Data analytics and AI for FP&A teams – with Nathan Bell

Getting FP&A teams to harness their data to reach their goals is the holy grail. Nathan Bell, Managing Partner, VAi Consulting, is among the most in-demand experts. Bell has unique experience– having started in computer science, before leading finance teams at Native American Bank, Digital Media Trends and Gartner– where he advised hundreds of FP&A teams facing chaotic data situations). In this masterclass, he shares a practical framework looking at the expectations, fear and hype surrounding data, analytics and AI for FP&A teams.

In this episode:

• From a computer degree to leading finance teams
• How Nathan discovered the power of telling stories as Chief Credit Officer at Native American Bank 
• Overcoming the challenge of presenting to non- financially literate CEOs
• The challenge when finance is “last in line” 
• When companies don’t have good data and what FP&A teams can do 
• “Federated data governance” and avoiding turf battles
• why setting up self-service data as CFO came back to bite me 
• Using a “metrics cascade” clarifying  data and metrics
• Critical thinking as the new superpower for finance teams in the AI age 
• Key to setting  up pilot AI programs 
• Dinner time when your wife is also a CFO

Key quotes: Remember PPDAC. Problem Plan, Data, Conclusion.

Your Plan, what Data you need to capture against that plan, analysis, and Conclusion. “If you can master that in that order, I think from a skillset, you’re, you’re ready” – Nathan Bell.

Critical Thinking as the new Superpower for FP&A

“Critical thinking is gonna be more powerful than ever. I don’t think there’ll ever be a situation where we’re going to let AI make the decision without going through a human to look at the data. We need to ask what do we do? What’s the action? What’s the decision?”

Connect with Nathan Bell on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-bell-1038662/ https://vai-consulting.com/