Financial consolidation has long been treated as a “back-office necessity,” but in today’s complex, data-dense businesses, it’s becoming a strategic engine.&nbsp; <a href="https://linkedin.com/in/craig-schiff-bpm" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">Craig Schiff</a>, Founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.bpmpartners.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">BPM Partners</a> joins Melissa to unpack the evolution of consolidation, why it’s resurging in importance, and how AI is reshaping both FP&amp;A and controllership.&nbsp; Craig shares what companies are getting wrong, why consolidation and planning belong together and the trends he’s seeing as organizations move from legacy systems, Excel-heavy processes and fragmented tools toward unified performance management.&nbsp; He also explains the critical connection between actuals, planning accuracy and strategic speed, and why more CFOs now lead with consolidation at the center of their data strategy.&nbsp;&nbsp; Discussed in This Episode: &nbsp;<ul><li>Critical features of modern financial close and consolidation software&nbsp;</li><li>Building a unified finance tech stack&nbsp;</li><li>AI in performance management: What CFOs need to know&nbsp;</li><li>The future of close and consolidation</li></ul> For CFO insights, episode show notes and exclusive blog content, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://thecfoshowpodcast.com/" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">thecfoshowpodcast.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<description>&lt;p&gt;Financial consolidation has long been treated as a “back-office necessity,” but in today’s complex, data-dense businesses, it’s becoming a strategic engine.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://linkedin.com/in/craig-schiff-bpm" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"&gt;Craig Schiff&lt;/a&gt;, Founder and CEO of &lt;a href="https://www.bpmpartners.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"&gt;BPM Partners&lt;/a&gt; joins Melissa to unpack the evolution of consolidation, why it’s resurging in importance&lt;span style="color: rgb(209, 52, 56);"&gt;,&lt;/span&gt; and how AI is reshaping both FP&amp;amp;A and controllership.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Craig shares what companies are getting wrong, why consolidation and planning belong together and the trends he’s seeing as organizations move from legacy systems, Excel-heavy processes and fragmented tools toward unified performance management.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He also explains the critical connection between actuals, planning accuracy and strategic speed, and why more CFOs now lead with consolidation at the center of their data strategy.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Discussed in This Episode:&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Critical features of modern financial close and consolidation software&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Building a unified finance tech stack&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;AI in performance management: What CFOs need to know&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The future of close and consolidation&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For CFO insights, episode show notes and exclusive blog content, visit&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://thecfoshowpodcast.com/" target="_blank" style="color: blue;"&gt;thecfoshowpodcast.com&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Financial consolidation has long been treated as a “back-office necessity,” but in today’s complex, data-dense businesses, it’s becoming a strategic engine. Craig Schiff, Founder and CEO of BPM Partners joins Melissa to unpack the evolution of cons...

Beyond the Close: How Financial Consolidation Creates Strategic Advantage 

Finance doesn’t need to chase a mythical “best-in-class” model, success comes from mastering the fundamentals.&nbsp; In this episode of The CFO Show, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliexwliu/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">Charlie X.W. Liu</a>,&nbsp;Founder and Chief Happiness Officer&nbsp;of <a href="https://meetmcc.co/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">MCC</a>, joins Melissa Howatson to unpack the FP&amp;A Trifecta: finance, data and systems and how getting these right transforms finance teams from spreadsheet operators into strategic partners.&nbsp;&nbsp; Charlie shares lessons from 15+ years advising startups and Fortune 500s on optimizing EPM systems, improving data quality and building finance functions that scale with the business. He also explores how AI is changing finance roles, helping professionals shift from cost controllers to storytellers who drive business growth.&nbsp; Discussed in This Episode: &nbsp;<ul><li>The three pillars of modern FP&amp;A: finance, data and systems&nbsp;</li><li>Why clean data isn’t the goal, useful data is&nbsp;</li><li>How to avoid common EPM implementation pitfalls&nbsp;</li><li>Why finance leaders must become “story sellers,” not just storytellers&nbsp;</li><li>How AI is reshaping skills and structure in the finance team</li></ul> For CFO insights, episode show notes and exclusive blog content, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://thecfoshowpodcast.com/" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">thecfoshowpodcast.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<description>&lt;p&gt;Finance doesn’t need to chase a mythical “best-in-class” model, success comes from mastering the fundamentals.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode of &lt;em&gt;The CFO Show&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliexwliu/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Charlie X.W. Liu&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;,&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;Founder and Chief Happiness Officer&amp;nbsp;of &lt;a href="https://meetmcc.co/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MCC&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, joins Melissa Howatson to unpack the FP&amp;amp;A Trifecta: finance, data and systems and how getting these right transforms finance teams from spreadsheet operators into strategic partners.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Charlie shares lessons from 15+ years advising startups and Fortune 500s on optimizing EPM systems, improving data quality and building finance functions that scale with the business. He also explores how AI is changing finance roles, helping professionals shift from cost controllers to storytellers who drive business growth.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Discussed in This Episode:&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;The three pillars of modern FP&amp;amp;A: finance, data and systems&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why clean data isn’t the goal, useful data is&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How to avoid common EPM implementation pitfalls&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why finance leaders must become “story sellers,” not just storytellers&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How AI is reshaping skills and structure in the finance team&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For CFO insights, episode show notes and exclusive blog content, visit&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://thecfoshowpodcast.com/" target="_blank" style="color: blue;"&gt;thecfoshowpodcast.com&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Finance doesn’t need to chase a mythical “best-in-class” model, success comes from mastering the fundamentals. In this episode of The CFO Show, Charlie X.W. Liu, Founder and Chief Happiness Officer of MCC, joins Melissa Howatson to unpack the FP&A ...

The FP&A Trifecta: How Finance, Data and Systems Drive Strategic Growth 

Career growth isn’t always a straight line, and sometimes the biggest leaps come from taking a step sideways. &nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-r-anderson" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">Troy Anderson,</a> Chief Financial Officer at <a href="https://www.kellyservices.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">Kelly</a>, shares the defining moments, pivotal decisions, and leadership lessons from his 35-year career spanning industries from telecom to education to talent solutions. &nbsp;&nbsp;He reflects on leading major turnarounds and public company transformations, navigating mergers and acquisitions, and building finance teams that act as trusted business partners. Troy also discusses how to communicate through change, the importance of listening before leading, and how AI is reshaping the role of today’s CFO. &nbsp;&nbsp;Discussed in This Episode: &nbsp;<ul><li>The career pivots that shaped Troy’s path to CFO &nbsp;</li><li>How to lead transformation with conviction and clear communication &nbsp;</li><li>The power of listening and empathy in leadership &nbsp;</li><li>Balancing strategy with detail in a modern finance role &nbsp;</li><li>Preparing finance teams for AI and the next era of transformation</li></ul> For CFO insights, episode show notes and exclusive blog content, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://thecfoshowpodcast.com/" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">thecfoshowpodcast.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<description>&lt;p&gt;Career growth isn’t always a straight line, and sometimes the biggest leaps come from taking a step sideways. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-r-anderson" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Troy Anderson&lt;/strong&gt;,&lt;/a&gt; Chief Financial Officer at &lt;a href="https://www.kellyservices.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kelly&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, shares the defining moments, pivotal decisions, and leadership lessons from his 35-year career spanning industries from telecom to education to talent solutions. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He reflects on leading major turnarounds and public company transformations, navigating mergers and acquisitions, and building finance teams that act as trusted business partners. Troy also discusses how to communicate through change, the importance of listening before leading, and how AI is reshaping the role of today’s CFO. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Discussed in This Episode:&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;The career pivots that shaped Troy’s path to CFO &amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How to lead transformation with conviction and clear communication &amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The power of listening and empathy in leadership &amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Balancing strategy with detail in a modern finance role &amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Preparing finance teams for AI and the next era of transformation&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For CFO insights, episode show notes and exclusive blog content, visit&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://thecfoshowpodcast.com/" target="_blank" style="color: blue;"&gt;thecfoshowpodcast.com&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Career growth isn’t always a straight line, and sometimes the biggest leaps come from taking a step sideways.   Troy Anderson, Chief Financial Officer at Kelly, shares the defining moments, pivotal decisions, and leadership lessons from his 35-year...

What 35 Years in Finance Taught Kelly’s CFO About Change

AI promises efficiency, automation, and smarter decision-making, but for large enterprises, the journey is far more complex than simply adopting the latest tool.&nbsp; In this episode of The CFO Show, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajat-bahri-79b5004" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">Rajat Bahri,</a> CFO of <a href="https://www.icertis.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">Icertis,</a> joins host Melissa Howatson to explore how enterprise finance teams can harness AI to drive transformation.&nbsp; With experience leading finance at global organizations, Rajat shares insights on how CFOs can balance innovation with governance, turn AI into actionable insights and lead change across complex data and system landscapes.&nbsp; He also delves into how trust, data accuracy and integration are shaping the next chapter of enterprise finance, and why CFOs must lead from the top to unlock AI’s full potential.&nbsp; Discussed in This Episode:&nbsp;<ul><li>How enterprise finance can leverage AI for smarter, faster decision-making&nbsp;</li><li>The difference between AI adoption in startups and large organizations&nbsp;</li><li>Overcoming legacy systems and data fragmentation challenges&nbsp;</li><li>Building trust, accuracy and responsible AI practices&nbsp;</li><li>How CFOs can upskill teams and set the tone from the top</li></ul> For CFO insights, episode show notes and exclusive blog content, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://thecfoshowpodcast.com/" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">thecfoshowpodcast.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<description>&lt;p&gt;AI promises efficiency, automation, and smarter decision-making, but for large enterprises, the journey is far more complex than simply adopting the latest tool.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode of The CFO Show, &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajat-bahri-79b5004" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rajat Bahri&lt;/strong&gt;,&lt;/a&gt; CFO of &lt;a href="https://www.icertis.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Icertis&lt;/strong&gt;,&lt;/a&gt; joins host Melissa Howatson to explore how enterprise finance teams can harness AI to drive transformation.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With experience leading finance at global organizations, Rajat shares insights on how CFOs can balance innovation with governance, turn AI into actionable insights and lead change across complex data and system landscapes.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He also delves into how trust, data accuracy and integration are shaping the next chapter of enterprise finance, and why CFOs must lead from the top to unlock AI’s full potential.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Discussed in This Episode:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;How enterprise finance can leverage AI for smarter, faster decision-making&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The difference between AI adoption in startups and large organizations&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Overcoming legacy systems and data fragmentation challenges&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Building trust, accuracy and responsible AI practices&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How CFOs can upskill teams and set the tone from the top&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For CFO insights, episode show notes and exclusive blog content, visit&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://thecfoshowpodcast.com/" target="_blank" style="color: blue;"&gt;thecfoshowpodcast.com&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

AI promises efficiency, automation, and smarter decision-making, but for large enterprises, the journey is far more complex than simply adopting the latest tool. In this episode of The CFO Show, Rajat Bahri, CFO of Icertis, joins host Melissa Howat...

How AI Is Reinventing Enterprise Finance

Procurement is no longer just about cutting costs. It’s about creating value, building partnerships and helping finance teams make smarter, faster decisions.&nbsp; On this episode of The CFO Show, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaqilk/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); background-color: rgba(209, 209, 209, 0.5);">Aaqil Kassamali</a>, Procurement Director at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/vena-solutions/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">Vena Solutions</a>, joins <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissahowatson/?originalSubdomain=ca" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">Melissa Howatson</a> to discuss how procurement has evolved into a strategic function that drives innovation and alignment across the business.&nbsp; Aaqil shares lessons from building procurement teams from the ground up, using technology to gain visibility and insight, and balancing short-term savings with long-term value. He also explains why trust, business acumen and collaboration are now the true measures of success in modern procurement.&nbsp; Discussed in This Episode:&nbsp;<ul><li>Shifting procurement from tactical to strategic&nbsp;</li><li>The impact of visibility and data on smarter decision-making&nbsp;</li><li>Building trust and partnership across business functions&nbsp;</li><li>Balancing short-term wins with long-term value creation&nbsp;</li><li>Exploring the future of procurement in an AI-driven world</li></ul> For CFO insights, episode show notes and exclusive blog content, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://thecfoshowpodcast.com/" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">thecfoshowpodcast.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<description>&lt;p&gt;Procurement is no longer just about cutting costs. It’s about creating value, building partnerships and helping finance teams make smarter, faster decisions.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On this episode of The CFO Show, &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaqilk/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); background-color: rgba(209, 209, 209, 0.5);"&gt;Aaqil Kassamali&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: rgba(209, 209, 209, 0.5);"&gt;,&lt;/span&gt; Procurement Director at &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/vena-solutions/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);"&gt;Vena Solutions&lt;/a&gt;, joins &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissahowatson/?originalSubdomain=ca" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);"&gt;Melissa Howatson&lt;/a&gt; to discuss how procurement has evolved into a strategic function that drives innovation and alignment across the business.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Aaqil shares lessons from building procurement teams from the ground up, using technology to gain visibility and insight, and balancing short-term savings with long-term value. He also explains why trust, business acumen and collaboration are now the true measures of success in modern procurement.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Discussed in This Episode:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Shifting procurement from tactical to strategic&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The impact of visibility and data on smarter decision-making&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Building trust and partnership across business functions&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Balancing short-term wins with long-term value creation&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Exploring the future of procurement in an AI-driven world&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For CFO insights, episode show notes and exclusive blog content, visit&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://thecfoshowpodcast.com/" target="_blank" style="color: blue;"&gt;thecfoshowpodcast.com&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Procurement is no longer just about cutting costs. It’s about creating value, building partnerships and helping finance teams make smarter, faster decisions. On this episode of The CFO Show, Aaqil Kassamali, Procurement Director at Vena Solutions, ...

The Hidden Power of Procurement 

With today's increasingly challenging business conditions, finance leaders are taking on more responsibilities and facing more change than ever.    Join Vena’s CFO <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissahowatson/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Melissa Howatson</a> for The CFO Show, a biweekly podcast featuring interviews with forward-thinking finance and business leaders.  Get timely commentary on today’s biggest issues in business, hear from finance leaders on how their work is transforming their organizations and get practical advice for ushering your finance team into the future.    The CFO Show isn’t just a podcast; it’s your forecast for the future of finance.
 
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