FIN2514. Getting a Seat at the Table: How Finance Partners Lead Strategic Decisions

As Finance business partners, we aim to become strategic partners driving sustainable growth and profitability while managing risk. But to get there, we need our cross-functional partners to offer us a seat at the table where decisions are made. This talk discusses why an environment of trust is the foundation of all successful finance business partnering. It does that by using the findings of Google’s wide-ranging project “Aristotle” as a foundation. We then discuss concrete and actionable ways for finance professionals to develop trust and deepen their understanding of the business. Next, we’ll cover a framework for auditing existing professional relationships to determine if a course correction is necessary. Finally, we’ll end with concrete advice on improving existing professional relationships.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how effective finance business partners help leaders make better decisions.
• Learn how to build, audit, and maintain professional relationships as a finance business partner.