Financial Management (FM) magazine

'Own your results': Building accountability as a CFO

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.

June FM: AI presentations, anti-fraud culture, Rise2040

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 [https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/landing/financial-management-magazine] (member login required). Also, access the library of past editions [https://www.fm-magazine.com/issues/]. 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.

People power keeps productivity growing with AI

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.

Pitch perfect: Team sport helps finance students stand out

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 [https://www.aicpa-cima.com/news/article/england-touch-and-cima-renew-partnership] 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.

Future of finance: An evolving, people-driven transformation

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 [https://www.fm-magazine.com/podcast/future-of-finance-the-power-of-people-and-mindset/], 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.