The FP&Ai Podcast

Join us for Part 3 of Episode 6 as we continue the conversation with Andrew Brown, diving deeper into his journey, the pivotal moments that shaped his leadership, and the strategies he uses to build resilient teams. Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or someone keen on leadership development, this segment offers actionable insights and authentic stories you won’t want to miss. Part 1: Driver-Based Modeling & The "Why" Behind Numbers [0:04] Introduction: Host Roger Knocker introduces Andrew Brown, noting his background in Accenture and medical technology, and frames the discussion around how finance teams can remain relevant. Knocker interviews Brown as a leadership coach with deep cross-industry experience. [3:41] Beyond the Spreadsheet: Brown explains that while product teams often bring optimism, finance adds value by rigorously validating costs and revenue. He emphasizes that finance’s role is not to reject ideas, but to ensure proposed numbers reflect reality. [5:02] Driver-Based Models: Brown highlights that finance professionals must move beyond simply inserting numbers into a budget. The Shift: He stresses the need to build models based on operational drivers such as quantities, pricing, headcount, and staff grades. The Benefit: According to Brown, business leaders intuitively understand these drivers, even if they do not fully grasp accounting terminology, which creates alignment between teams. [8:25] Continuous Feedback: Brown notes that one cannot steer a vehicle that isn’t moving. Real-time metrics enable small, daily adjustments rather than reactive shocks at month-end. Part 2: Speed, Context, and Breaking Silos [9:57] The Need for Speed: Brown states that operational leaders cannot work effectively when financial data arrives three weeks late. He argues that the expectation should be a turnaround of three to four days. [11:56] Driving Blind: He describes how delayed reporting leaves business owners “driving blind,” causing significant stress as they struggle to manage cash flow or make informed decisions without current information. [14:06] The Missing Story: Brown observes that accountants typically provide the what—such as an income statement—but often fail to explain the why. He says finance must connect financial outcomes to operational realities such as downtime, rework, or issues with specific customers. [15:30] Breaking Silos: Brown argues that finance, HR, and IT should not operate as siloed “staff functions.” Instead, they need to integrate fully into the value chain, from sales to delivery to collections. [20:28] Shared Accountability: He asserts that finance cannot exclude itself from business KPIs like profit. [22:28] The Rugby Analogy: Brown compares effective organizations to the Springboks, where both starters and bench players share ownership of the final score. He emphasizes that finance is part of the team, not merely a scorekeeper, echoing the message that “we are stronger together.” Part 3: Leadership & Adaptability [27:52] Rotating Leadership: Brown discusses the value of rotating Finance Directors between divisions or geographies every few years. This prevents complacency and brings fresh perspectives to long-standing challenges. [33:22] Resilience in Chaos: He notes that leaders raised in challenging or chaotic environments—such as South Africa or India—often learn to block out distractions, prioritize effectively, and solve problems with exceptional clarity. Part 4: The 3 Killer Skills for Future Finance Professionals Andrew Brown identifies three areas where analytical finance professionals need to grow: [35:10] EQ and Empathy: He says finance professionals must move beyond being purely cerebral or task-oriented. Developing self-awareness and understanding emotional triggers are essential to leading teams effectively. [37:48] Strategic Thinking: Brown stresses the importance of shifting from operational or transactional work (looking backward) to activities that create tactical and strategic value (looking forward). [38:49] Self-Regulation (Burnout Prevention): He warns that the finance “monthly treadmill” is relentless. Professionals must manage their own well-being and avoid pushing lean teams to exhaustion. Part 5: Owning the Strategy [41:29] The Finance Opportunity: Brown believes finance is uniquely positioned to facilitate and coordinate the corporate strategy process. [41:59] The Strategy Model: Core Strategy: Focus areas such as market, product, and geography. Strategic Capabilities: Investments in plant, people, and systems—where finance plays a critical role in costing scenarios. Strategic Execution: Ongoing monitoring of the strategic plan.  [47:43] The Glue: Brown concludes that finance should serve as the “glue” holding strategy execution together—tracking progress, ensuring alignment, breaking silos, and helping the organization win.

Finance has always been about the numbers — but what if that is no longer enough? In this episode of the FP&Ai Podcast, Finance as a True Business Partner – Beyond the Numbers, I sit down with leadership coach Andrew Brown to unpack why finance must move past reporting the past and step into shaping the future. We explore: Why finance professionals need to be more than the “spreadsheet people” The power of storytelling and visuals in bringing numbers to life How leadership and change management influence strategy Practical ways finance can drive growth, not just record it If you are ready to shift from being the quiet voice in the room to becoming a true business partner, this episode is for you. Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of finance and strategy. [0:04] Roger Knocker introduces the FP&A podcast and explains that he recently recorded an in-depth conversation with leadership coach Andrew Brown, someone he has worked with and trusted for over 20 years. [0:59] Roger outlines Andrew’s background: BCom, MBA, experience at Accenture, manufacturing, and tech companies. He highlights Andrew’s sharp, unfiltered lens on leadership and strategy. [1:11] Roger frames the discussion as “Finance as a true business partner – going beyond the numbers,” focusing on why finance must evolve beyond bookkeeping and historical reporting. [2:17] Andrew explains leadership coaching: helping individuals and teams develop leadership skills, improve alignment, think clearly, and gain new perspectives. He describes himself as a sounding board and thinking partner. [3:35] Andrew says leaders often can’t see the bigger picture because they're immersed in daily operations. His role is to pull teams out of the “noise” to regain perspective, focus, and prioritization. [5:08] Andrew explains the value of combining strategy, organizational capability (skills, structure, tech), and change management—emphasizing leadership’s role in clearly communicating direction and motivating teams. [7:00] Andrew describes how culture is reflected in how people feel on Sunday night about Monday morning. He works to help teams feel energized and aligned rather than anxious or disengaged. [8:44] Andrew gives an example from a large bank: when the team identified public recognition from the CEO as a key motivational driver, the room’s energy shifted. The goal became not just hitting KPIs but gaining visibility and acknowledgement. [10:58] Andrew argues recognition is a stronger motivator than financial rewards. Rewards become transactional; recognition creates genuine job satisfaction. [12:21] Roger asks how finance typically shows up in strategy sessions (boss barats). He notes finance often opens with last year’s numbers, but afterward becomes quiet as sales and operations take over. [13:53] Andrew says finance usually reports on past performance, explains what can’t be done, and then becomes less involved in growth discussions. He rarely sees finance modeling future opportunities or proactively enabling growth. [14:46] Andrew critiques financial communication: Excel sheets are often overwhelming, unclear, and poorly translated for non-financial executives. [18:03] Roger and Andrew discuss what good finance communication looks like: explaining key variances, highlighting big-ticket items, simplifying data, and guiding the audience from summary to detail. [20:08] Roger suggests using ragging (red/amber/green) and waterfall charts to show the size and impact of variances visually. Andrew agrees—simple visuals dramatically improve clarity. [21:08] Andrew emphasizes the importance of graphical communication; pictures convey meaning faster than bullet points. Finance professionals who present visually stand out. [21:37] Roger recalls an accountant who used clear visuals—like waterfall charts and “worm reports”—to communicate finances effectively at a church, dramatically increasing understanding and engagement. 

Driver based planning only works when it is built on the few levers that truly move results. In Episode 4, Roger Knocker and Anthony Wilson continue the series on budgeting, forecasting and planning with practical examples you can apply now. What we cover: Subscription revenue drivers: additions, cancellations, cohorts and churn Scenario analysis that links revenue, labour, materials and overheads to gross margin Event based cash flow planning that ties invoices, terms and timing to bank movements How to pick the right drivers and keep the model simple enough to use every month If you want a plan that adapts as fast as the market changes, this episode is for you. Subscribe for more conversations that help FP&Ai lead the business. Conversation Highlights: [00:01] Anthony Wilson demonstrates practical examples of driver-based planning across business types, starting with subscription-based revenue. He explains that tracking new contract additions and cancellations helps forecast revenue, calculate churn, and monitor customer retention. [00:20] By modeling these drivers, businesses can adjust assumptions such as price or volume and immediately see the impact on revenue projections. [00:36] Anthony introduces scenario analysis as an extension of driver-based planning. Using key variables—revenue, direct labor, materials, and manufacturing overhead—he shows how different growth or cost scenarios can be tested to measure their effect on gross margin. [00:57] He emphasizes that driver-based models allow rapid reforecasting when business conditions change, making them suitable for dynamic planning rather than static annual budgets. [01:15] Anthony highlights how cash flow forecasting benefits from a driver-based approach. By tracking payment timings, customer terms, and invoice schedules, companies can better project liquidity. [01:38] Implementing this in a system rather than spreadsheets allows aggregation across divisions, supports multi-region or multinational operations, and improves treasury management through automation. [02:00] The conversation shifts to identifying the most impactful business drivers. Anthony explains that analyzing historical data and cause-and-effect relationships reveals how sales, costs, and operational activities correlate. [02:27] He recommends frameworks such as a balanced scorecard to align financial and operational metrics, identifying both financial drivers (e.g., gross profit percentage, net margin) and operational drivers (e.g., volume, machine hours). [02:55] Roger Knocker reinforces the importance of historical data, advising against including too many variables. Focus should be on a few material drivers that truly influence profitability, simplifying modeling and improving accuracy. [03:15] Anthony stresses cross-functional workshops between FP&A teams and business units to ensure models reflect real-world operations and show how actions in one area affect financial outcomes. [03:38] Roger adds that FP&A professionals must confidently represent efficiency, profitability, and cash flow, complementing operational teams focused on quality and service. [03:58] Before using a new model, Anthony advises validating it by running retrospective scenarios—forecasting past months using driver-based assumptions and comparing to actual results—to refine accuracy and build confidence. [04:18] Finally, Anthony emphasizes the importance of business intelligence tools for aggregating and analyzing data, as well as AI and machine learning to detect patterns in large datasets.  [04:40] He notes that as data volumes grow, these tools are essential for modern FP&A functions to deliver real-time, insight-driven decision support.

In Episode 3 of the FP&Ai Podcast, Roger Knocker and Anthony Wilson take the theory of driver-based budgeting and bring it to life with practical examples. From building revenue models based on quantity and price to people planning that accounts for salaries, allowances and benefits, this conversation shows how to turn financial data into meaningful business insights. You’ll discover how to strike the balance between detail and simplicity, avoid the pitfalls of overriding models at year-end, and use tools like Prophix to run real scenarios that link operational activities directly to financial outcomes. Conversation Highlights: [0:04] Roger Knocker welcomed listeners to the new FP&Ai Podcast, co-hosted with Anthony Wilson. The series will share 10 tips on budgeting, forecasting, and planning, starting with the basics and moving into more advanced insights. [1:42] Roger asked Anthony to explain driver-based budgeting and how it differs from traditional budgeting. [2:01] Anthony explained that traditional budgeting often projects past trends into the future (for example, adding 10% to revenue), creating a static view. It does not always link operational activities to financial outcomes. [3:22] Anthony contrasted this with driver-based budgeting, which connects financial results to both operational drivers (sales volume, demand, subscriptions, churn, production) and financial drivers (gross profit margin, net profit). This creates an integrated model that shows how changes in activity directly impact results. [5:09] Roger illustrated the difference with an example: instead of budgeting R10,000 for entertainment, driver-based budgeting breaks it down into number of events × average price per event, which allows for more meaningful adjustments and scenario planning. [6:57] Anthony added that this approach also links drivers to other drivers (for example, more events generate more revenue but also increase costs). This enables businesses to explain variances between actual and budget — not just the “what,” but the “why.” [8:26] Anthony emphasized that forecasting is more accurate in a driver-based model. Instead of simply spreading leftover budgets across future months, companies adjust based on actual activities and drivers, producing a more realistic forward view. [9:21] Roger raised the risk that, under pressure, CFOs sometimes override driver models and insert arbitrary numbers to meet board expectations. Anthony agreed this undermines the value of the model, stressing the importance of staying disciplined. [10:48] Roger and Anthony summarized the fundamental principle: quantity × price = value. They noted that in practice, drivers often cascade: one driver affects another, eventually shaping the financial outcome. [11:22] Anthony distinguished financial drivers (margins, costs, expenses, working capital) from operational drivers (sales volume, customer acquisition, productivity). Businesses must link the two for a complete picture. [13:28] Roger suggested moving from theory to practice, and Anthony demonstrated a Prophix planning model, showing how revenues can be modeled at a quantity × price level across different products, customers, regions, or sales reps. [17:00] Roger and Anthony emphasized the importance of focusing on key products or segments (using the 80/20 rule) rather than overcomplicating models with excessive detail, which can cause delays and override risks. [21:03] Roger noted that while some industries (like pharmaceuticals) require detailed SKU-level planning, most businesses can operate effectively at a higher category level. Anthony concluded that the key is finding the right balance: accurate enough for insight, but not so complex that it becomes unmanageable.

In this episode of the Smart Business Performance Podcast, Roger Knocker welcomes Anthony Wilson and Donovan Moses to explore the strategic objectives of the finance function and how they can align with broader business goals. The discussion highlights key areas where finance can create value—through efficiency, compliance, working capital management, operating margin improvement, and by acting as a trusted advisor across the business. Tune in now to discover the practical steps finance teams can take to strengthen their role as true business partners. Conversation Highlights: [00:04] Roger introduces the topic of finance’s role in setting strategic objectives and welcomes Anthony Wilson and Donovan Moses. [01:06] Roger explains that strategic objectives set the long-term direction for finance, guiding the function over a 3–5 year horizon. [02:30] Anthony Wilson highlights efficiency as a primary goal, pointing out the growing pressure on finance to deliver faster results. He notes that automation and better tools are replacing reliance on Excel. [06:02] Wilson stresses closing speed as a key efficiency benchmark, explaining that top performers close in a few days while others can take weeks. [06:49] Donovan Moses identifies working capital optimization as a critical objective, emphasizing the need for collaboration between finance and supply chain to ensure cash isn’t tied up unnecessarily in excess inventory. [11:27] Roger introduces operating margin improvement as another finance objective, noting the importance of tracking customer profitability, asset utilization, and ROI on projects. [14:18] Wilson highlights the customer perspective, explaining that stakeholders expect accurate, timely, and consistent information. Dashboards and data visualization are recommended as more effective tools than spreadsheets. [17:31] Wilson explains how visualization enables the business to detect trends and shifts more quickly, improving decision-making. [23:16] Moses emphasizes the importance of compliance and risk management, pointing out that reliable execution of payroll, tax, and credit processes is essential for business stability. [27:12] Roger stresses that once compliance and efficiency are established, finance can step into the role of trusted advisor, supporting leaders with insights on pricing, costs, and profitability. [29:37] Wilson reinforces that finance must build trust by delivering efficiently and reliably before moving into advisory functions. [30:32] Roger closes the discussion by summarizing six key finance objectives: efficiency, working capital optimization, operating margin improvement, delivering trusted information, compliance, and advisory partnership. About Our Sponsor: KPI Management Solutions helps organizations achieve their stretch goals using KPIs, OKRs, AI-enabled technology, and training.

Welcome to Episode 0 of the FP&Ai Podcast – Where Finance Meets the Future! In this debut episode, host Roger Knocker is joined by co-hosts Anthony Wilson and Donovan Moses to introduce the vision behind the FP@&Ai Podcast. Together, they explore the future of finance, the transformational impact of AI and automation, and how finance professionals can adapt to the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Conversation Highlights: [0:04] Roger Knocker welcomed listeners to the FP&AI Podcast, describing it as a platform where finance meets the future. Episode 0 introduced co-hosts Anthony Wilson, co-founder of FP&AI, and Donovan Moses, a chartered accountant and recent hire. The focus of the podcast is finance transformation, particularly the role of FP&A and AI. [0:50] Anthony highlighted the importance of exploring current and future technology trends in finance, sharing insights on AI’s growing role in the office of finance, and helping professionals become early adopters. [2:16] Donovan explained that his experience in finance and operations drives his interest in AI applications. He is excited to explore practical use cases where AI can improve both controls and business partnerships, and to share real-world examples from finance professionals. [3:32] Roger reflected on his long-standing interest in the intersection of finance and technology, noting how the gap between IT and finance has narrowed over the years. He emphasized that AI is the latest advancement, allowing finance teams to leverage new technologies effectively. [6:03] Donovan discussed how AI can address common challenges in finance, such as lack of time and inefficient reporting. He stressed that AI can empower professionals to gain insights faster and partner more effectively with the business. [7:51] Roger stated that the podcast targets finance professionals at all levels, from CFOs to finance operations staff, but also benefits other business departments that interact with finance. The aim is to share practical insights and foster learning. [10:01] Donovan highlighted the importance of discussing AI-related risks, particularly data privacy and integrity, and the need for controlled environments to experiment safely with AI tools. [12:57] Both hosts emphasized that the content will be real, practical, and future-oriented, showcasing achievable outcomes in finance through AI and data-driven insights. [14:05] The podcast will release at least two episodes per month, featuring tools, frameworks, practical demonstrations, and guest interviews. The format will remain flexible and agile to respond to listener feedback. [15:01] Listeners are encouraged to subscribe, enable notifications, and engage through comments to shape future episodes. The podcast aims to build a community around finance transformation and practical application of AI.

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