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

Episode notes

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

Related episodes across the Index

Other episodes covering the same guests and topics, from across The B2B Podcast Index.

• Revisiting: Wall Street to SaaS CFO with Carla Cooper (CFO @ Contentful)The Growth-Minded CFO · on FP&A78 / 100
• From CFO to Boardroom: Financial Leaders Must Evolve or Be Left BehindThe Strategic CFO by FEI · on FP&A74 / 100
• 119. Gene Hodge, Mortenson - Hardhats & HackathonsHeavy Hitters: The Digital Industrial Podcast · on Data analytics72 / 100
• Pete Donell Founder at Duet and Fractional CFO, shares his perspective on ROI in Technology and AI with Guy HutchinsonCFO Insights · on Data analytics70 / 100
• The Next Billion-Dollar Energy Opportunity | Ep. 92 [Andrew Stock]Industry Ignited Podcast · on Data analytics70 / 100
• Navigating Change: Luke Howes on Recruitment and TechnologyBooks To The Boardroom · on Data analytics68 / 100

• Global Growth, Integration and AI: Lessons from Grant Thornton’s CEO70 / 100
• How CFOs Build Resilient Careers: Lessons from Banking, M&A and GoFundMe73 / 100
• Business Agility in Finance: How CFOs Can Thrive in Volatility and Uncertainty57 / 100
• ERP Transformation Strategy: How CFOs Avoid Failure, Hidden Costs and Legacy Risk80 / 100
• Managing Costs, Complexity, and Change in Healthcare Finance