Former CIMA President Sarah Ghosh, FCMA, CGMA, discusses the ways the finance function is evolving and the skills finance professionals will need to develop to lead their organisations on that journey.

Ghosh explains the value of continous learning, some of the “power skills” management accountants and finance professionals can adopt to drive value for their organisations as business partners, and what finance professionals need to start thinking about as their roles broaden.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

§ Three themes to think about as the finance profession evolves.

§ The interplay between data storytelling and technology.

§ What “power skills” are critical to navigating the profession in the future.

§ Key skills for becoming a better business partner.

§ The career development opportunities that emanate from expanding your role.

Financial trainer, speaker, and author Andi Lonnen discusses the skills finance professionals need to develop to move into a finance business partner role. Lonnen’s formula for success sets out the ways finance professionals can upskill to move into the role with knowledge, creativity, and confidence.

She also discusses the importance of speaking the language of other departments, where a background in finance can be advantageous to the role, and how professionals looking to make the transition can develop a deeper understanding of their organisation’s goals and challenges.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

§ Nine skills finance professionals need to be effective business partners.

§ Ways to demonstrate and translate finance skills into business language.

§ The importance of getting “personal” when forming connections across departments.

§ How finance professionals can add value to their organisations in a business partner role.

§ Why remembering to be human is fundamental to success.

This episode features Oliver Rowe, the editor-in-chief of FM, detailing the contents of the December digital edition of the magazine.

The discussion summarises articles on topics that include skills development beyond core finance, using Excel modelling to avoid costly mistakes, and capital investment decision-making.

Rowe explains how members can access the most recent edition of the online magazine as well as the issue library.

Previous podcast episodes focusing on 2024 digital editions:

• February
• April
• June
• August
• October

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• Coverage of the AICPA & CIMA leadership transition.
• Skills that CGMA designation holders have developed to advance their careers.
• A summary of an article on balancing in-office work and at-home work.
• Highlights of an article about Excel modelling and how it can minimise mistakes.