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Hello Reader 👋

I've never been a CFO...and I don't think I will ever be.

But that doesn't mean I want the power of my work to be born by my bosses.

That's a responsibility you have to bear yourself but for that, you need to be influential.

But how can you influence without being the chief?

That's what we're seeing this week.

So take a coffee, sit down and read FP&A Stories just like 23k other readers

This week in FP&A Stories

🛞 Driving business strategy without authority

In the times of my father, only the manager had a say in the strategy and in the discussions with the business.

But that was before and today, you can be influential without having the formal title.

Learn more about the role of FP&A Influencer—the person who leads without a formal seat at the top but still has a role in business strategy.

Just understand one thing: this isn’t about controlling decisions, it’s about guiding them.

What Is an FP&A Influencer?

An FP&A Influencer is the behaviour you (or your team member) will take to make sure that all financially driven decisions are made and adopted.

Think of it as leading from the middle: you know the targets/ambition but you don't push them, you just help the business see the path forward by providing clarity, insights, and options.

Here’s how an FP&A Influencer makes an impact:

• Strategic Insight Provider: You give context to the results thanks to storytelling (although this won't be your unique toolkit).
• Relationship Builder: Influence is built on trust, not authority. You need to build strong connections with leaders across the business. When you’re trusted, you become the go-to person for strategic financial advice.
• Change Agent: As the business evolves, you help steer it through change. That comes mainly thanks to your accountability in managing the process.

Why Influence Matters in Finance

Why is being an influencer in finance key?

Simple: influence often outweighs authority. Nobody takes a decision solely based on numbers.

You need to know how to guide decisions across different teams.

Here’s why the FP&A Influencer role is key:

• Cross-Functional Alignment: You’re cables that connect departments like marketing, operations, and sales with financial goals. Basically, you're the only one having this helicopter view;
• Shaping Outcomes: Your job isn’t to control decisions; it’s to shape them. Just like a storyteller, you must bring the different options to allow people to choose but be convincing on the ones you believe have the most impact;
• Adapting to Change: You have to be agile and absolutely not resistant to change. That means stress and a lot of pressure but also many challenges.

Key Skills of an FP&A Influencer

What does it take to be an effective FP&A Influencer? Here are the skills that matter:

• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Bring a message that is not only important to your partners (why would they care about it?) but also on which they can act (who cares about a reversal of an old provision?)
• Emotional Intelligence: Influence is about people. You need emotional intelligence to read the room, understand concerns, and build trust. Without that, your insights won’t land where they need to.
• Collaboration and Communication: You work across multiple departments, so being able to communicate clearly is critical.
• Persuasion Without Authority: Unlike traditional leadership roles, you’re not commanding people to act. Instead, you persuade them with the weight of your insights and the credibility you’ve built over time. When you speak, it’s not because you have to be heard, it’s because people trust your judgment.

How to Succeed as an FP&A Influencer

If you’re looking to grow into this role, here’s how to make it happen:

• Develop Strong Business Acumen: Accounting/Finance is just real life business events translated into a language (accounting) that only some understand. Translate it back to the business events by knowing how it works on the field;
• Build Relationships: Influence starts with trust. Cultivate strong relationships across the business by sharing the work and the targets. Be a partner in helping other departments achieve their goals.
• Master Communication: I think it's pretty obvious when you know me, right?

The Future of the FP&A Influencer

Now that much of the technical role will be taken either by experts (Architects, Analysts or Data Scientists), the role of the FP&A Influencer will only grow in importance.

Companies will look to their FP&A teams for strategic leadership to cascade to all layers of the organisation.

So if you feel like being the one

• connecting the different departments
• taking a step back and look at the global strategy
• nurturing relationships and being appreciated

Maybe being an influencer is for you 😉

That's a wrap for this week

See you next week!

PS: Whenever you're ready to develop your financial storytelling skills and become the visible face of finance, join the Financial Storytelling Program​