On a Mission to Help 1M Finance pros Master FP&A skills | Author of All About FP&A | Building FP&A Professionals Institute

▶️ Follow me for new and interesting content on Finance and FP&A ▶️

Hi, I’m Asif, a Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) professional and an entrepreneur from heart.

I have 12+ years of experience in Financial Planning, Budgeting, Forecasting, Audit and Tax. I have worked with organizations like EY, Citi and Pfizer.

Professionally my interests lie in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) and in my current role with Coursera, I'm responsible for Planning. Budgeting and Forecasting for India and APAC. 

In my previous FP&A roles at Citi, Pfizer and Great Learning I partnered with  finance and business leaders on various projects.

Before Citi, I worked with EY as an Audit Executive. I was responsible for planning, executing and concluding audits for listed companies.

This unique blend of experiences in FP&A and Audit, has allowed me to develop an holistic understanding of how businesses function.

Core expertise :
Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
Budgeting
Financial Planning
Financial Forecasting
People Management
Management Reporting
Finance Business Partnering
Auditing
Taxation
Content Creation

To have a quick chat you can call me on +91 8097379663 or email me at asif.masani@gmail.com

🎙️ 13 Must-Listen Finance Podcasts 🎙️
If you're into FP&A, CFO insights, Financial modeling, or Accounting, these podcasts have you covered.

1️⃣ FP&A Tomorrow – Paul Barnhurst, The FP&A Guy
https://lnkd.in/dkEJqMRA

2️⃣ FP&A Today by Datarails hosts Paul Barnhurst, The FP&A Guy and Glenn Hopper https://lnkd.in/dPVrgk_Q

3️⃣ #FinanceMaster#FinanceMaster – Anders Liu-Lindberg
https://lnkd.in/dUYjUuC4

4️⃣ Tech for Finance – Adam Shilton
https://lnkd.in/dBU-SRaW

5️⃣ The CFO Report – Michael King
https://lnkd.in/diH_S68g

6️⃣ Financial Modeler's Corner – Paul Barnhurst, The FP&A Guy
https://lnkd.in/dCaGw-NZ

7️⃣ The Treasury Career Corner – Mike Richards
https://lnkd.in/dCciyxtS

8️⃣ The Finance and Accounting Show – Terrell A Turner, CPA
https://lnkd.in/dAF8qsxq

9️⃣ Run the Numbers –   CJ Gustafson
https://lnkd.in/dTrcyqvD

🔟 The Successful Bookkeeper – Mike Palmer
https://lnkd.in/dBQ5HZvp

1️⃣1️⃣ Future Finance – Glenn Hopper & Paul Barnhurst
https://lnkd.in/dkaeuepr

1️⃣2️⃣ All About FP&A – Asif Masani
https://lnkd.in/dxH-BwhP

1️⃣3️⃣ The Diary of a CFO Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA

📢 Which ones have you listened to? Any more we can add to the list?
Let me know in the comments! 

👇 Share with your finance colleagues
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I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Program Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔
For FREE video content on FP&A Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/des-Fh8N

Asif Masani

Helping 1M Finance pros Master FP&A skills | FP&A Jobs | Director at FP&A Professionals Institute | Author of All About FP&A, From Accounting to FP&A and Data storytelling Playbook | Udemy Instructor

How would you decide which budgeting method to use for a fast-growing company versus a mature, stable one? FP&A Interview Question # 3 

There’s no one-size-fits-all method.
✅ Incremental when stability matters more than innovation.
✅ Activity-Based when every dollar needs to tie to outcomes.
✅ Zero-Based when you’re cutting fat and starting fresh.
✅ Rolling when agility is your competitive edge.
✅ Top-Down or Bottom-Up when culture defines your process.

The smartest FP&A leaders?
They blend these methods based on business pace, predictability, and control needs.

📊 Want to master the art of budgeting?
🎥 Watch the full video via the QR code in the post.

If you found this useful, 
Hit repost 🔁 so more finance pros can learn the difference 
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I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Program Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔
For FREE video content on FP&A Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/des-Fh8N

Top 12 Management reports

1⃣ Month end Reporting

Here the latest month actual are compared against Budget and the latest out with variance analysis, commentary and business recommendations.

2⃣ Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR)

During quarterly business reviews, top management examines progress metrics, and identifies adjustments that can be made based on previous quarters' performance.

3⃣ Plan Deck (Budget Deck)

An operating budget is prepared in advance of a reporting period as a goal or plan that the business expects to achieve in the next financial year.

4⃣ Latest Estimate/ Outlook Deck:

The latest period forecast is updated and compared against previous outlook and comments are made on what has changed from previous outlook.

5⃣ Flash Reporting:

It is a periodic snapshot of key financial and operational data.

Often, it is a one-page report that helps management assess the key performance indicators of the company.

6⃣ Balanced Scorecards

Evaluates performance of senior management not only through a finance perspective but also from perspectives of customers, Processes (Internal Process), & Employees (Learning & Growth).

7⃣ Risks & Opportunities

Risks can have a negative impact while opportunities can have a positive impact on the profitability, and financial position.

In this report all the risks and opportunities are listed along with the probability of its occurrence.

8⃣ Headcount Reporting

This is employee data presented in many ways.

For example, by the type of employment contract: permanent, fixed-term or temporary, by job titles and positions; Full-time or part-time, Location, Age, Gender, Tenure etc.

9⃣ Sales Pipeline Analysis

Pipeline Revenue is forecasted on the basis of the deal stage and probability of conversion and is usually tracked with the help of a CRM tool.

🔟 Adhoc reporting

One-time reports that help the senior management to answer critical business questions immediately by creating an autonomous report.

1⃣1⃣ Investor Presentations

These presentations are prepared for the earnings call.

They give analysts, current investors, and prospective investors a deeper dive into the company results, strategy and culture.

1⃣2⃣ KPI / OKR Reviews

KPIs refer to a set of quantifiable measurements used to gauge a company's overall long-term performance. OKR is a goal-setting framework for defining and tracking objectives and their outcomes.

What would you like to add?
Comments 👇👇
------------------------------------------------------------
I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Program Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔
For FREE video content on FP&A Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/des-Fh8N

After recording 100+ FP&A videos, 
we’ve now created a single playbook with 30+ of the most asked FP&A interview questions each paired with a scannable QR code which directs you to a video answer.

1. What is the Difference between Budget & Forecast?
2. What is Budgeting?
3. Explain the 7 Budgeting Methods
4. Traditional Budget vs Rolling Forecast
5. Can you Describe Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB)?
6. What's the Difference between Top-Down vs Bottom-Up Budget?
7. Walk Me Through Annual Budget Process?
8. What’s the Difference Between Fixed and Flexible Budgets?
9. How Would You Update the Forecast Steps?
10. How Do You Handle Budget Variances?
11. What Are Common Forecasting Methods?
12. Why Do Budgets Fail?
13. What Are the Key Differences Between AOP and Budget?
14. Explain the Concept of Cash Forecast
15. Explain Driver-Based Forecasting
16. How Do You Keep Up with Industry Trends?
17. Walk Me Through Income Statement
18. Walk Me Through Balance Sheet of Your Company
19. Walk Me Through the Cash Flow Statement of Your Company
20. Top 3 Drivers of Your Company
21. Tell Me About a Time When Your Forecast Was Off
22. Difference Between Depreciation vs Amortization
23. EBITDA vs Operating vs Net Income
24. What is Working Capital?
25. Why Do You Want to Work in FP&A?
26. The Secret Formula to Nail “Tell Me About Yourself”
27. Four Questions to Ask Before You Walk Out of Your Next Interview
28. Why Do You Want to Work Here?
29. Tell Me About a Time When You Identified a Risk?
30. The Shocking Truth About Appraisals Nobody Tells You
31. What Are Your Salary Expectations?
32. How Do You Build Financial Models?
33. How do you deal with Forecast Uncertainties?
34. Tell Me About a Time Your Forecast Had an Impact on Business Decision?

👉 Get your free copy here: https://lnkd.in/dTAgzXau
💬 Comment: What FP&A questions would you like me to cover next?

🔁 Like Share and Repost this with your network if you find it useful and support what we’re building at FP&A Professionals Institute
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I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Program Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔
For FREE video content on FP&A Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/des-Fh8N

FP&A interview Questions video guide

Which are the most common FP&A reports
and what they tell you?

Reporting is one of the key 🔑 tool 🔨 for FP&A teams.

These reports 📄 provide
financial 📈 and operational information
about the organization,
and help managers 🧑‍💼
make informed decisions💡

1️⃣ Month - end Reporting
2️⃣ Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR’s)
3️⃣ Operating Plan Deck (Budget Deck)
4️⃣ The Latest Estimate/ Outlook Deck
5️⃣ Flash Reporting
6️⃣ Risks and Opportunities Assessment
7️⃣ Headcount / Manpower Reporting
8️⃣ Ad hoc reporting
9️⃣ Other Common FP&A Report

They help inform and recommend
what the organization needs to do or prioritize.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Program Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔
For FREE video content on FP&A Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/des-Fh8N

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All About FP&A

From Accounting to FP&A

FP&A Professionals Institute

Veerabhadraiah T

Here are 20 Top recommended books for FP&A Professionals

Download a high quality PDF here 👇
https://lnkd.in/db-K3eHs

📚 CFO NITI
📚 The CFO Lens
📚 All About FP&A 
📚 Winning the Room
📚 Painting with Numbers
📚 Effective Data Storytelling 
📚 Budgeting Basics and Beyond
📚 The Audacious Finance Partner
📚 Implementing Beyond Budgeting
📚The Financial Controller and CFO's Toolkit
📚 Create value as a Finance Business Partner
📚 The New CFO Financial Leadership Manual
📚 Financial Forecasting, Analysis, and Modelling
📚 Future Ready: How to Master Business Forecasting 
📚 Storytelling With Data: The Big Book of Dashboards
📚Beyond Budgeting: How Managers Can Break Free from...
📚 Financial Planning & Analysis and Performance Management
📚 60 Minute CFO: Bridging Gap Between Business Owner, Banker & CPA

Please, take a moment to repost 
and share this with your colleagues.

Which one have you read? 
Would you like to add to the list?
Comment Below 👇👇

Please note this is only a book list and not the books
All books are available on Amazon.

Download a high quality PDF here👇
https://lnkd.in/db-K3eHs
------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Program Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔
For FREE video content on FP&A Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/des-Fh8N

Budgets go stale the moment the year begins. 
The best FP&A teams don’t wait 12 months to react they adjust continuously.

👉Here’s a simple visual you can share with your team 
to explain the shift from Traditional Budgeting to Rolling Forecasts.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Program Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔
For FREE video content on FP&A Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/des-Fh8N

Every week we do two things at FP&A Professionals Institute to support ambitious finance professionals:
✅ Share a curated, verified list of FP&A & Finance roles. 
From Analyst to CFO across India and abroad
✅ Offer a few FREE 20-min FP&A career coaching session to help you plan your next big move. (Limited slots)

If your job feels stagnant, maybe it’s time to shake things up.
Let’s plan your next move. Just like I did a decade ago. 
Links in the Comments 👇 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Program Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔
For FREE video content on FP&A Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/des-Fh8N

FP&A Job report 7 Jan 2026

After working with dozens of FP&A teams, here’s what I’ve noticed
When the wrong KPIs are tracked, manufacturing hides quality leaks, supply chains amplify risk, and margins quietly erode 
Long before sales feel the impact.

Every automobile business runs on 5 core stages:
1. Production Planning and Assembly
2. Supplier management and inbound logistics
3. Sales and Distribution
4. Customer ownership experience.
5. Market growth and competitiveness brand strength and sales efficiency.

This article lays out the 15 automobile company KPIs that connect operations to profitability, so FP&A and ops leaders can fix problems upstream, not after the damage is done.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔
For FREE video content on FP&A Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/des-Fh8N

Cars look simple on the surface, but every model is the outcome of tightly coordinated engineering, suppliers, factories, dealers, and service network

Open article: Top 15 Automobile KPIs Every FP&A Must Track by Asif Masani • 7 min read

Top 15 Automobile KPIs Every FP&A Must Track

A big congratulations to the newest cohort of Certified Global FP&A Professionals (CGFPA) who completed in January 2026.

Each of you just joined an elite global community of finance and FP&A leaders who think strategically, tell stories with numbers, and drive real business impact. 

Congratulations:

Santhosh Prudhvi
Hanish Lulla
Nitesh Mukhi
Sarvani Adapa
CA.Vaishali Tapariya
Velenkosini Victor M
Naif Alhusain
Vedavyas dasari
Manjula Buragadda
CA Muskan Gupta
CA Md Faishal
Sulakshana A. 
Hafiz Farid Uddin Akram

If you’ve been watching this journey from the side-lines and thinking 
“I want to level up like them” 

Now’s your moment.
Join the waitlist for the next CGFPA cohort 
and be the next to transform your FP&A career. 
Links in the comments 👇
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔
For FREE video content on FP&A Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/des-Fh8N

CGFPA Jan 2026

Most e-commerce teams are great at tracking sales and ad spends.
Very few can explain why growth stalls or where margin leaks happen.

Without the right KPIs, FP&A becomes a reporting function instead of a growth engine.

Every e-commerce business runs on 5 core stages:
1. Traffic generation
2. Website engagement
3. Purchase & checkout
4. Fulfilment & delivery
5. Retention & loyalty

In our latest article, we break down 15 e-commerce KPIs that FP&A leaders, founders, and growth teams should care about because they directly connect:
• Marketing efficiency
• Conversion and monetization
• Operational execution
• Customer experience
• Long-term profitability

These are the metrics that show:
– where clicks turn into revenue
– where carts are abandoned
– where fulfilment hurts repeat purchases
– and where LTV quietly erodes margins

To go deeper into how to track these KPIs, interpret them, and turn them into reliable forecasts, continue reading the full article.

And if you want to build FP&A skills formally, the CGFPA® curriculum includes modules on KPI design, budgeting, management reporting, financial modelling, scenario-based forecasting, and more. 
Link in the Comments below 👇 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔
For FREE video content on FP&A Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/des-Fh8N

Some e-commerce brands grow predictably to eight figures while others struggle with rising ad costs, abandoned carts, and thinning margins. The differ

Open article: Top 15 E-Commerce KPIs FP&A Teams Must Track by Asif Masani • 6 min read

Top 15 E-Commerce KPIs FP&A Teams Must Track

When I wrote the Data Storytelling Playbook, the goal was simple. 
Make learning simple and visual.

Now my book is upgraded to ZebraLearn 2.0
A complete reading experience.

Where you can read, listen, watch, take quizzes, and ask questions inside the book.

How you can explore my book -
➡️ Listen to it: anytime, even when you’re on the move.
➡️ Watch it: some chapters are easier to grasp in videos.
➡️ Test yourself: quiz to check how much you really absorbed
➡️ Ask anything: zAI can answer your questions instantly.

Glad to have the book as part of the ZebraLearn Library.

Credits Zebra Learn Team: 
Anurag S., Radhika Sundarka, Sujata Gaur, Irfan Syed, 
Vanshikha S., Fairy Panchal ,Namrata Bhagtani, Pradnya C.,Mayank Gupta

Do give it a try & share your experience here!
Link to the book in the comments

👇 Share with your finance colleagues
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm Asif Masani author of All About FP&A and From Accounting to FP&A
Program Director CGFPA® at FP&A Professionals Institute
On a mission to help 1M Finance Professionals master FP&A Skills.
Click my Name + Follow + 🔔

Join me & Dhawal Parvatikar this Thursday, as FP&A Professionals Institute presents an exclusive webinar on '9 Key FP&A Functions.​,' designed for professionals 

We'll cover insights and practical cases on budgeting, forecasting, management reporting, data storytelling, and other related topics.
​
​Join the FREE webinar and take your FP&A Career Path to the next level.

Session Agenda:
​
❇️ The Strategic Role of FP&A in Business Success
❇️ How Budgeting and Forecasting Shape Long-Term Financial Strategy
Transforming Data into Actionable Insights
❇️ Using Data Storytelling to make financial insights more compelling and              accessible
❇️ Enhancing Business Partnerships through FP&A​


 Date: 8th Jan 2025, Thursday​
 Time: 09:00 PM IST

Register Now: https://lnkd.in/djYAKkmT

Not sure if you can make it live? 
Register to receive the recording.
​

Join me & Dhawal Parvatikar this Thursday, as FP&A Professionals Institute presents an exclusive webinar on ' Info + Q&A Session ' designed for professionals 

Learn more about the FP&A Professionals Institute's in-depth 6-month certification program.
❇️ What is CGFPA® Certification?
❇️ How can FP&A Certification benefit my career?
❇️ How can I determine if I am eligible, and what are the application requirements?
❇️ How much time will I need to set aside to ensure full participation in the program?

Date:  22nd Jan 2026, Thursday​
Time:  09:00 PM IST

Session agenda:
​➡ A glimpse into the CGFPA® Program six-month FP&A learning roadmap.
➡ Learn how the CGFPA® program helps you build core FP&A Skills that can fast-track your finance career.
➡ CGFPA® Eligibility Criteria, LIVE Q&A session

Register Now: https://lnkd.in/dayk-6MZ

Not sure if you can make it live? 
Register to receive the recording.

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