Planning Aces

CFO THOUGHT LEADER
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The podcast for finance professionals tasked with taking their businesses to new heights.

  1. 17/11/2025

    Ep 50: Discipline at the Heart of Innovation

    In this episode of Planning Aces, we spotlight FP&A insights from three CFOs leading innovation with discipline: Chris Sands (InvoiceCloud), Steve Sutter (Celigo), and Niels Boon (Cint). Each shares how finance is shaping AI, go-to-market models, and data-driven transformation without losing rigor. From building an "AI Ops" function and embedding finance in sales strategy, to piloting AI tools in small, staged experiments, these leaders treat innovation as a managed process. Our resident thought leader joins to connect the dots, emphasizing structure, clear metrics, and portfolio thinking as the new essentials of FP&A. We're excited to welcome author and former CFO Glenn Hopper into the co-host seat. Glenn joins us as our resident thought leader, bringing a deep well of experience at the intersection of finance, technology, and AI. We're thrilled to have his voice and perspective guiding this next chapter of Planning Aces. Planning Aces: Chris Sands leans into organizational design, reallocating talent into a formal AI Ops team and emphasizing change champions. Steve Sutter focuses on commercial mechanics, tying FP&A to sales economics, talent mix, and scale-up guardrails. Niels Boon emphasizes risk-staged innovation, using small pilots for operational wins while ring-fencing bold synthetic-data bets as long-horizon R&D.

    34 min

  2. 10/10/2025

    Ep 49: AI's Early Returns

    In this episode of Planning Aces, host Jack Sweeney and resident thought leader Brett Knowles explore how finance leaders are approaching AI's early returns—balancing efficiency, experimentation, and human judgment. CFO Craig Foster of Pax8 discusses how AI enablement is driving measurable productivity gains. CFO David Obstler of Datadog reflects on finding ROI amid rapid innovation and market demand. And CFO Ben Gammell of Brex shares why forecasting still requires human intuition despite data-driven progress. Together, their insights reveal a spectrum of FP&A strategies defining the modern CFO's mindset toward AI adoption and business transformation. Brett Knowles' Key Takeaways Brett Knowles observes that finance leaders are positioning themselves along a broad continuum—from bold experimentation to cautious skepticism—when it comes to AI in planning. He notes a shift in tone: CFOs are now openly discussing productivity gains and cost efficiency rather than avoiding them. Knowles cautions against overreliance on ROI metrics, emphasizing instead disciplined cost management, pragmatic experimentation, and the evolving role of finance in navigating technology-driven transformation.

    35 min
  3. Ep 48: Finance Leaders Decode AI's Promise

    31/08/2025

    Ep 48: Finance Leaders Decode AI's Promise

    In this Planning Aces special, three finance leaders map how AI is moving FP&A from dashboards to decisions. Andrew Casey (Amplitude) shows agents automating analytics, experiments, and order-to-cash checks to democratize insight and speed action. Eric Brown (Cohesity) contrasts AI's capital intensity with the cloud era and spotlights an "epic data battle" where privileged datasets drive advantage. Chris Miorin (APEX Analytix) links on-prem investment and clean data to faster product velocity. Co-host Brett Knowles ties it together: avoid AI-washing; structure data; target reconciliations and cycle-time compression; and lead with outcomes. Viewpoints, AI's value depends on governance, access, and execution discipline.

    37 min
  4. Ep 47: The Prove-It Mentality: Rethinking ROI in the Age of AI

    07/08/2025

    Ep 47: The Prove-It Mentality: Rethinking ROI in the Age of AI

    In Episode 47 of Planning Aces, Jack Sweeney and resident thought leader Brett Knowles explore the evolving role of FP&A through the lens of three forward-looking CFOs. Dan Zhang (ClickUp), John Rettig (Bill), and Josh Schauer (insightsoftware) share how they're driving enterprise agility, leveraging AI to eliminate inefficiencies, and rethinking capital allocation. From Zhang's battle against "SaaS overload" to Rettig's "prove-it mentality" and Schauer's daily forecasting, each CFO reveals a distinct approach to enabling smarter, faster decision-making. Their insights offer a compelling look at how modern FP&A leaders are transforming strategy execution in real time.

    44 min
  5. Ep 46: From Flailing to AI Forward Motion

    27/06/2025

    Ep 46: From Flailing to AI Forward Motion

    Planning Aces

    39 min
  6. Ep 45: Redefining Efficiency: The Three Dimensions of AI ROI

    06/06/2025

    Ep 45: Redefining Efficiency: The Three Dimensions of AI ROI

    In this episode of Planning Aces, co-hosts Jack Sweeney and Brett Knowles spotlight the FP&A strategies and AI adoption journeys of three CFOs—Jillian Munson (Vimeo), Dan Fletcher (Planful), and Chad Gold (FullStory). Each finance leader discusses how AI is reshaping their planning processes, from accelerating automation and revenue generation to transforming cross-functional collaboration. Brett introduces a framework for evaluating AI ROI across three dimensions: operating cost reduction, risk mitigation, and revenue generation. The episode reveals how FP&A teams are becoming catalysts for AI-driven change, extending their influence and helping to architect new organizational efficiencies and data-driven decision-making.

    42 min
  7. Ep 44: Built for Turbulence: Finance Planning in Motion

    09/05/2025

    Ep 44: Built for Turbulence: Finance Planning in Motion

    This Planning Aces episode explores how finance leaders navigate volatility without drifting into political cross‑currents like tariffs. Prologis CFO Tim Arndt explains why e‑commerce triples warehouse demand and how real‑estate strategies must adapt. Genworth CFO Jerome Upton shows how disciplined leverage and balanced product exposure turn rate uncertainty into opportunity while guarding against inflationary claim spikes. Flexport CFO Stuart Leung reveals the weekly two‑hour operating cadence and scenario drills that keep freight flows nimble amid strikes, conflicts, and policy swings. Co‑host Brett Knowles connects the dots, urging planners to pair AI "agents" with dynamic rhythms that detect risk sooner and react faster.

    41 min
  8. Ep 43: The ROI Equation for AI Starts Here

    28/03/2025

    Ep 43: The ROI Equation for AI Starts Here

    In this episode of Planning Aces, three forward-looking finance leaders share how they're transforming planning and forecasting inside their organizations. CFO Kevin Rhodes of Extreme Networks discusses the dual lens through which he evaluates AI—external monetization and internal productivity. Brendon Sullivan, CFO of 2X, reveals how a post-PE investment reality check led him to pioneer a weekly reporting cadence to drive faster decision-making. Meanwhile, Gabi Gantus of Mytra AI draws on her Tesla FP&A roots to illustrate how finance can lead long-term operational planning. Brett Knowles joins Jack Sweeney to unpack key insights and the broader implications for FP&A.

    44 min
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The podcast for finance professionals tasked with taking their businesses to new heights.

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