entrepreneurs.

Chief Financial Officer

Wharton Online

I led a session on "Navigating Change and Uncertainty with Confidence" for the  Wharton Online FP&A Certificate program in partnership with Wall Street Prep. 

For FP&A professionals, dealing with uncertainty is a certainty. They are often required to build models, make projections, and facilitate decisions despite limited data, guidance, and time, all amidst a volatile business landscape. My session leverages the Rumsfeld Matrix and proven techniques to help participants identify and address known and unknown factors, build resilience, and thrive through change and uncertainty.

Guest Faculty | Online Course Instructor

The Diary of a CFO Podcast

Whether you’re part of a finance team, aspiring to the C-suite, or just looking to get budgets approved faster, this podcast is for you.

In each edition, I share my reflections on various leadership topics, along with wisdom from other business leaders, to help you lead any organization with confidence. 

For topic and guest suggestions, as well as sponsorship requests, send an email to Ask@thediaryofacfo.com

Podcast Host

Low Income Investment Fund

The Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) is a national nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), with $2 billion in assets under management. Our mission is to mobilize capital and partners to achieve opportunity, racial equity, and well-being for people and communities.

As VP of Finance and Accounting, I oversaw both the FP&A and Accounting functions at LIIF. It involved ensuring compliance and financial reporting for the parent company, three fully consolidated entities and 60+ New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) LLCs. I actively participated in Finance and Committee meetings, including the preparation of materials for the Board of Directors.

Key Accomplishments:
●	Was promoted within 3 months at the company
●	Successfully led annual financial audits, as well as our single audit and SEFA efforts, within a few months of being onboarded.
●	Established a regular cadence of monthly reporting and quarterly budget variance meetings across the organization.

Vice President, Finance and Corporate Controller

Responsible for leading overall financial accounting, financial reporting, tax, compliance, and accounting operations. Providing technical guidance on complex accounting standards, i.e., ASC 606 revenue recognition and ASC 842 lease accounting.

Vice President, Corporate Controller

ACM Chemistries, Inc.

ACM Chemistries is a chemical manufacturer of color and performance enhancing admixture products for machine-made concrete products.

Reporting to the President/Chief Executive Officer, I was a member of the Senior Leadership Team, providing leadership and financial expertise for company-wide strategic planning and execution.

Led all financial and fiscal responsibilities of the company, leading the budgeting process.

Including all aspects of accounting and finance activities, outside Finance & HR relationships with banks, insurance partners, 401k administrators and auditors.

Managed financial and cash flow planning to ensure availability of funds as needed, while monitoring compliance with debt covenants and financial control processes.

Implemented various process improvements and systems enhancements within my department to improve productivity and customer service to internal and external customers.

Vice President, Finance & Accounting

Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is family-owned pharmaceutical manufacturing company headquartered in Germany revenue of $22B+in total sales – $8B+ in US – and over 52K employees worldwide.

In this role, I led  FP&A for four business units’ gross-to-net results, with $120M worth of marketing programs.

Key Accomplishments:
•	Reduced variance between actuals and accruals from 5% to less than 1% by implementing a cross-functional forecast process within the first year in the role.
•	Led several cross-functional team collaborations to develop a proactive process to reduce variances in the future.

Associate Director of Finance, Gross-to-Net FP&A, Livestock & Equine 

I led FP&A and had full P&L responsibility for two business units, including monthly forecasts, annual budgets and long term forecasts submissions to GBS. 

Key Accomplishments:
• Streamlined input of budgeted sales data by designing a TM1 template that enabled $1.8B of sales to be uploaded across five business divisions in a seamless, standardized way within the first 6 months in the role.
• Enhanced reporting packages sent to business units by adding new KPIs to monitor and  improve strategic initiatives.

Senior Finance Manager, Swine & Poultry Controlling/FP&A

Intralot

Intralot, Inc. is a software technology company that also manufactures lottery vending machines.

As Controller, I was responsible for accounting and finance functions, pertaining to financial reporting, FP&A, internal and external audits.

Key Accomplishments:
• Successfully led a team of five direct and 10 indirect reports and supervised all accounting and finance functions including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger, Tax, and Treasury.
• Built the FP&A function from the ground up and made the team scalable to support growth.

Corporate Controller

I was the liaison between the US accounting department and our parent company’s accounting team. I also coordinated month-end close and financial consolidations of the US entity and its subsidiaries.

Key Accomplishments:
• Reduced month-end close time nearly 50% – from 11 to 6 business days.
• Spearheaded the Cognos TM1 system implementation for FP&A, as well as other system upgrades.

Accounting Manager

Staff Accountant/Senior Accountant

Audit Assurance

Donald Skalr and Associates

Tax Associate

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

Most finance functions are built to report, not to lead. That creates blind spots for CEOs, delays decisions for boards, and leaves CFOs without a pipeline of ready successors.

I’ve spent 15 years leading finance teams and now serve as CFO. No matter the industry, the pattern is the same: strategy stays at the CFO and sometimes the FP&A level, while the rest of the finance team is stuck in transactions. And, that gap holds everyone back:

- Companies miss early signals,

- CFOs struggle to find successors,

- Financial reporting ends up unreliable or irrelevant for decisions,

- Talented people feel stuck doing work that doesn’t grow them or the business.

What boards and CEOs value isn’t another report. It’s finance leaders who can spot signals early, frame choices clearly, and influence outcomes. 

That’s the standard I’ve led teams by, and it’s what I now teach through Wharton Online, The Diary of a CFO podcast, speaking engagements, and the development programs I’ve created.

If you’re building a pipeline of finance leaders or aiming for the CFO seat yourself, let’s connect.

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

Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA

Back at my all-time favorite conference:
The AICPA Future of Finance Summit!

I almost didn't make it this year because of work, but I am so glad I did.

As a leader, you cannot pour out of an empty cup, especially in this environment.

I'm glad I was able to attend the session on Mergers and Acquisitions presented by the amazing Katherine Lok, CPA, CMA, CPA(N.D.), CGMA 

I'm super excited for reconnecting with some of my favorite finance folks, Tom Hood, CPA,CGMA,CITP , Kelly Lorenz and the Finance Sisterhood!

Stacey Mahajan, CPA,CGMA,CITP, Carrie Kruse, CPA, CGMA , Janice Stucke CPA 

More to come!

CFO in the trenches | Speaking & writing about leading high-performing finance teams | Wharton Guest Faculty on navigating uncertainty | Host of The Diary of a CFO podcast

Mark Johnson has helped CEOs pick CFOs for two decades.

In this conversation, he breaks down how the role has changed and what boards and CEOs now look for in a modern finance leader.

When I asked him what differentiates today’s standout CFOs,

He said: 

✅ IQ - still matters to get you in the door.

✅ EQ - emotional intelligence to build trust and win hearts

✅ SQ - social intelligence for authentic connections

✅ AQ - adversity quotient for resilience when things go sideways

We also discussed how:
 
✔️ Your resume won’t differentiate you anymore.
 
AI can make everyone look “perfect on paper.”

✔️ First-time CFOs get hired because someone believes in them.

✔️ CFO to CEO pathways are more possible than ever.

This is such an insightful episode.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube

I’ve never heard someone break down the path to the modern CFO role this clearly. 

Between IQ, EQ, SQ and AQ, which one do you think is most important for effective leadership?

View newsletter: The Diary of a CFO Recap

When CFOs leave, CEOs don’t stress about the numbers. They stress about who’s left to keep the business steady. Mark Johnson has watched this play out

Open article: What CEOs Want from Today’s CFO, with Executive Recruiter, Mark Johnson by Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA • 2 min read

What CEOs Want from Today’s CFO, with Executive Recruiter, Mark Johnson

Be honest. Which owl are you right now?
Howdy on the left or Howdy on the right?

This was the first slide of my presentation yesterday at the AICPA Future of Finance Summit. 

And to no surprise, most of the room identified with Howdy on the right.

Because 2025 has been A LOT. And we're not even done yet!?!

We've all felt the weight of the uncertainty.

And it's been a pressure that didn't care whether you were a man or a woman, a staff accountant or a CFO, working at a big company or a small one, in private industry, public accounting, or nonprofit.

Uncertainty has been the great equalizer this year.

That's why I'm incredibly grateful I had the opportunity to lead the Women in Finance Leadership workshop on the topic of Ready, Reset, Grow.

The part that resonated most with people was my concept of a reset.

- A break gives you rest.
- A reset gives you clarity and alignment.

- A break helps you catch your breath while you're running.
- A reset helps you figure out if you're still running in the right direction.

Once we went through the full process of Ready and Reset, it was powerful to watch the whole room come together and share ideas on how we could grow together.

To everyone who was in that room, thank you so much for showing up and participating.

Big thanks to Kelly Lorenz and her wonderful team for this opportunity.

If you want the slides or more reset ideas, here's the link:

https://lnkd.in/eQGe5jUr

Now tell me ⤵️ 

Howdy left or Howdy right?

I’ve been an American Greed fan for years, so interviewing someone who actually worked on cases featured on the show was surreal!

In this episode, I sat down with attorney and risk expert Natalia Greene, Esq., CFE  who spent over 20 years defending accounting firms in fraud and embezzlement cases.

And let me tell you, the stories were wild!!!

We covered :

✅ The wildest embezzlement schemes she’s seen in 20+ years of litigation

✅ Why accountants often get blamed first when fraud is uncovered

✅ How scope creep silently increases your legal exposure

✅  The insurance policy every fractional CFO or firm owner needs (but few ever buy)

And so much more...

Here are the highlights of our conversation ⤵️ 

------

P.S:.Let me know if you are also a fan of fraud cases.

Natalia Greene, Esq., CFE spent over 20 years defending accounting firms in high‑stakes litigation, including cases that ended up on American Greed. I

Open article: Real Fraud Stories and Legal Protection for Your Fractional CFO Firm with Attorney Natalia Greene by Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA • 3 min read

Real Fraud Stories and Legal Protection for Your Fractional CFO Firm with Attorney Natalia Greene

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