Financial Management (FM) magazine: Recent Episodes
Financial Management (FM) magazine
The Financial Management (FM) magazine podcast series features conversations with executives and thought leaders in management accounting. We discuss topics including governance, risk management, performance management, technology, corporate strategy, and leadership. Interviews are conducted by FM editors and contributors.
In this podcast episode, FM editor-in-chief Oliver Rowe summarises the content in the August digital edition of the magazine.
Rowe details an article that discusses the history of business jargon, when it should be used, and when it should be avoided. He also shares details about several articles related to artificial intelligence, including one on how AI is changing early career paths for finance professionals.
He also shares details on a technical article with the headline "Why Time Matters in Carbon Accounting".
Rowe closes with a summary of leadership columns and an explanation of how members can access the current edition and the library of past editions.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Highlights of an article about business jargon, including a mention of where some terms originated.
- Details of the August edition's leadership columns, including the debut column of the new CIMA president, Alfred Ramosedi, FCMA, CGMA.
- A mention of a practical article for finance professionals with the headline "What It Takes for a CFO to Lead Operations and Tech".
- Rowe's reminders on how members can access the digital edition.
In this podcast episode, FM editor-in-chief Oliver Rowe summarises the content in the August digital edition of the magazine.
Rowe details an article that discusses the history of business jargon, when it should be used, and when it should be avoided. He also shares details about several articles related to artificial intelligence, including one on how AI is changing early career paths for finance professionals.
He also shares details on a technical article with the headline "Why Time Matters in Carbon Accounting".
Rowe closes with a summary of leadership columns and an explanation of how members can access the current edition and the library of past editions.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Highlights of an article about business jargon, including a mention of where some terms originated.
- Details of the August edition's leadership columns, including the debut column of the new CIMA president, Alfred Ramosedi, FCMA, CGMA.
- A mention of a practical article for finance professionals with the headline "What It Takes for a CFO to Lead Operations and Tech".
- Rowe's reminders on how members can access the digital edition.
Leadership and mental health speaker Andrew Pain returns to the FM podcast to discuss his ENGAGE UK & Europe session, outline his five-point framework for enhanced decision-making, and share more common biases that distort critical thinking.
Pain also explains the importance of clarifying information instead of relying on gut instincts to form conclusions.
ENGAGE is 13–14 October in London. Registration is open until 9 October.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Why immediacy pushes us into gut-based reasoning.
- Five questions to consider before making a decision.
- Two types of distorted thinking that can make professionals irrational.
- Why psychological safety is a crucial workplace dynamic.
- The benefits and limitations of consulting AI in decision-making.
Leadership and mental health speaker Andrew Pain returns to the FM podcast to discuss his ENGAGE UK & Europe session, outline his five-point framework for enhanced decision-making, and share more common biases that distort critical thinking.
Pain also explains the importance of clarifying information instead of relying on gut instincts to form conclusions.
ENGAGE is 13–14 October in London. Registration is open until 9 October.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Why immediacy pushes us into gut-based reasoning.
- Five questions to consider before making a decision.
- Two types of distorted thinking that can make professionals irrational.
- Why psychological safety is a crucial workplace dynamic.
- The benefits and limitations of consulting AI in decision-making.
Leadership coach and mentor Sue Milne, FCMA, CGMA, describes key strategic and interpersonal skills that can help finance professionals keep pace with evolving business expectations, along with key questions that can help them grow as leaders.
Milne also shares essential attributes for managing finance teams today, how leaders can maintain awareness of potential blind spots, and what core values contribute to inspirational leadership.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- What inspired Milne's career transition.
- How to build better relationships with stakeholders.
- Key skills professionals can hone to manage blind spots.
- What transformational leadership is and how to make it work.
- Key components for becoming your own kind of leader.
Eric R. Alexander, CPA, president of advisory service company Six Arrows Consulting, discusses the lessons he's learned throughout his career in finance and what being a finance leader means for him, and other insights from his upcoming book, Stewardship Leadership for Stinkin' Accountants: Serving as the CFO.
He shares key strategies for developing as a stewardship leader, including how he holds himself accountable, how he views his role as a trusted adviser for organisations, and the steps he has taken to improve in the relational and people aspects of the finance function.
"I've been most effective in my work when I've functioned as a steward, meaning I understood things had been entrusted to me to be responsible for," he said. "I was accountable to people, and fundamentally, it was not all about me."
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Why Alexander says the CFO role is not about you as a finance leader.
- Key elements of stewardship leadership.
- How to hold yourself accountable as a finance professional.
- Why getting into the finer details can complicate decision-making.
- What it means to own your results.
- Tips for enhancing people and soft skills.
In this podcast episode, FM editor-in-chief Oliver Rowe summarises the content in the June edition of the magazine.
Rowe details an article on using artificial intelligence tools to bolster presentations and introduces a new, recurring column on global advocacy. He also highlights several other articles in the edition.
FM's June edition is now available (member login required). Also, access the library of past editions.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Highlights of an article about what AI tools can do to improve business presentations.
- Details of a new, recurring column on global advocacy, which for this edition includes a focus on advocacy's role in building and sustaining public trust.
- The key points of an article about the AICPA and CIMA's Rise2040 initiative.
- Rowe's summary of an article offering advice — for women in particular — on being a strong self-advocate and one on building an anti-fraud culture.
Irena Teneva, an associate technical director at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, joins the FM podcast to share insights gathered from a new AICPA and CIMA report, Future Ready Finance: Productivity at the Human-Technology Crossroads.
Teneva illustrates the types of tasks experiencing clear efficiency gains from artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, where finance leaders are more cautious about implementation, and steps those leaders are taking to expand how tools can be used.
Teneva also highlights why productivity still hinges on finance talent, priority areas for skills development, and how finance leaders are collaborating across business functions.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Process and people priorities for finance leaders in 2026.
- Where AI implementation is leading to time savings for companies.
- Some steps leaders are taking to optimise and expand AI use.
- Why productivity is still a "people game".
- How finance leaders are approaching cross-business collaboration.
- Three key steps to improving efficiency, according to leaders.
Claire DuRose, lead manager–UK Student Recruitment for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, and Vince Mayne, CEO of England Touch rugby, joined the FM podcast to explain the benefits of participating in team sport for students, specifically how team sport can grow skills and increase employability for finance graduates.
They discuss the ways team sport can prepare management accounting students for challenging environments at work, build deeper professional relationships, and help them through the interview process.
DuRose and Mayne also highlight what participating in team sport can give young professionals that academic and other extracurricular frameworks can't.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- The project goals for CIMA's collaboration with England Touch rugby.
- The soft skills that touch rugby can help finance students build.
- "Super skills" that can help students prepare for interviews and work.
- The value of team sport in building deeper bonds in the workplace.
- How participation in team sport can grow leaders' perspectives.
The latest Future of Finance research from the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants reveals several key focus areas for finance and business leaders.
Rebecca McCaffry, FCMA, CGMA, the Association's associate technical director, joined the FM podcast to discuss survey results, highlighting leaders' top transformation strategies, barriers facing organisations looking to upskill talent, and notable areas of progress in finance teams since a previous survey on the topic six years earlier.
McCaffry also explains the interplay between people and process and one key preference that signals a "significant shift away" from organisations' workforce strategies in 2019.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Finance and business leaders' top priorities for transformation.
- Consistencies and shifts in focus from 2019 to 2025.
- The interplay between process and people priorities.
- Skills gap challenges and what risks they pose for organisations.
- Two points of progress since 2019.
- One key strategic area gaining traction and investment.
Anthony Boateng, FCMA, CGMA, Npontu Technologies' chair, explores why retirement planning is about much more than saving money and illustrates the nonfinancial ways that professionals can invest in themselves to prepare for and maintain a sustainable and fulfilling retirement.
Boateng introduces his model for retirement planning, including four main areas he considers essential for growth and relevance into retirement years.
He also suggests several strategies for optimising networking and building deeper relationships, and he explains why a sharp mind matters the closer we get to retirement.
"At 50 and beyond ... you are no longer just working for today," Boateng said. "You are building the intellectual foundation for the next 20, 30, or 40 years."
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Why preparing for retirement is about more than saving money.
- One critical question for reframing our approach to retirement planning.
- Four pillars that can help steer a fulfilling, purposeful retirement.
- The interplay between relationships and wellbeing.
- Three approaches for authentic, meaningful networking.
- Why intellectual growth matters more as we age.
FM editor-in-chief Oliver Rowe details the content in the April digital edition of FM. He begins with an article on setting up an AI governance policy and another on the mistakes companies make related to AI policies.
This episode also summarises articles on how to use salary benchmarking sites and other resources to determine what you're worth and on ensuring a board's capability meets the organisation's business needs.
The conversation closes with an explanation of how members can access the April digital edition as well as the issue library.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Details on two articles related to AI policies.
- A preview of a CIMA member's article on taking a strategic look at a board's makeup to suit business needs.
- Other highlighted topics from the April digital edition.
- How CGMA professionals can access digital editions of FM.
Leadership coach and diversity, equity, and inclusion professional Sophie Turner returns to the FM podcast to explain the intricacies of imposter syndrome, ways it can manifest itself at work, and the internal and external systems that can help professionals manage self-doubt.
Turner shares individual and cultural strategies that professionals and leaders can adopt to combat negative self-talk, broaden perspectives, and lean into a people-centric approach that emphasises learning and development.
"As managers, it's really important we embrace the learning curve and support our colleagues to do that because actually what can happen is, when we make a mistake, that feeds into our imposter syndrome," Turner said.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- One tip for reframing how we see ourselves.
- Five types of imposter syndrome.
- Societal and familial factors rooted in imposter syndrome.
- Techniques for improving the feedback process.
- How leaders can help shift the focus from mistakes to learning opportunities.
- Daily rituals for improving our mindset and self-concept.
Leena Dattani, FCMA, CGMA, discusses how limiting beliefs affected her professional growth, the small steps she takes to overcome them, and the realisation that changed her idea of what it means to be a leader.
"I had a vision that in order to be a great leader, you have to be loud," Dattani said. "I think because I felt that that needed to be the case, I was almost imitating what I thought a leader should be rather than being myself."
Dattani also discusses how one organisation achieved the buy-in to improve gender equity, some ways women can start to back themselves professionally, and what International Women's Day means to her.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Small steps for overcoming poor self-confidence.
- The importance of building a supportive network.
- One realisation that helped Dattani become her own leader.
- How one organisation created a business case for gender equity.
- One trick for challenging limiting beliefs.
- What International Women's Day means for Dattani.
This episode of the FM podcast is the continuation of an occasional series on the show called Beyond the Code.
That means taking a detailed look at part of the CIMA Code of Ethics.
Xose Lumor, manager–Advocacy and Professional Ethics, discusses legal challenges finance and accounting professionals can face when using social media with Jenny Higgins, a legal director for London firm Kingsley Napley.
Related resources for this conversation include:
- The CIMA Code of Ethics home page
- Kingsley Napley's regulatory-focused Linkedin page
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Why it can be beneficial but not foolproof to keep separate personal and professional social media accounts.
- How supposedly "private" online activity can have an effect on a finance professional's reputation and the profession.
- What regulators consider when deciding whether online comments bring a profession into disrepute.
- Why social media posts can carry serious consequences — including disciplinary action — for professionals.
- Why Higgins said a discussion about social media and its potential is not all "doom and gloom".
In this podcast episode, FM editor-in-chief Oliver Rowe summarises the content in the February digital edition of FM. He begins with an article on use cases for finance teams using AI and automation to improve efficiency, from predicting late customer payments to accelerating complex data transformation projects.
This episode also previews articles on practical guidance for strengthening your LinkedIn presence, responding to a rival organisation's recruiting pitch, and understanding more about the fractional CFO model.
The conversation closes with an explanation of how members can access the February digital edition as well as the issue library.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Details on the article about how finance teams can apply AI and automation.
- A short sound clip from Mohit Sharma, ACMA, CGMA, one of the experts quoted in the article on AI and automation use cases.
- A preview of the article on strengthening your LinkedIn presence.
- Other highlighted topics from the February digital edition.
- How CGMA professionals can access digital editions of FM.
Workplace culture and human resources consultant Natalie Lewis explains why an organisation's culture can make or break the long-term business strategy.
"[You] can have the best strategy in the world. You could have a solid five-year plan, and everything looks bulletproof on paper. The numbers all add up, and everything is solid." Lewis said. "But if the culture of your team doesn't support that strategy, then it'll never get delivered."
Lewis explains how to ensure that employees are a good culture fit and offers strategies to better communicate company expectations to employees.
Lewis also sets out some of the expectations that can make middle manager's roles more challenging, what it means to be a self-aware leader, and simple steps for improving feedback processes.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Traits that separate high-performing teams from poor-performing ones.
- A fast-track route for culture-fit hiring.
- Why leaders need to build an intentional culture early.
- Some ways that psychological safety can be destroyed at work.
- Expectations that can make managers' roles more challenging.
- Tips for becoming a better communicator.
Steve Roberts, a psychotherapist, counsellor, and life coach, spoke last year at UK & Ireland ENGAGE. In this podcast conversation, he highlights key techniques for engaging workforces, how to resolve conflicts more effectively, and the impact increased digital communication has had on the way we interpret information.
Roberts also shares one fundamental practice that can help professionals prepare for future challenges without losing their principles.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Three factors that can influence the way we engage with peers.
- Some pressures that can lead to burnout for workforces.
- Why win-win models are the only sustainable position for leaders.
- The story of the Zen master and how it can inform a better approach to learning.
- An acronym for developing a more understanding approach to conflict resolution.
- How managers can become "practical psychologists".
- One essential habit for creating a value-centred approach to personal development.
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This 2025 compilation episode looks back on key takeaways from CGMA credential holders and other experts featured on the FM podcast in the past year. The discussions focus on AI, skills gaps, leadership, and other topics.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- The potential of AI tools and the value of learning them early.
- Technology's impact on communication skills.
- One solution for creating more cohesive teams.
- Advice for navigating uncertainty and difficult colleagues.
- The link between leadership and imposter syndrome.
The latest episode of the podcast provides an overview of content in the December digital edition of FM. Editor-in-chief Oliver Rowe summarises articles that detail the Rise2040 project and other future-focused topics.
The episode closes with an explanation of how members can access the December digital edition as well as the issue library.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- The December digital edition's focus on the future.
- Why IFRS 18 is "more than an incremental update".
- Details of the article on AI visualisation tools by Liam Bastick, FCMA, CGMA.
- Advice for finance professionals who have an eye on the C-suite.
Change consultant and executive coach Nicola Hopes shares several tips and tricks for crafting intentional business projects that can facilitate meaningful changes for organisations.
Hopes explains the fundamental questions that help ensure projects achieve intended outcomes, the importance of knowing what good looks like throughout the process, and how leaders can better balance project demands alongside their day-to-day responsibilities.
"I've seen lots of organisations passionate about doing a great project," Hopes said. "And, at the end of it, what's delivered doesn't quite solve the problem they were trying to solve, or it doesn't quite realise the opportunity, because they just weren't clear enough about what good looks like. Unless you've painted that picture really clearly, you don't know how to navigate the problems as you go through."
Resource: Nicola Hopes' UK & Ireland ENGAGE slides.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Crucial areas to understand before taking on a business project.
- How to improve your approach when pitching initiatives to stakeholders.
- Digital tools that can help organise key information.
- Strategies for improving interpersonal skills.
- How leaders can help stakeholders find common ground during disagreements.
- Three ways leaders can save time and resources on projects.
In celebration of CGMA Week, the FM podcast welcomed two CGMA designation holders who recently spoke at UK & Ireland ENGAGE to discuss the lessons they've learned throughout their careers, how their mindset has shifted over the years, and the advice they would give to finance professionals navigating opportunities in a challenging era defined by potential and uncertainty.
Simon Ritchie, ACMA, CGMA, founder and CEO of Blox Software, and Olcay Yilmaz, FCMA, CGMA, finance director–Rail Infrastructure at Siemens, explain the importance of continuous learning in a time when knowledge has a faster expiration date for finance professionals.
Ritchie and Yilmaz highlight the ways finance professionals can position emerging technologies as innovation drivers in the finance function and how to fully embrace those tools in their roles.
CGMA Week is a global celebration designed to showcase the value, pride, and achievements associated with the CGMA designation.
What you'll learn from this episode:
- How an early start in technology can prevent finance professionals from working "backwards".
- The importance of learning to love learning — and why it pays off.
- Key areas Yilmaz and Ritchie expect AI to optimise within the finance function.
- Strategies for harnessing structure and embracing change through uncertainty.
- Their advice for professionals preoccupied with career ladders and titles.
- Tips for professionals struggling to map their learning and growth journeys.
Executive coach and author Nick Robinson illuminates the challenging traits of work colleagues and shares strategies from his book — The 9 Types of Difficult People: How to Spot Them and Quickly Improve Working Relationships — that professionals can employ to improve relationships on the job.
Robinson, a speaker at UK & Ireland ENGAGE earlier this month, explores the interplay between organisational pressures, psychological stressors, power dynamics, and how those factors can influence the development of traits and behaviours that make people difficult to work with.
He also shares strategies managers and professionals can explore to help get to the crux of performance issues, improve communication skills, and gain a deeper understanding of peers.
"When you ask a difficult person why they're doing what they do, they don't think they're difficult," Robinson said. "They're trying to do something that they think is right."
What you'll learn from this episode:
- Four pressures that can negatively affect our ability to work with others.
- Three common types of difficult people in the workplace.
- Advice for managers and employees to navigate challenging relationships and dynamics.
- Steps for surviving a difficult boss.
- Tips for "unlearning" bad habits that make you appear more difficult to work with.
The latest episode of the podcast provides an overview of content in the October digital edition of FM. Editor-in-chief Oliver Rowe summarises articles on topics that include AI and cybersecurity, including one with advice on writing AI prompts.
The episode closes with an explanation of how members can access the October digital edition as well as the issue library.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- Focus areas of the October digital edition.
- The topic connection in the edition’s leadership columns.
- More about the advice to managers to “keep their antenna up”.
- The topic of the Excel article by Liam Bastick, FCMA, CGMA.
John Graham, FCMA, CGMA, CIMA president and Association of International Certified Professional Accountants co-chair, joined the FM podcast to discuss the pace of change and how finance professionals can lead their organisations through unpredictable conditions.
Graham explains the skills needed to move into a finance business partner role, how to effectively challenge outdated practices, the role of critical thinking skills in gaining trust, and why curiosity is essential for continuous learning and skills development.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- One vital ability for finance professionals in this fast-paced era.
- Key attributes for transitioning into a finance business partner role.
- The impact of critical thinking on career development and reputation.
- Risk management advice and the importance of leading with purpose.
- How the Association plans to prepare members for future trends.
- The convergence of curiosity and success.
Swaran Singh, Ph.D., professor of social and community psychiatry at the University of Warwick, explores the reasons we feel disconnected from our mental process and responses to stressful events, along with ways we can exert more control over those processes to rationalise and minimise uncertainty.
Singh also illustrates the connection between mental and physical health and the role of a growth mindset in limiting stress and promoting positivity in the face of adversity.
He will speak on the topic of mastering your mindset at UK & Ireland ENGAGE in October in London and online.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- § Why organisations’ approach to wellbeing is evolving.
- § How to begin to master your mindset and stay positive.
- § The link between mental and physical health conditions.
- § Small steps to becoming more at peace with change and uncertainty.
- § Ways to reframe your inner critic.
- § Tips for managing and recovering from stress.
Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, is CEO of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and president and CEO of the AICPA.
He’s been in that role since the start of the year and travelled all over the world hearing from members. Summer’s end seemed like a good time for a progress report on a variety of fronts from Koziel, who at the time of publication was visiting Asia.
This is a special edition of the podcast, published jointly on the Journal of Accountancy and FM channels.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- The skills gap affecting businesses around the world.
- Global influence on accounting and standard setting.
- An explanation of Rise 2040 and what it will mean for finance professionals.
- The role of hard and soft trends in strategic planning exercises.
- Why a 2026 report release is not the end of the Rise 2040 project.
- What Koziel has learned about himself now that he’s had nearly eight months on the job.
Leadership coach and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professional Sophie Turner explains how CIMA helped her navigate the learning and development path in her career, the psychology of imposter syndrome, and considerations for organisations looking to create a more diverse and inclusive culture.
Turner explains the importance of objectivity as a remedy for persistent self-doubt and why it’s hard for people suffering from imposter syndrome to tap into the objective side of their brain.
She also illustrates ways that organisations can think differently about creating a workplace where everyone feels valued.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ How CIMA studies led Turner down the leadership coaching path.
§ Why imposter syndrome is more complex than feeling anxious or out of place.
§ The role of feedback in managing imposter syndrome.
§ The way language impacts women professionally.
§ Some reasons why companies fail to execute DEI initiatives.
§ Advice for organisations looking to close diversity and equality gaps.
The latest podcast episode provides a preview of content in the August digital edition of FM. To focus on the edition’s overall theme of sustainability, FM editor-in-chief Oliver Rowe and podcast host Neil Amato are joined for the episode by Jeremy Osborn, FCMA, CGMA, FCPA (Australia), global head of sustainability at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.
Rowe summarises articles on topics such as change fatigue, circular business models, Excel Compatibility Versions, and landing a finance job in the era of AI-enabled hiring. Osborn focuses on the state of adoption of global sustainability standards and how the standards will affect the role of finance and accounting professionals.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· Highlights of the August digital edition cover an article on change fatigue.
· Osborn’s assessment of the “accelerating” global adoption of IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 sustainability standards.
· How the UK’s sustainability standards differ slightly from the IFRS standards.
· A definition and examples of circularity in business.
· Other highlights from the FM digital edition, including an article on Excel Compatibility Versions.
Jamie Gruman, Ph.D., professor of organisational behaviour at the University of Guelph in Canada, discusses some of the ways technology is distancing us from other people and how this can harm employees.
Gruman explains why this era of urgency and efficiency, aided by technological advancements, threatens to further dehumanise and objectify workforces and describes ways this is happening in businesses.
He talks about the research he and Alan Saks, Ph.D., professor of organisational behaviour and human resources management at the University of Toronto Scarborough), have done. That research concludes that work cultures focused on care are necessary for good management and satisfied employees. Gruman also highlights one commonly held “naive belief” preventing the development of more compassionate practices in the workplace.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ Different ways technology can dehumanise and objectify employees at work.
§ Why creating a caring work environment should be simple.
§ One shared falsehood that stops organisations from implementing caring cultures.
§ The role of leadership in demonstrating and rewarding care.
§ The interplay between work culture and employees’ relationship with technology.
§ How employees are resisting algorithms that threaten their autonomy.
Ben Schwencke, chief psychologist at Test Partnership, a psychometric assessment and pre-employment testing service provider in the UK, joined the FM podcast to discuss common recruitment challenges facing employers, what psychometric testing entails and how it's implemented, and the use of artificial intelligence in recruitment practices.
In an earlier FM episode, an expert discussed how businesses are eager to embark on AI initiatives despite remaining wary of its pitfalls.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- Why an assessment of recruitment challenges in a business depends on who you talk to in the organisation. An explanation of psychometric testing and common concerns companies may have in using such testing.
- Why Schwencke considers it beneficial for job candidates to be allowed to take a practice test version of a psychometric assessment.
- The “two sides” to the use of AI in the recruitment process.
- Why recruitment methods should include tools that both incorporate AI and are resistant to it, according to Schwencke.
Stephen Flatman, vice-president–Education & Professional Qualifications at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, explains how the CGMA Professional Qualification (CGMA PQ) upgrade is designed to respond to the change of “shape” in the finance function and how those changes will propel businesses and expand opportunities for finance professionals.
Flatman discusses disruptions to role requirements and career development opportunities in a competitive job market and the skills and competencies required for finance professionals to drive organisations forward and future-proof their careers.
“I genuinely think we engineered the way we think about education, and that will transform the skills and competency acquisition of candidates going through the programme,” Flatman said. “We think that there's real growth in the strategic and analytical roles that we're preparing people for.”
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ External factors driving talent development challenges for employers.
§ Some ways the CGMA PQ is changing to meet the growing requirements of the finance function.
§ What an evolving finance function means for students and members.
§ How a business-partnering focus aims to expand future finance professionals’ skillsets.
§ Essential skills to empower professionals across various roles and industries.
This episode features Oliver Rowe, FM’s editor-in-chief, detailing the contents of the magazine’s June digital edition.
The discussion begins with a focus on the CGMA Professional Qualification’s May update. Rowe also details the key points of an article about accountability and discusses the magazine’s regular columns and features.
The episode closes with an explanation of how members can access the June digital edition as well as the issue library.
Previous 2025 episodes about the digital editions:
n February
n April
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· Highlights of an article about the CGMA Professional Qualification update.
· Advice in an article about dealing with the growing threat of deepfake fraud.
· A summary of the president’s column by Simon Bittlestone, FCMA, CGMA.
· Details of one article’s focus on the social-return-on-investment framework.
· An explanation of vertical and horizontal accountability and their relationship to the finance function.
This episode of the FM podcast is the continuation of an occasional series on the show called Beyond the Code.
That means taking a detailed look at part of the CIMA Code of Ethics.
Xose Lumor, manager–Advocacy and Professional Ethics, discusses details with Monique Samuel, associate manager–Professional Conduct, on how members can properly handle official complaints and what they should know about the process if a complaint moves forward.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
n A downloadable ethics checklist.
n CIMA Member in Practice Rules.
n A summary page on CIMA’s approach to potential sanctions.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· An introduction of the topic and a refresher on the Beyond the Code series.
· Why members in practice should maintain communication with a client that has raised an official complaint.
· An explanation of resources, including an ethics checklist that can help members deal with ethical dilemmas.
· Samuel’s summary of the process after an ethics complaint is referred to the Disciplinary Committee.
· A reminder that such complaints are rare.
Bayport Financial Services’ CEO Alfred Ramosedi, FCMA, CGMA, explains why having employees return to the office is not enough to improve productivity and why leaders should transparently explain expectations of workers.
Ramosedi details the benefits for organisations that are intentional about bringing employees back to the office, where morale could be affected by return-to-office policies, and what three things senior leaders can do to drive productivity across all work models and environments.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ Four reasons companies are asking employees to return to the office.
§ Why leaders need to understand and communicate how they intend to measure productivity.
§ Three possible advantages for companies’ bringing employees back to the office.
§ Morale concerns that could arise from return-to-office policies.
§ The importance of rewarding employees with flexible working arrangements.
§ Three things leaders can consider to drive productivity across all work models.
Author Mike Drayton, a clinical psychologist and leadership coach at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, explores attributes professionals can build on to be more persuasive at work, key distinctions between persuasion and manipulation, and examples of coercion in the workplace.
He also explains why expanding influence in the workplace is less about “clever words or phrases” and more about exhibiting expertise and reliability.
On 8 May, Drayton is scheduled to speak on influencing and persuasion skills at AICPA & CIMA’s 2025 CPD 360 Annual Conference at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement in the UK.
Last July on the FM podcast, he shared tips for managing burnout, including how to adopt firm boundaries to prioritise wellbeing.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ Some differences between influence and persuasion.
§ Attributes and behaviours that can make us more persuasive.
§ Distinctions between persuasion and manipulation.
§ How to spot and respond to coercive tactics in the workplace.
§ Two fundamental traits that make us more respected at work.
§ Questions to help professionals identify their strengths and weaknesses.
This episode features Oliver Rowe, FM’s editor-in-chief, detailing the contents of the magazine’s April digital edition.
The discussion highlights articles on artificial intelligence (AI), including one that advises how finance can steer AI adoption. Rowe also details the key points of an article on understanding and avoiding burnout and discusses April’s regular columns.
Also included: an explanation of how members can access the April digital edition as well as the issue library.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· The edition’s focus on AI and explanation of three AI-related articles.
· Advice from regular FM writer Rhymer Rigby on avoiding burnout.
· A practical Excel article: How to create a chart template in Excel.
· The other articles in the edition, including regular columns, a Q&A with Association CEO Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, and Institute News.
· Ways to access the April edition.
Andrew Pain, a motivational, mental health, and wellbeing speaker, explains why we should be cautious about using gut feelings to help us make decisions.
Pain also explains psychological and environmental steps we can take to ensure our decision-making processes are fair and logical and offers ways organisations can make conversations around biases more comfortable and accessible.
“If we want to make better decisions, then we need to understand these biases and how we relate to them,” Pain said.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ Why our gut instincts are often flawed.
§ A mental checklist for working through problems effectively.
§ Resources to improve our awareness of biased thinking.
§ One way organisations can improve bias training courses.
§ Environmental factors and stimuli that can interact with cognitive processing.
Wassia Kamon, CPA, a member of AICPA & CIMA’s Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee (WIEC), emphasises the interplay between gender equity, representation, and establishing yourself as a leader in this podcast episode celebrating International Women’s Day.
Kamon discloses how seeing gender representation early in her career helped her find her voice at work while balancing study and family commitments. She also explains why women often endure “subconscious” doubts when it comes recognising their worth as a leader.
International Women’s Day this year is on Saturday 8 March.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- Why more women are climbing the ladder in the profession.
- Gender representation’s impact on work culture.
- The relationship between hybrid work and equal opportunities.
- How the WIEC engages and empowers women in finance.
- The convergence of underrepresentation and impostor syndrome.
Clare Haynes, an organisational psychology specialist and leadership coach, explains why there is a disconnection between teams and leadership, and suggests some ways leaders can get meaningful feedback from their teams.
Haynes also identifies some qualities and traits that can help leaders grow in their roles, and why it’s important for leaders to “have a sounding board” during times of stress and increased pressure.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ Why teams and management are becoming more disconnected from each other.
§ The relationship between new working environments and skill loss.
§ Two ways leaders can elicit constructive feedback from their teams.
§ Notable traits and qualities that inspire better leadership.
§ Tactics to reduce stress and minimise burnout risks for leaders.
This episode features Oliver Rowe, the editor-in-chief of FM, detailing the contents of the February digital edition of the magazine.
The discussion summarises articles on developing executive presence, more effective people leadership, and the right way to share and analyse data.
Rowe explains how members can access the most recent edition of the online magazine as well as the issue library.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· Strategies for building executive presence, including the advice that not all the skills are must-haves.
· A summary of an article on ensuring that DEI initiatives enhance business outcomes.
· How finance business partners can optimise so-called “democratised” data.
· Details about the cover story on managing people.
Zach Rattner, co-founder of global software development company Yembo, says that when it comes to artificial intelligence, organisations are eager to get started with AI but wary of the pitfalls. “Every group is figuring out what does it mean for them, and the rules of how it is going to end up are still being decided,” he said on this episode of the FM podcast, recorded at UK & Ireland ENGAGE.
Rattner explains beneficial ways to explore those tools to help professionals and leaders work better with them, what interpersonal skills professionals could sharpen as organisations become more driven by technology, and why it’s counterproductive to resist experimenting with technology.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ Where finance professionals can expand their thinking around the possibilities of AI.
§ How to avoid “losing your seat at the table” for AI conversations.
§ Platforms that can help professionals upskill and enhance AI literacy.
§ The essential interpersonal skills to develop for the digital era.
§ Why fear of failure is a roadblock to AI proficiency.
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.
Career coach Devya Athwal, ACMA, CGMA, discusses positive beliefs and steps that can help professional accountants become more confident in their roles.
Athwal, a speaker at UK & Ireland ENGAGE in October in London, also explains why transformation starts from within and how letting go of day-to-day fears can help professionals better accomplish their goals.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ Why Athwal believes that transformation starts with looking inward.
§ How accountants can overcome their own limiting beliefs.
§ Practical ways to channel a growth mindset.
§ Steps to building confidence in challenging environments.
§ The link between collaboration, knowledge sharing, and career development.
Naomi Dake, a wellbeing, leadership, and organisation development specialist, explains how to use stress as a tool to develop professionally, induce curiousity, and improve performance at work.
Dake also discusses the relationship between stress and mindset and the nonfinancial ways leaders and managers can invest in teams and employees to prioritise growth and wellbeing.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ The core attributes of a wellbeing culture.
§ The distiguishing factors between a healthy and unhealthy work environment.
§ Leadership practices that can inform a healthy work enviornment.
§ Psychological traits and tools that can help us work better under stress.
§ Why role-modelling is key to building a culture of growth and safety.
Persistence has paid off for Ameena Ziauddin, FCMA, CGMA, president and managing director of Norfolk Foods in Sri Lanka, who sees value in the power of connection, whether on LinkedIn or over a cup of coffee.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- Why memories such as being “on the roof” stand out to Ziauddin.
- The ways that Norfolk Foods emphasises and values innovation.
- How Ziauddin’s exposure to several industries has helped improve efficiencies and implement cost-saving initiatives.
- The value of having “a simple chat over a cup of coffee”.
- Ziauddin’s advice for the next generation of finance professionals.
This episode features Oliver Rowe, the editor-in-chief of FM, detailing the contents of the October digital edition of the magazine.
Rowe highlights several articles, including a focus on cybersecurity.
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
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· The theme of the October digital edition.
· Finance’s role in mitigating ransomware threats and response to such incidents.
· The growing problem of recruitment fraud and how finance professionals can guard against it.
· Details of an article about how CFOs can strengthen their contribution to the business.
Simon Bittlestone, FCMA, CGMA, began his one-year term as CIMA president and AICPA & CIMA chair in June, and he joined the FM podcast for an interview in late July, discussing what he sees as three key opportunities for the accounting and finance profession.
In the episode, Bittlestone reviews his focus areas, explains the value of a technology background when leading technology initiatives, and details how seizing opportunity as it relates to today’s workforce can help to future-proof the profession.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· Why he agrees that the profession faces challenges, which he views as opportunities.
· The area of accountants’ work that, according to Bittlestone, has understandable “pushback”.
· Three takeaways from Bittlestone on the ESG course offered in partnership with Oxford University.
· Why Bittlestone considers it important to focus on the profession’s future generations and accountants already in the profession.
· His thoughts on the retirement of AICPA & CIMA CEO Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA.
Paul Thambar, FCMA, CGMA, Ph.D., associate professor of accounting at Monash University in Australia, explains the obstacles CFOs face when transitioning to a business partner role and where organisations are setting ambiguous and conflicting expectations for finance leaders.
A recent AICPA & CIMA report on the role of the CFO was informed by Thambar’s research.
Thambar also discusses the challenges and opportunities for CFOs grappling with digitilisation and how aspiring CFOs can adopt a “progressive” approach to career development. Thambar also was a guest on a 2019 FM podcast episode.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ Why CFOs sometimes struggle to transition into a business partner role.
§ Some ways organisations are setting ambiguous and conflicting expectations.
§ How relationship building can help CFOs grow in their roles.
§ The importance of understanding digitilisation at “two levels”.
§ What it means to be a “progressive” CFO.
This episode features Oliver Rowe, the editor-in-chief of FM, detailing the contents of the August digital edition of the magazine.
Rowe highlights several articles, including the first column by CIMA President Simon Bittlestone, FCMA, CGMA. He also discusses articles on digital transformation, based on a previous FM podcast episode with author David Rogers; working with images in Excel; and dealing with meeting anxiety.
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:
n February
n April
n June
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· Details on an article about digital transformation — and why many of the steps in such a transformation don’t include technology.
· Highlights of an Excel article by Liam Bastick, FCMA, CGMA.
· Advice on preparing for and overcoming anxiety about meetings.
· Options for accessing current and past digital editions.
Author Mike Drayton, a clinical psychologist and leadership coach at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, explains why certain people are more susceptible to burnout than others, how people can recognise the early signs of burnout within themselves and in the people around them, and why it’s important to stay “rounded”.
Drayton suggests tactics that leaders and professionals can adopt to establish firm boundaries, promote work/life balance within their teams, cultures, and themselves, and encourage professional and personal development.
Drayton is scheduled to speak in October at UK and Ireland ENGAGE about the psychology of influence and persuasion.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ Steps for managing burnout.
§ What behaviours can determine if leaders will be prone to burnout or not.
§ Two personality traits that make people more vulnerable to burnout.
§ Ways to set firm boundaries that prioritise work/life balance.
§ What it means to “strive for wholeness” and how to adopt that mindset.
This episode of the FM podcast is the continuation of an occasional series on the show called Beyond the Code.
That means taking a detailed look at the CIMA Code of Ethics.
Xose Lumor, manager–Advocacy and Professional Ethics–Management Accounting at AICPA & CIMA, talks with Samantha McDonough, another AICPA & CIMA ethics manager, who oversees the CIMA ethics helpline and email inbox.
In the episode, McDonough shares some of the questions received from CIMA members and registered students, general guidance for how some of those concerns can be addressed, and resources for members who might find themselves facing an ethics dilemma.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
n The main CIMA ethics resources page.
n The page where an ethics checklist can be downloaded.
n The email address for members with ethics questions.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· An introduction of the topic and the focus of the Beyond the Code series.
· Why McDonough advises members and students to give business advice in writing.
· A hypothetical example of a potential conflict of interest.
· One scenario in which an accountant might be asked to create a misleading financial report.
· Resources available on the CIMA ethics page, including the email inbox address and the number for the telephone helpline.
This episode features Oliver Rowe, the editor-in-chief of FM, detailing the contents of the June digital edition of the magazine.
Rowe highlights several articles, including one on the risks associated with generative AI.
One article explores common management reporting mistakes to avoid. Also in the issue are articles about successful enterprise resource planning implementations and on the shifts that are redefining how finance creates sustainable value.
Rowe explains how members can access the most recent edition of the online magazine as well as the issue library.
This link features Rowe speaking about the February edition, and this link has the conversation about the April edition.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· Details of an article focused on the risks of generative AI.
· Highlights of an Excel article by Liam Bastick, FCMA, CGMA.
· Advice from author Rhymer Rigby on preparing to go on holiday.
· Options for accessing current and past digital editions.
Author Nuala Walsh, CEO and founder of MindEquity, a business and behavioural science consultancy in the UK, discusses the challenges of being a thoughtful leader in “the daily din of distraction and disinformation” – and why decision friction is a necessary skill.
Walsh’s book, Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World, suggests numerous strategies that leaders can use to analyse information effectively and holistically, as well as methods to recognise biases and misjudgements that could hold them back.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ What it means to tune in and tune out.
§ Some reasons we fall into misinformation traps.
§ Strategies we can use to recognise our biases.
§ How decision friction can help us more accurately decode the information we hear.
§ The benefits of using emotional intelligence to interpret clouded judgements.
The best time to start on digital transformation? Well, it was five years ago. But, says digital transformation expert David Rogers, starting now is the next best time.
Rogers, an author, speaker, and corporate consultant, is also a professor at Columbia University. He explains some of the ways companies hurt themselves in transformation efforts, why people management is such a big part of those digital changes, and how some companies are making gains even without big budgets or fancy, new apps.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· A discussion on why digital transformations are so difficult.
· The importance of people alignment in a digital transformation effort.
· Why budgeting is not a vital part of such transformations.
· The advice about planting a tree that also applies to digital transformation urgency.
· Why there is no single KPI for digital transformation.
This episode features Oliver Rowe, the editor-in-chief of FM, detailing the contents of the April digital edition of the magazine.
Rowe explains how members can access the most recent edition of the online magazine. He also highlights several articles, including this edition’s theme of sustainability.
One noteworthy column, on businesses increasingly taking a multicapital approach to maximising value, was written by CIMA President Sarah Ghosh, FCMA, CGMA. Ghosh recently was a guest on the FM podcast, speaking about the importance of International Women’s Day.
Also, this link features Rowe speaking about the February edition.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· The paths for members to access content in the digital editions.
· Highlights of the April edition, including focus areas of sustainability and leadership.
· The advice regular contributor Rhymer Rigby gives for delivering bad news.
· The focus of Liam Bastick’s column on using Microsoft Excel.
Avani Desai, CPA, attended the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, in January. It was her first visit to the mountain town’s famed event that brings together world leaders and subject matter experts.
In this episode of the FM podcast, Desai reflected on the lessons she learned and on the perspective she gained — as an attendee and a discussion moderator. Desai led a panel discussion on the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), supply chains, and cybersecurity. She summarised some of the lessons she can apply to her role as CEO of a large US accounting firm.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· Desai’s description of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
· Details of the panel discussion that Desai led.
· The session that was “definitely a highlight” for Desai.
· The tie-in between AI and cybersecurity.
· Why the International Women’s Day theme resonates with her.
· How one mentoring experience changed Desai’s view of Schellman’s messaging about the profession.
· The lessons from Davos she has taken back to her firm.
Sarah Ghosh, FCMA, CGMA, is most of the way through her one-year term as CIMA president. In this episode of the FM podcast, intended to recognise International Women’s Day, she reflects on people she’s met, questions she’s asked, and progress made on numerous fronts.
Ghosh discussed the launch of an AICPA & CIMA mentoring programme, reflected on her background in technology, and shared highlights of her global travels.
FM resources:
Article about a finance director on leading with integrity
Article about a CFO in South Africa who champions collaboration
Article about a Singapore CFO on leadership
AICPA & CIMA resource:
Main page on diversity, equity, and inclusion
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· Three themes of her term as CIMA president.
· How the accounting profession can continue to be purpose-driven.
· Ways in which the profession can take the lead on inspiring inclusion.
· The stories of female leaders that “are really powerful”.
Author Alison Taylor, a clinical associate professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, explains the reasons business ethics has become a “confused topic” and why treating ethical problems as “tick-the-box PR” can make leaders look directionless.
Taylor’s book, Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World, opens up a discourse on new ways to approach this complex landscape and highlights the importance of prioritising fundamental values, with the impact on human beings at the centre of decision-making.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- Why business ethics is a complex issue.
- The problems arising from conflating ethics and ideology and treating “CEOs as politicians”.
- How to cut through the noise by taking a people-centric approach.
- The reasons that leaders should avoid treating ethics and impact issues as public relations problems.
- The importance of understanding and focusing on your core values.
This episode features an occasional host of previous FM podcasts, Oliver Rowe, who is editor-in-chief of FM.
Rowe explains how members can access the most recent edition of the online magazine. He also details some of the articles, including those by AICPA & CIMA leaders.
Resources:
n The page for members to access FM editions.
n The public link for FM magazine, featuring news, podcasts, and more.
n A previous, ethics-focused FM podcast episode hosted by Xose Lumor.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· Details on the frequency of FM editions.
· Two paths for members to access the content in the editions.
· An explanation of the fraud triangle and highlights of Xose Lumor’s article on the topic.
· More on Rhymer Rigby’s career-focused article about dealing with the departure of the boss who hired you.
· One article’s practical advice on leading digital strategy.
Andrew Harding, FCMA, CGMA, chief executive—Management Accounting at AICPA & CIMA, made the trip to Orlando, Florida, last week to continue in the knowledge sharing that occurs at the Future of Finance Summit, a US event in its third year and one with companion events in other parts of the world.
In this FM episode recorded at the summit, Harding shared key takeaways, insights into the optimism from businesses in China, and why one session topic took him back to his days as a coach on the football pitch.
He also offered a succinct, three-pronged message for the profession in 2024.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· The importance of “learn, unlearn and relearn” for finance professionals.
· An explanation of the T-shaped model for skill and knowledge development.
· Why a session on how women can gain appointments to corporate boards resonated with Harding.
· His observation about China’s use of digital payments being different than in other parts of the world.
· An explanation of the T-shaped model for skill and knowledge development.
· The key trends affecting the profession in the new year.
A single cybersecurity breach can cost millions of dollars, so it’s critical that companies take a proactive approach and commit to shoring up their defences by making informed decisions and investments. An updated CGMA cybersecurity tool provides a place to start.
Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA's associate director–Management Accounting Research and Development, joins the FM podcast to discuss the latest trends in cybersecurity and share details about what the recently released tool offers organisations of all sizes.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· How digitalisation sped up by the pandemic has accelerated cyber risk.
· The stunning price tag of a security breach and the areas that are most vulnerable to breaches.
· The unique challenges facing small entities, and a small step they can take to combat their concerns.
· Top “amplifiers” and “mitigators” that finance decision-makers should keep in mind.
· How the CGMA cybersecurity tool can help IT pros and non-IT stakeholders alike.
Productivity expert and author Hayley Watts discusses the reasons people struggle with productivity and why digital correspondence is, despite its advantages, creating a challenging environment for communication.
Watts spoke at the UK and Ireland ENGAGE several months ago, and she offers tips to help leaders and employees to channel productivity into their working lives.
Watts, a co-author of How to Fix Meetings: Meet Less, Focus on Outcomes and Get Stuff Done, explains why technology can sometimes be more of a hindrance than an aid, why less is more when it comes to setting priorities, and shares strategies we can use to “get in the zone” in an era of urgency and distraction.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ Three common reasons why people struggle to stay productive.
§ Why our reliance on digital tools to improve communication can be antithetical.
§ How leaders and managers can respond to cultures that are enabling burnout.
§ Why flexible working is a challenging balancing act.
§ How to get a better understanding of daily goals and priorities.
New research from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) found a disconnect between the way leaders operate in day-to-day business and the long-term strategic initatives that keep businesses relevant and competitive amid constant change and transformation.
Peter Spence, associate technical director of management accounting at AICPA & CIMA, and Andy Beanland, a former consultant with the WBCSD, provide further insight into why business strategies are becoming increasingly complex, and why a holistic, adaptive approach to performance is necessary to set businesses up for long-term success in an era of disruption.
Resource page
AICPA & CIMA
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ How integrated performance management can help drive better business decision-making.
§ Some of the reasons businesses today may fail to fully execute their strategies.
§ Why silo mindsets make for weak management systems.
§ Analysis of the differences between weak-matrix and strong-matrix management systems.
§ The importance of adaptability and innovation in an era of change.
§ How to create a performance culture that engages workforces.
This episode of the FM podcast is the start of an occasional series on the show. That series is called Beyond the Code.
In this case, that means taking a close look at the CIMA Code of Ethics.
Xose Lumor, manager, Advocacy and Professional Ethics – Management Accounting at AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, talks with disputes attorney Alastair Campbell, of the firm Level, about some of the ethical issues that accountants should be prepared to face.
The vast majority of CIMA members comply with regulations, and misconduct is not the norm. But there are instances where ethical violations are reported or alleged. Campbell takes listeners through some of those examples and reminds accountants that being “unimpeachable in terms of your integrity” is one key way to make sure no ethics missteps occur.
Resources:
Campbell’s contact information: alastair.campbell@level.law and LinkedIn
Lumor’s contact information: Xose.Lumor@aicpa-cima.com and LinkedIn
More about Regulation 19 and the duty to notify
It makes sense that the themes emerging from the words of Phillipa Spicer, FCMA, CGMA, and Bruce Martin, ACMA, CGMA, are similar — they are sister and brother, both having ascended to CEO roles in the UK. Spicer set forward on a path to becoming a management accountant, and her younger brother followed.
In this conversation, hear about their early trips to the office while growing up in South Africa, the questions they got from students, and the advice they give about being your own self as a CEO.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· Martin and Spicer’s youth in South Africa (2:24).
· The early exposure they had to office “work” (5:50).
· Spicer’s reflection on “being really fortunate” to land a temporary role with Unilever (7:01).
· How Spicer has applied her work in other sectors to the role as CEO of a charity (9:03).
· Martin’s path to a role at Vodafone in the UK and then other businesses (12:26).
· The top challenges that Spicer (17:42) and Martin (20:03) have overcome to make the move from finance leader to chief executive.
· The siblings’ recall of speaking about career journeys with university students (Spicer at 22:25 and Martin at 24:57).
· Advice from Martin (28:15) and Spicer (29:39) for aspiring CEOs.
· Why Spicer advises budding leaders to “make your own kind of music” (30:54).
AICPA & CIMA research on the future state of the finance profession found emerging themes from global discussions with leaders around the world. Some of these themes include automation, hybrid working, sustainability, and moving beyond traditional finance roles.
Rebecca McCaffry, FCMA, CGMA, associate technical director at AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, discusses the shift from traditional finance in a digital world, to a new era of soft skills as the value of people and connection takes focus.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
§ How finance roles are becoming less fixed and more adaptable.
§ An overview of focus areas for management accountants and finance leaders across the globe.
§ The shift of focus from digital to soft skills, and why those skills are becoming more ingrained into the culture and priorities of accountants now.
§ How the younger generation is influencing change in the profession.
Christina Thomas-Lewin, FCMA, CGMA, is now assistant financial controller for a US company, but she got her start in finance in the UK. In this podcast episode, Thomas-Lewin discusses her career moves, the value of lifelong learning, and the meaning behind the phrase “block it out to knock it out.”
She also talks about the importance of delivering potentially negative feedback and how that skill can help both employees and managers.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· An overview of Thomas-Lewin’s career path.
· The overseas destinations that she had in mind before moving to the US.
· Why lifelong learning is one of Thomas-Lewin’s passions.
· More about her advice phrase “block it out to knock it out.”
· What she learned from being a trampolining coach.
This episode of the FM podcast focuses on the newly updated Global Management Accounting Principles (GMAPs). The principles, first released nearly 10 years ago, provide a framework for management accountants. The most recent version updates that framework to reflect new business realities. David Hackett, an AICPA & CIMA technical manager, looks back at the previous version of the GMAPs and explains some of the key updates.
The GMAPs, scheduled to be featured in detail at a session Wednesday at AICPA & CIMA ENGAGE 2023, are designed to lead management accountants and their organisations to better decision-making.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· An explanation of the GMAPs.
· A timeline of the most recent update to the GMAPs and some of the changes that spurred the update.
· Some of the external factors leading to a need for more agility, according to Hackett.
· How a management accountant can use the GMAPs to solve problems.
· The GMAPs’ application to wider business and not just finance.
Grace Baxter, ACMA, CGMA, initially thought she would pursue a career in physics. But she’s happy with the switch she made to accounting, where she became CIMA qualified and later landed a role at the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Baxter is now head of management reporting for DEFRA, and she also serves on a CIMA regional advisory group, service that helps her gain perspective from other finance professionals.
Baxter shared advice to aspiring accountants about perseverance and trying different roles in this episode of the FM podcast.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· An overview of Baxter’s path from a physics degree to her role at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
· Baxter’s thought on the influence of finance on day-to-day business decisions.
· The value Baxter has found in both CIMA qualification and the CGMA designation.
· The part of Baxter’s early training about which she said, “I wanted to cry.”
· Baxter’s advice to aspiring finance professionals about perseverance.
Genevieve Hawkins, a business leader based in Melbourne, Australia, had a previous career in occupational therapy. That’s one part of her background that contributed to the decision to write a book about workplace mental health.
Hawkins said that, in the past, most organisations left mental health to the employee. That’s changing, but it can change more. In this podcast episode, to recognise mental health awareness in the month of May, Hawkins explains simple ways that leaders and companies can create a sense of belonging for staff. She also addresses how managers can “understand their shadow”.
What you’ll learn from this episode
- The reasons Hawkins decided to write a book about mental health in the workplace.
- Her explanation of the multiple layers of connection.
- One aspect of working from home that is good for Hawkins’ mental health.
- Why Hawkins said that the move to remote and hybrid work has been both a benefit and an obstacle to employee mental health.
- What Hawkins means by understanding “our shadow”.
- A Stephen Covey quote that stands out to Hawkins.
Jeremy Osborn, FCMA, CGMA, wants to make sure finance professionals are prepared for all that's coming their way. Osborn, AICPA & CIMA's global head of ESG, joined the FM podcast for a two-part discussion on the rising importance of ESG initiatives.
In part one of the interview, Osborn explained why ESG, along with related auditing and assurance opportunities, is becoming mainstream. In this part, he discusses his early interest in ESG topics, describes the current landscape of ESG reporting, and shares three reasons people take ESG seriously.
Osborn also explains how ESG has had a role in the shift that has happened related to understanding a company’s value.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· An overview of the reporting requirements of the UK’s Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
· How activities such as skiing in Switzerland have been affected by climate change.
· Why sustainability-related concerns are no longer simply “a risk to be managed”, according to Osborn.
· How an understanding of ESG information can shed light on the value of an organisation.
· Why the growing importance of ESG is, according to Osborn, one of the most significant changes the accounting profession has faced.
It’s a big year for ESG initiatives, and Jeremy Osborn, FCMA, CGMA, wants to make sure finance professionals are prepared for all that’s coming their way. Osborn, AICPA & CIMA’s global head of ESG, joined the FM podcast for a discussion on the business reasons to pay attention to ESG, how he became interested in the topic about 15 years ago, and why he was excited to be part of a niche practice area that is today becoming mainstream.
This is part one of a two-part interview with Osborn. The second part will publish on 19 April.
This episode of the FM podcast features two leaders in the accounting profession globally. Alicja Dworowska, ACMA, CGMA, is finance director at Thermo Fisher Scientific and also a coach and mentor. Lindsay Stevenson, CPA, CGMA, is chief transformation officer at the firm BPM LLP and chair of the AICPA Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee (WIEC).
Role models for all, Dworowska and Stevenson are passionate about advancing women in the profession. That passion came through in this conversation, recorded in February and published to celebrate International Women’s Day. They spoke about mentorship.
The themes of sessions at the Future of Finance Summit, which concluded earlier this month in Austin, Texas, were global in nature: talent development, transformation of the finance function, and managing amidst uncertainty. There was, however, one comment from a speaker that stood out to Andrew Harding, FCMA, CGMA, chief executive–Management Accounting at AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.
The comment was about numbers, yet as Harding pointed out, the Future of Finance Summit had no sessions about numbers.
David Tiplady, ACMA, CGMA, head of commercial, Vodafone Automotive, is in training for an intriguing and difficult competition. He’s part of a four-man team rowing without support across the Atlantic Ocean, from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean, in 2023.
He joins host Kyle Hannan to discuss the planning and training that’s underway, along with contingencies already being considered, well before the team hits the open water. He shares advice for reaching a stretch goal, concern about marlin strikes, and risk management lessons.
The role shift of the finance function was accelerated by the pandemic, and CFOs and controllers continue to adapt to provide value for their organizations. Few people have more insight on that topic than Tom Hood, CPA/CITP, CGMA, executive vice president–Business Engagement & Growth for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA.
Hood is a featured speaker on a skills-focused webinar on Thursday about the Finance Leadership Program. He also leads a group of finance executives from large organizations, and he shared insights from that group — and what it will emphasize in the future — in this podcast conversation.
In her role at the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), Kristy Illuzzi, CPA, CGMA, works with small and midsize entities, including CPA firms. Her conversations with those organizations around the world have brought to the surface some of the ways in which the Great Resignation is affecting the accounting profession.
In this episode, Illuzzi offers advice for organizations on flexibility, technology, and more.
Also, catch up on news related to these topics:
- A PCAOB release on amended standards that apply to audits involving multiple firms.
- The Supreme Court agreeing to hear a case related to an FBAR penalty dispute.
- An IRS announcement about the use of voice bots for setting up tax payment plans.
Harvard Business School professor and author Ranjay Gulati says that sentiment is growing among business leaders that companies have a larger role to play than simply providing shareholder value.
He joined the FM podcast to discuss that topic and others highlighted in his recent book, Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies.
Gulati explains about when he realised the expectation “that businesses have to do more” is growing dramatically and what a leader at Lego said about finding purpose.
Well before the COVID-19 pandemic led to a remote work revolution, Lynda Gratton was thinking about how work should be redesigned. Gratton, an author, consultant, and professor, is a world-renowned expert on organisational behaviour. She joined the FM podcast to discuss some of the thoughts in her new book, Redesigning Work: How to Transform Your Organisation and Make Hybrid Work for Everyone.
Gratton also spoke about what organisations around the world are saying about the future of hybrid work and what she’s learned from keeping a journal for more than two years.
Risk management is no longer an annual, tick-the-box exercise. It’s a regular, vital part of an organisation’s business plan. To provide a framework and questions that risk leaders should consider, a new tool has been developed and published.
Jeff Parkison, CPA, CGMA, a US finance leader, is a co-author of the updated document, which is called “ERM Insights for the Financial Risk Leader”. He explains why enhanced risk management is needed and how the tool and its checklists can help organisations.
In this second part of this series on Excel, Liam Bastick, FCMA, CGMA, an Excel MVP, shares what he thinks are the top functions for accountants and finance professionals, Excel’s limitations, and what he thinks is the future direction of this most popular spreadsheet software in the world.
In this first episode of a two-part FM podcast series on Excel with FM contributor and Excel trainer Liam Bastick, FCMA, CGMA, we look at the most common mistake accountants make when using Excel, whether Excel is outdated and should be replaced with other software, and the new LAMBDA function.
In this second episode of a two-part FM podcast series on skills, Gary Cox, ACMA, CGMA, a coach for businesses and individuals, describes how to create a learning plan. He recommends conducting an audit of current skills and those needed over the next three years. Making incremental progress and finding someone to support or champion you from inside or outside the finance team — or outside your company — can also move you toward your goals.
In “Skills Development: Which Ones Will You Need?”, the first of the two FM podcasts, Cox discusses the in-demand finance skills of effective use of data, insights, and “really good storytelling”.
There was a dizzying array of announcements during the two-week UN climate change summit last month. Which ones matter for accounting and finance professionals? Martin Farrar, Ph.D., associate technical director at AICPA & CIMA, breaks down key pledges by governments and businesses, and new requirements on the horizon that accounting and finance professionals should know.
In this first episode of a two-part FM podcast series on skills, Gary Cox, ACMA, CGMA, a coach for businesses and individuals, describes the in-demand finance skills of effective use of data, insights, and “really good storytelling”.
The second episode will look at how to create a learning plan — analysing the skills you have today and those you will need over the next three years.
The definition of value continues to evolve in the knowledge economy. Finding new ways to measure, manage, and understand organisational value is a critical role for finance professionals and management accountants. In this episode, Paul Ashworth, FCMA, CGMA, previews his upcoming Financial Management articles on effective valuation, the challenges and benefits of different valuation methods, and why good value management can elevate the finance function within a business.
Negotiation is a key skill to master, both in the workplace and outside it. In this episode, Fotini Iconomopoulos, founder of negotiation training company Forward Focusing, based in Toronto, and author of Say Less, Get More: Unconventional Negotiation Techniques to Get What You Want, shares advice for succeeding in negotiations. She talks about how to reduce your anxiety when negotiating, tactics that can improve your position during a negotiation, what women should know heading into a negotiation, and much more.
Iconomopoulos will be speaking on negotiation at the 2021 AICPA & CIMA Women’s Global Leadership Summit, held live online 3–5 November.
Tom Eisenmann, Harvard Business School professor and author of The Fail-Safe Startup, says only 10% of high-tech, high-potential startups are successful. In that success, the CFO has a critical role that includes managing cash and working out when to raise more and monitoring key metrics. He warns the new entrepreneur against rushing in without proper customer research and product evaluation and explains why “trusting your gut” can lead to flawed decisions.
To celebrate International Podcast Day, we’ve compiled some of the top insights offered in 2021 episodes from speakers all over the world. Learn more about advice for fighting ransomware, the role of finance in navigating Olympic Games uncertainty for a medal-winning team, how to spot “greenwashing” in ESG reporting, and more from a five-part FM series on ESG. International Podcast Day is 30 September.
There is no “opt-out clause” for management accountants on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) information, says Association Chair and CIMA President Paul Ash, FCMA, CGMA, in this final podcast in an FM series on ESG. Ash describes how his formative years led to developing businesses focusing on environmentally clean energy and real-time measurement of emissions. Ash says management and public accountants both need to deliver on ESG compliance, and collaboration with engineers and architects will enable businesses to create workplaces in line with their ESG goals and protect workers’ health.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- What has driven Ash’s pursuit of clean energy and reliable emissions data.
- Management accountants’ opportunity to lead on ESG reporting.
- Why ESG compliance is an issue for both public and management accountants.
- The potential of clean coal and nuclear technology.
- How ESG encompasses creating a healthy workplace for employees.
Extreme weather risks have been on the rise for businesses worldwide, and regulators and standard setters are taking steps to keep investors updated. The recent merger of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), which formed the Value Reporting Foundation, was a step towards consistency in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and sustainability reporting.
In this episode, Jeremy Osborn, FCMA, CGMA, director of business relationships and networks with the Value Reporting Foundation, suggests that integrated thinking and reporting can help corporate boards create long-term value, particularly when they consider potential consequences of climate change as they devise business strategy.
This is part of a series of podcasts that explore how the finance function can drive sustainable business success and account for ESG issues.
The belief that companies should not solely focus on shareholder value, but should benefit all stakeholders — including employees, customers, and communities — is what many investors, large and small, have been rallying around. As a result, investors have been demanding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) information from companies to help guide their long-term investment decisions.
Matthew Hurn, OBE, FCMA, CGMA, is the CFO for Disruptive Investments at Mubadala Investment, an investment vehicle owned by the government of Abu Dhabi in the UAE with approximately $24.5 billion of assets under management. In this episode, he shares what ESG means for investors and for him personally, and how his team determines whether ESG issues are truly embraced by a company and not merely lip service.
Ransomware is on the rise. Organisations of all sizes are at risk, and finance departments are at the forefront of identifying and mitigating ransomware risks. However, that diligence comes with its own challenges. To help organisations identify the growing risks and cost of ransomware, we talk with Gerry Glombicki, CPA, director with Fitch Ratings insurance group, about how finance professionals should be approaching ransomware.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- How organisations should be assessing their ransomware risk.
- How accountants and finance professionals should be preparing for ransomware attacks.
- How the growing risk of ransomware can cost organisations in unexpected ways.
- Why organisations should be thinking about cybersecurity across the organisation.
- The value of ransomware insurance.
Finance’s role is evolving rapidly, which means the skills needed by finance professionals are changing. A recent FM Q&A series with finance leaders from around the world provided insight on skills that matter most. Hear this conversation with Alexis See Tho, an FM associate editor, and Barry Payne, the Association’s director of external relations for management accounting, for more on the series and what’s on the minds of finance leaders.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- A look back at a series of finance leader Q&As from late 2020 and early 2021.
- How the focus area was determined for FM’s summer Q&A series on finance skills.
- What skills accountants should have, according to a Yelp finance leader.
- What members of a leadership advisory group are focused on in 2021 and beyond.
Kuldeep Kaur, ACMA, CGMA, England Hockey’s finance and administration director, explains how scenario planning, data-led decision-making, and effective communication combined to lead the sport during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting Olympic Games scheduling uncertainty.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- An explanation of England Hockey’s business model.
- The role of timely communication in dealing with the pandemic.
- How visuals can help communicate with nonfinance colleagues.
- Why diversity can bring results — for sports teams, organisations, and in the boardroom.
- The opportunities for management accountants within sport.
When finance and accounting professionals think about ESG, it shouldn’t be limited to churning out sustainability reports. To enable real change in a company’s impact on environmental, social, and governance issues, they need to be part and parcel of long-term strategy. But how can that be done?
In this episode, we hear from Michael Bueker, senior vice-president of finance for Middle East markets at Siemens Energy. The company’s businesses are in both traditional fossil fuel and renewable energy. Embedding ESG in its strategy means having internal ESG targets that are tied to KPIs, such as executive compensation, and, externally, incorporating ESG into its product and service offerings, such as providing low-carbon energy options to its customers.
Sustainability has become a prominent topic of discussion in business, but it can mean different things to different people. Jeffrey Hales, Ph.D., professor of accounting at the University of Texas at Austin and chairman of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), explains what it means to management accountants. As SASB chair, Hales heads efforts to set standards for how companies should account for sustainability issues that represent likely financially material risks and opportunities within industries.
This is the first in a series of episodes that explore how the finance function can drive sustainable business success and account for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.
Jame DiBiasio, financial journalist and author of Cowries to Crypto: The History of Money, Currency, and Wealth, describes the long history of money, what the shift from Internet 1.0 to 2.0 means for trading large illiquid assets, and considerations for companies when dealing with bitcoin. He looks to a fintech future of wearable and implanted technology.
DiBiasio is also the author of an FM quiz on the history of fintech.
Building trust has always been important in business, and COVID-19 has served to highlight it, according to leadership and workplace culture expert Liz Lugt. In this interview, Lugt sets out the elements of “vulnerability-based trust” and how finance leaders can focus on being effective rather than only efficient.
Lugt is speaking at the upcoming AICPA & CIMA ENGAGE EUROPE conference on 19 May on the topic of “Expanding Your Sphere of Influence”.
Governments around the world are tightening anti-money laundering regulations and increasing noncompliance penalties. Management accountants are at the frontlines of money laundering risk. In this FM podcast episode, Matthew Russell, a London-based financial crime partner at PwC, discusses how finance professionals can address the changing anti-money laundering landscape and how they can use what they learn in the process to their strategic business advantage.
Russell is a featured speaker at ENGAGE EUROPE 2021 on Wednesday, 19 May at 1pm–2.15pm GMT +1. You can find more information here.
Alnoor Bhimani, Ph.D., professor of management accounting at the London School of Economics, thinks the finance and accounting profession has yet to fully understand the sweeping implications of today’s digitalised business models and operations. In this episode of the FM magazine podcast, he shares key findings from his new book, Accounting Disrupted, and how finance professionals can equip themselves to deliver the right financial and nonfinancial intelligence that organisations need.
CIMA Member in Practice Fiona Bevan, ACMA, CGMA, describes recent trends in the UK SME sector and how her company, Bevan Financial Management Ltd, adapted to the COVID-19 crisis. She offers advice for SMEs — and larger businesses — on effective customer feedback and how businesses can improve and speed up their decision-making without losing control.
Bevan is speaking at AICPA’s & CIMA’s ENGAGE EUROPE conference on 19 May on the topic of “How to Rethink Your Organisations’ Business Models and Revenue Streams”.
Amy Radin, who serves on the board of directors of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, wrote an article in the December 2020 issue of FM with the headline “How CFOs Can Enable Innovation Now”.
Radin is an author, adviser, and former corporate innovation executive, so she has keen insight into the topic, including how the finance function can play a critical role. A section of her article touched on the questions organisation leaders should ask in establishing metrics for early-stage concepts. Those questions are addressed in detail in this podcast episode.
Jeremy Hawkins, senior European economist at Econoday, provides an overview of the UK and Europe’s economic landscape two months on from the signing of the UK-EU post-Brexit trade deal and a year from the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He highlights the sectors likely to bounce back more rapidly and those that could struggle to regain lost ground.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- The UK and Europe’s 2020 and early 2021 economic performance.
- Why there is UK optimism for the second half of 2021.
- The effect of the “stamp duty holiday” on the UK housing market.
- How the accommodation and food sectors could recover strongly.
- Impacts on sterling and the euro from vaccine roll-out rates.
Rhymer Rigby shared advice for how to deal with co-workers’ annoying habits and how to succeed in remote meetings in previous FM podcasts. This episode is the conclusion of a three-part conversation with Rigby, a regular career contributor to FM. He responds to questions about how career management has changed since the onset of COVID-19, how recruiting without boundaries can be good (with one potentially big exception: pay), and how we can build perseverance.
CIMA President Nick Jackson, FCMA, CGMA, says finance leaders have a fundamental role in building resilience -- both for themselves and their teams. They also need to invest to ensure employees are equipped with the right tools and have access to the right data to do their job effectively.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- The meaning of “resilience”.
- Why leaders need to be clear about team priorities.
- The warning signs that a team member is underperforming.
- How leaders can support struggling employees.
- The imperative for teams to have the right data and tools.
At the end of 2020, Rhymer Rigby addressed how workers could deal with some of their colleagues’ annoying habits. In 2021, discussion of remote-work relationships continues with Rigby, a regular FM magazine contributor and the author of the book The Careerist: Over 100 Ways to Get Ahead at Work. In this episode, Rigby is prompted to revisit a comment made in the summer about why Zoom or other video meeting platforms suddenly became the default for having a discussion.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- The reasons you should be more communicative with your manager in a remote-work setting.
- How expectations should be set around productivity and availability.
- Why our “fight or flight” instinct can kick in during a video meeting.
- The reason some online meetings can feel like a “professional zoo”.
For some of us, pet peeves or complaints regarding co-workers have been diminished or taken away by COVID-19 and remote work. But the new remote realm has created more ways in which others get under our skin, even from a distance. Career expert Rhymer Rigby shares more on the quibbles we have with colleagues and how to resolve them in the first of a multipart podcast conversation.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- Some common pet peeves about co-workers that remote work has temporarily solved.
- Rigby’s advice for dealing with a colleague who takes credit for others’ work.
- How a line manager should approach a direct report who circumvents the manager’s authority.
- Why in Rigby’s mind some people “hide” from talking by phone.
- One of Rigby’s pet peeves about phone calls, which he first mentioned during a summer conversation about work amidst the pandemic.
Rebecca McCaffry, FCMA, CGMA, associate technical director–Research & Development, Management Accounting at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, is author of the recent CGMA report, The Power of People: Business Relationships in Difficult Times (CIMA member login required). She describes in this episode how management accountants’ skills of communication, empathy, and collaboration can enhance relationships that lead to increased value for businesses.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- About business relationships — with customers, colleagues, and in supply chains.
- How one bank fundamentally changed its customer interactions during the pandemic.
- The importance of KPQs — key performance questions — that lead to KPIs.
- How communication, empathy, and collaboration skills can aid relationship building.
- The shift in trust towards employers as sources of credible information.
When shopping for vegetables, do you look for “aubergine” or “eggplant”? What you say depends on where you learned English. US copy editor Pam Nelson and UK writer Samantha White discuss the rise of “awesome”, why some seemingly simple words have different pronunciations in the UK and US, and more.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- How English speakers in different parts of the world pronounce “niche” — apparently there are more than two ways.
- When “awesome” came into regular usage.
- Why one guest says it can feel cathartic to say “gobsmacked”.
- The ways that English speakers in India are contributing to our global lexicon.
- A bit of history about the phrase “chalk up” and how it is sometimes confused with “chock up”.
COVID-19 has reinforced the importance of adaptability for Jo Hunter, ACMA, CGMA. She has been living that lesson for much of 2020. Hunter works part time in a finance role with GlaxoSmithKline. She also plays forward for Great Britain’s national team in field hockey. Team GB is the reigning Olympic champion from 2016, but its quest to win a second consecutive gold medal was put on hold last spring when the Olympics in Tokyo were postponed to 2021. Hunter discusses modified strength training at home, how accountant training has helped her look at tasks objectively, and how life in the pandemic has given her an understanding of “being present” that she previously lacked.
Even without the disruption of COVID-19, budgeting and forecasting for the year ahead are challenging tasks requiring months of back-and-forth negotiations between departments and senior management. Prabhu Sivabalan, professor of accounting at the UTS Business School in Sydney, who has spent years researching budgeting, talks about the problem with using budgets for performance evaluation and suggests quick wins to improve budgeting this planning season.
CIMA President Nick Jackson, FCMA, CGMA, is a strong advocate for responsible business. The theme for his presidential year is “responsible financial leadership”, and in this episode he shares how businesses can go beyond shareholder considerations and adopt a sustainable, multi-stakeholder approach to value creation. What you’ll learn from this episode: - Jackson’s commitment to public service and performance management. - Why his “responsible financial leadership” presidential theme is relevant now. - The value of an ethical approach to business supply chains. - How COVID-19 has truncated planning horizons. - Tools to enable finance leaders to prepare for future disruption.
In this interview recorded before COVID-19 had fully taken hold, Heather Baxter, ACMA, CGMA, administrative director at the Royal Ballet in London, describes the company’s funding model and complex multi-season budgeting process. She also gives advice for management accountants on developing careers in the arts that are interesting if sometimes nonlinear. What you’ll learn from this episode: - About the Royal Ballet’s changing funding model. - How its multi-season budgeting process works. - The impact of Brexit on the company. - When a sideways move can advance your career for the long term. - How management accountants can develop careers in the arts.
The remote work revolution has been accelerated dramatically as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. How our work environments look in the next year remains unsettled, but some changes are already evident. Career expert and author Rhymer Rigby, a regular contributor to FM, offers advice for workers who no longer commute to an office, wonders why video meetings now seem to be a communication default, and shares some key elements of employability for today’s professional.
Andrew Harding, FCMA, CGMA, chief executive–Management Accounting at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, reacts to the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Summer Economic Update and describes UK advocacy efforts on behalf of Association members. What you’ll learn from this episode: - Details of the 20 recovery suggestions that CIMA presented to the UK government. - The suggestions taken up by the Chancellor in his 8 July Summer Economic Update. - Why CIMA is calling for the apprenticeship levy to encompass existing workers’ skills. - The success of the Association’s advocacy efforts during the pandemic. - How management accountants are leading the business recovery.
Loretta Outhwaite, FCMA, CGMA, a director and CFO with a particular interest in wellbeing, shares tactics leaders and managers can use to better support employees in these turbulent times. What you’ll learn from this episode: - The way people cope with uncertainty and stress differs from person to person, but there are ways managers can spot the signs that an employee or colleague may be suffering. - How to build a resilient, high-performing organisational culture where staff feels comfortable sharing concerns. - Critical steps leaders and managers must take to support wellbeing and team members who are finding it hard to cope. - Each furloughed employee returning to work is an opportunity for an organisation to learn, adapt, and prepare for the future.
Whether you are making a big speech as a CFO or having a one-to-one business conversation, there are simple ways to ensure your message is heard, says speechwriter, author, and TEDx speaker Simon Lancaster. What you’ll learn from this episode: - How you can enhance your communication by “painting pictures”. - Why the use of metaphors is so powerful. - The “rule of three” and why it is effective in speech. - Ways to better engage with a videoconference audience. - How the language of money is changing.
Many organisations have had to rethink their business continuity plans in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic — if they had a plan to begin with. Cecilia Locati, FCMA, CGMA, the founder of consulting company Internal Control Toolbox, has worked with organisations of many types, and she shares where they fall on the spectrum between “no plan” and “world-class plan”. She describes the key traits of a strong plan, the human obstacles to such plans, and more in this episode. What you’ll learn from this episode: - What a business continuity plan should include. - The obstacles companies face in carrying out a business continuity plan. - The importance of being generic and specific at the same time in putting together a business continuity plan. - How human biases sometimes get in the way of strong planning.
CIMA President Amal Ratnayake, FCMA, CGMA, who is also CFO of the Official Community Corporation in Canada, and Sherin Cader, CFO of the financial services industry group and executive vice-president at John Keells Holdings Plc in Sri Lanka, discuss the skills and experience needed to become a trusted and effective CFO. What you’ll learn from this episode: - How the scope of the CFO’s role has expanded. - What CFOs are doing to lead businesses through the coronavirus crisis. - Why CFOs need to communicate regularly with remote teams. - The importance of being an ethical leader to build loyalty and productivity. - The value of gaining experience in multiple businesses.
Tim Burghout, ACMA, CGMA, the head of finance and accounting for Metro China, a wholesale cash and carry, tells about how he built a playbook as changes due to the novel coronavirus progressed, why it’s important to take time thinking through decisions, and why we see empty shelves in supermarkets. What you’ll learn from this episode: - Burghout’s road map the past three months. - If he could go back in time, what resource he wishes he had. - Empty supermarket shelves — fact or fiction? - How consumer behaviours have changed and what trends will stay after the coronavirus pandemic.
Numerous in-person professional events have been shifted to online only, delayed by months, or cancelled in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. That doesn’t mean that we can’t strengthen connections with those we know or make new business contacts, according to Todd Cohen, a consultant, speaker, and author. What you’ll learn from this episode: - Tips for how to display presence on a video call. - Why presence “is the most powerful selling tool we have”. - The value of continuing to build connections despite a lack of in-person interaction. - The importance of specific questions in online meetings.
Ankur Agrawal, McKinsey partner and co-author of “The CFO’s Role in Helping Companies Navigate the Coronavirus Crisis”, offers tips and insights on how CFOs can most successfully steer their organisations through the crisis.
When one country after another took measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, BrewDog faced a 70% drop in revenue because customers could no longer visit its 102 bars worldwide. The Scottish brewer, distiller, and bar operator decided to switch from producing gin, vodka, and rum to making hand sanitiser. Ben Press, ACMA, CGMA, BrewDog’s retail finance manager, explains how the international company managed to change production quickly and how it plans to survive the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
CIMA President Amal Ratnayake, FCMA, CGMA, and Alfred Ramosedi, FCMA, CGMA, the CEO of Bayport Financial Services in South Africa, discuss the traits of effective leaders and how they can get “buy-in” from employees to drive change.
Chris Clearfield, author of Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It, talks to FM magazine senior editor Drew Adamek about how the coronavirus pandemic is exposing complexity in global supply chains, trade, and economies. Clearfield offers advice on how finance professionals can improve their strategic decision-making in the face of this complexity.
Byron Patrick, CPA/CITP, CGMA, knows what he is talking about when it comes to technology — he co-authored FM’s popular 2019 article "100 Quick Technology Tips", which included ways to save time when using email. In this podcast episode, he shares more advice on how to use email effectively: what to do, what not to do, and why you should think twice before sending email.
Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, companies in Asia have been dealing with supply chain disruptions and have implemented large-scale work-from-home policies to keep the business going. What can companies in other parts of the world learn from their experience? Guru Balasubramaniam, ACMA, CGMA, acting managing director of Rentokil Initial Hong Kong, and Arthur Yu, FCMA, CGMA, China CFO of Jaguar Land Rover, share what their teams have been doing to stabilise the business.
Organisations that have agility built into their budgets are better equipped to pivot when needed, as when major events such as the spread of the coronavirus occur. They also will be more prepared for the next crisis, according to Steve Player, CPA, CGMA, the owner of consulting firm The Player Group. “This won’t be the last pandemic we face,” Player said.
Organisations can’t simply wait and hope for the best when it comes to coronavirus response. Disaster planning expert Jennifer H. Elder, CPA/CFF, CGMA, shares advice in this episode.
Strong risk management practices can’t stop the spread of the coronavirus, but strong planning and the ability to adapt can help mitigate its consequences. For lessons on the short- and long-term steps organisations should take in bracing for the full effects of the global outbreak of the coronavirus, hear advice from Mark Beasley, CPA, a professor at North Carolina State University and the director of the university’s Enterprise Risk Management Initiative.
Associate professor at Australia’s Monash Business School and chartered accountant Nick McGuigan, Ph.D., describes ways management accountants can develop integrated thinking — including through “social bubble hopping”.
Kris Curry, an EY principal in forensic and integrity services, talks about tools, frameworks, and practices companies have at their disposal to help employees, contractors, and vendors conduct themselves with integrity even in challenging markets.
Dan Crumb, CPA, CGMA, has been CFO of the Kansas City Chiefs for ten seasons, the last of which was the most exciting — the Chiefs won the US National Football League’s Super Bowl championship game earlier this month. Crumb shares insights on taking a simplified approach to innovation, the value of thinking like an owner, and the thrill of hearing a stadium full of loyal, loud fans.
The big ideas that lead to innovative business changes may seem to happen outside traditional structures, but it’s important for organisations to be strategic when it comes to setting the stage for innovation to occur. Accounting tech expert Donny Shimamoto, CPA/CITP, CGMA, offers up the key components that entities should consider to stay ahead of the innovation curve.
Chartered accountant Androulla Soteri, global head of tax at Baker Tilly International, offers a progress report on the UK’s Making Tax Digital programme and other countries’ digital filing and collection of tax.
AMI Partners, an independent research firm, connected with financial decision-makers in over 500 SMBs across six countries (Australia, Canada, France, Japan, UK, and US) to better understand the “before and after” experiences of implementing automated travel and expense solutions. In this branded podcast, Nikki Hollis, regional sales director at SAP Concur, delves into the UK research findings. (Sponsored by SAP Concur)
Risk management functions that operate in lockstep with a company’s digital transformation efforts tend to perform better. But how do they get there? Brian Schwartz, a PwC partner, shares the traits of digitally fit risk functions and the characteristics that separate dynamic risk functions from peers.
Thivanka Rangala, FCMA, CGMA, is the CFO at edotco Group, a telecommunications tower company that is building network infrastructure for 5G technology in Asia. He shares insights on preparing for 5G roll-out and advises finance professionals to stay ahead of the curve.
In part two of this conversation with Emily Wilson, vice-president of research at Terbium Labs, we return to our conversation about how the dark web amplifies fraud risk for finance departments. In this episode, we explore what to do if you discover your data on the dark web, how to mitigate the damage of a data breach, and what the future of the dark web holds for finance departments.
Risk expert Emily Wilson explains the risk that the dark web poses for finance departments, why management accountants should be concerned about the ‘fraud economy’, and how to identify data breaches.
When Australia’s cotton farmers faced a pest problem that could have wiped out the industry, they collaborated. An accounting researcher shares how that was done and how management accountants can help organisations collaborate.
Motivation expert, author, and speaker Sophie Bennett describes the ways leadership skills need to change in today’s technology-enabled workplace.
As businesses risk being leapfrogged by better competitors, how can they manage costs to invest in new technologies? Omar Aguilar, a partner at Deloitte, shares findings of the 2019 Global Cost Survey and the role of finance teams in enabling transformation.
CIMA president and Association board chair Amal Ratnayake, FCMA, CGMA, describes his global career journey and his ambitions for the Institute during a pivotal year in its 100-year-long history.
IASB chairman Hans Hoogervorst discusses the growth of sustainability and climate-related reporting.
Matt Kelly, editor of Radical Compliance, talks to FM senior editor Drew Adamek about the cybersecurity risk that third-party vendors pose, how finance departments can start managing and mitigating that risk, and the mindset shift that finance departments need to make when thinking about protecting data.
Tone at the top is important but not enough to build and sustain an ethical corporate culture in a global organisation. Liban Jama, a partner in EY’s forensic and integrity services, explains how to drive ethical behaviour.
Ensuring company spend is compliant is a crucial role of the finance team. But how can you be confident you are getting a true view into all spend — whether that occurs as employee expenses or as invoices — while at the same time guaranteeing compliance with the UK’s HMRC rules? (Sponsored by SAP Concur)
Nigel Franklyn, CPA, CGMA, a finance leader at Prudential, shares insight on “living our best life”, how small changes can make a difference in performance, and why lunch matters.
Employees thrive when managers show they care. In this episode, learn the value of engaged management and how managers can improve employees’ health as well as their work performance.
Hear how Mike Driver, FCMA, CGMA, the UK government’s finance head and Ministry of Justice CFO, aims to put finance at the heart of decision-making.
It’s not only in spelling that English differences emerge. Listen to UK and US language aficionados discuss some of the peculiarities.
Succession planning can strengthen organisations for the future, but focusing on the C-suite is a mistake, according to Shaara Roman, a consultant with wide-ranging global experience.
The CEO of a vineyard and winery speaks on getting up early, why she never watches TV in hotel rooms, and how tech is advancing winemaking.
To recruit and retain leadership talent that creates value, you need to know who your best people are. That’s not necessarily obvious, because your most valuable employees might not be the ones who get paid the most.
CIMA had small beginnings. Learn in this episode with CIMA historian Martin Farrar how it has grown over 100 years into the organisation we see today.
Hear Sandy Cockrell, CPA, managing partner of Deloitte’s CFO programme, share how CFOs can manage through the era of digital transformation.
Leadership expert, author, and academic Graeme Findlay describes the voices of leadership and how leaders should use them in order to be successful.
CFOs are quickly becoming more central within the corporate structure but have a lot of work to do as their roles expand and technology transforms the role.
In part two of a conversation with management coach Mary Legakis Engel, learn about how strong leaders are often adept at listening.
What makes a leader “legendary”? Management coach Mary Legakis Engel has a few thoughts and an explanation of leadership types in this podcast.
To lead others through a time of rapid change requires an understanding of why change is painful to many people, says leadership coach Sarah Elliott, CPA. Elliott offers suggestions for inspiring others to tackle that pain.
Finance professionals who take time to learn about others can more effectively get their message across. Kristine Lemanski, CPA, CGMA, explains the importance, using examples from her work experience.
Donny Shimamoto, CPA/CITP, CGMA, talks accountant superpowers and the importance of influencing skills in this episode.
The UK’s future trading relationship with the rest of the EU remains to be shaped — one aspect of the uncertainty surrounding Brexit. Hear more about what the future holds for those inside and out of the UK in this podcast with Jeremy Hawkins, senior European economist with Econoday.
“You’re going to have setbacks” when chasing goals, says Jo Hunter, ACMA, CGMA. Listen to her discuss a major goal: making the 2020 Olympics in hockey.
Kevin Bryant, CEO of social media consultancy Educated Change, offers social media strategies for boosting career opportunities.
What is the triple bottom line, and how does it relate to reporting on six vital capitals? Martin Thomas, FCMA, CGMA, a former executive with Unilever, shares more on those and other topics.
An expert on large-company CFO searches shares insights into where executives are coming from and more in this podcast.
The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants’ Jonathan Key details the results of the global Salary Survey of CGMA designation holders and CIMA students.
Clare Haynes, a speaker, coach, and the founder of the UK firm Wildfire, explains the skills that emotionally intelligent leaders possess and how those skills can inspire employees.
A discussion about the elevated risks of third-party fraud and what finance departments can do to protect themselves.
Nandu Nandkishore, an executive fellow at London Business School, discusses why tech-driven disruption is going to continue and how global population changes will affect the world economy.
To keep your phone at peak efficiency, listen to advice from Byron Patrick, CPA/CITP, CGMA, managing director at US consultancy Network Alliance.
Have you ever been scared to make a mistake? You’re not alone. Dima Ghawi, a leadership coach, speaker, and author, discusses why we shouldn’t worry about being perfect and how we can build a personal brand.
Gillian Lees, senior director of governance and risk research at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, discusses steps that businesses can take to build trust over the long term.
Managers can use soft skills to set clear expectations and create a culture of accountability, according to leadership speaker, author, and coach Jeff Nischwitz.