Roundtable: FP&A at the Forefront of Strategic Decision-Making 

FP&A is transforming at speed, driven by advances in technology and heightened expectations of its contribution to business performance. What is most exciting, is that those within the space have appetite to embrace this change and provide deeper insights and greater strategic impact where decisions matter most. 

That ambition was evident at our recent breakfast event at 1 Lombard Street, where senior FP&A professionals from across private and public markets gathered for an open discussion. With Heather Stork of Anaplan in the chair, our keynote speaker, Mark Hardiman - European Finance Director at Silverlake, with a distinguished career spanning Cinven, Aberdeen Asset Management and HSBC Asset Management, shared his perspective on the conversations shaping the C-suite. The message is clear: FP&A is no longer a support function. It has become a strategic partner, and its influence will only grow. 

“Start with the outcome in mind, not the tools on the shelf.”  

Too often, finance transformation begins with the wrong question: What can our current systems do? The real question should be: What does the business need? 

Before evaluating platforms or data structures, finance leaders should ask:  

• What are our core business challenges?  
• What is preventing the board or CEO from having clarity on performance?  
• Which KPIs need to improve? 

Only then can you reverse-engineer the right solution. As one speaker put it, “You can have the best system in the world, but if people don’t believe in it, it won’t stick.”  

This people-first approach requires stakeholder engagement from the very beginning. True transformation is co-created with users, not imposed on them. PowerPoint slides may sell a vision, but iterative demos and hands-on prototypes build trust. Seeing tools interact with real business data creates momentum and credibility and helps avoid costly mistakes when a solution proves unfit for purpose.  

“Data is your currency.” 

Finance teams are often told their data isn’t good enough, and many accept it. But the challenge from the group was clear: don’t take “bad data” at face value.  

Tools like Power Query or Alteryx can be used to test, visualise, and understand the data before dismissing it - often, the barrier isn’t quality, it’s perception.  

 “Ask questions upstream and interrogate the flow of information”. 

Curiosity has become a defining trait of high-performing FP&A teams, it’s about progressing with imperfect data, applying the 80/20 rule, and improving continuously and in real time.  

This mindset also shapes how finance professionals present themselves. Traditional accounting skills remain essential, but data literacy and analytics fluency are now the differentiators. Future CVs will showcase tools like Tableau, Power BI, Snowflake, and Anaplan front and centre.  

“AI will create time.”  

The consensus was clear; AI will not replace finance professionals. Current tools are far from autonomous, but they can act as power enablers, boosting productivity in technical areas such as accounting policy and presentation creation.  

By automating repetitive tasks, AI frees up capacity for strategic thinking, scenario modelling, and business partnering. The real opportunity lies in elevation, allowing FP&A to focus on insight rather than manual data gathering.  

Practical examples already in play included:  

• ChatGPT for policy writing, meeting summaries, and admin tasks.  
• Propriety models mining internal investment documents for instant analysis.  
• Finance-specific AI tools, integrated with live ledger data to access information across complex group structures.  

Yet the group stressed that governance and validation remain critical. As generative AI becomes embedded, so does the need for clear frameworks, security protocols, and human oversight.  

Embracing AI elevates FP&A by redefining what ‘good’ looks like.  

“Put your head above the parapet, be prepared to ask the tough questions.”  

Mark reflected on the advice he would give to his younger self. The key takeaway? Push through imposter syndrome, get comfortable being outside your comfort zone, and never shy away from asking the challenging questions. For the silly (or salacious), getting a session in with other board members ahead of the meeting can be invaluable for all sides.  

He shared a practical example of how he builds this mindset within his team, ensuring the most junior person speaks first in meetings. It’s a simple but powerful way to make sure every voice is heard.

“I look for digitally encoded finance professionals, not Excel geniuses, but people who understand multiple GLs, data architecture, and visualisation tools.”  

The conversations turned to the skills that will define success for those starting out or advancing in FP&A. Finance leaders at every level need to be digitally fluent, a blend of accountant, data engineer, and strategist.  

CVs that highlight database architecture knowledge (Snowflake, Hadoop, Fabric) and advanced visualisation tools (Tableau, Power BI, Anaplan) will stand out far more than traditional technical accounting skills. 

Building the Future of Intelligent Finance  

The FP&A function is at an inflection point and undergoing a profound transformation. The shift to strategic partner at the heart of decision-king is ultimately driven by three key forces. 

• Outcome-Driven Transformation: Successful finance change starts with understanding business needs. Stakeholder engagement and iterative design are critical to building trust and ensuring adoption. 
• Data as a Strategic Asset: High-performing teams challenge assumptions about “bad data,” applying curiosity to deliver insights quickly. Data literacy and analytics fluency drive competitive advantage. 
• AI as an Enabler: AI will not replace finance professionals but will elevate their role by automating repetitive tasks and creating capacity for strategic thinking. Governance and human oversight remain essential. 

Future FP&A leaders must blend accounting expertise with digital fluency, understanding data architecture, visualization tools, and emerging technologies. 

The mandate is clear: embrace curiosity, ask bold questions, and lead transformation that delivers real-time insight and strategic impact.