Evolution of FP&A and Insights on Wharton Online Program with Christian Wattig

In today’s episode, Paul Barnhurst engages Christian Wattig on the journey into the evolving world of financial planning and analysis.

Christian Wattig, a seasoned FP&A professional and educator. As the program director for the Wharton Online and Wall Street Prep FP&A Certificate, Christian brings a wealth of experience and innovative strategies to the table. He shares how AI and technology are transforming the field.

Key takeaways from this week's episode include:

Here is a concise summary of the key points from the discussion:

How excellent FP&A practice hinges on making solid business recommendations from detailed analysis and storytelling, emphasizing the importance of implementing and monitoring these recommendations for impactful outcomes.

The discussion is on how AI and new planning tools are revolutionizing FP&A by streamlining data collection and reporting, thus allowing analysts to concentrate more on strategic analysis and business partnerships.

Insights into a career that transitioned from major corporations to spearheading an FP&A education venture, sharing valuable lessons from varied professional experiences.

Introduction to a new certificate program that merges technical FP&A skills with interpersonal development, designed to equip professionals with comprehensive financial planning and analysis expertise.

The discussion highlights the importance of digging beyond the surface of financial data to find actionable insights and the art of crafting these insights into stories that drive strategic business decisions.

The reflection on the personal gratification from teaching and mentoring in FP&A, and anticipation of the future developments in the field as technology and analytical methods advance.

Discover the prestigious Wharton Online & Wall Street Prep FP&A Certificate Program at UPenn, and accelerate your finance career! Use code THEFPAGUY300 to save $300 on enrolment.

Quotes:
Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode about FP&A skills and making concrete, impactful business recommendations:

"FP&A is at its best when you make a concrete recommendation that helps the business move forward."

"With AI and not just with AI, but also with FP&A and planning tools and software, it will be possible that you don't have to pull data from lots of different sources."

“When you're just taking people and walking them step by step through how I build a financial model from scratch, it's a different way of teaching”

“Give them those metrics, those insights, or you can get them something that gets them at least halfway there. By doing that, you can demonstrate that you want to do more than just cutting budgets and updating forecasts.”

Follow Christian:
LinkedIn -   / christian-wattig  
Website - https://wallstreetprep.wharton.upenn.edu

Follow Paul:
Website - https://www.thefpandaguy.com
LinkedIn -   / thefpandaguy  

For CPE credit please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, and answer a few questions. For AFP FPAC certification answer the questions and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.

In today’s episode you’ll learn: 

[01:03] Introduction.
[01:50] Guest’s background.
[02:40] Modern FP&A Practices.
[04:10] The Role of Technology in FP&A.
[07:38] Guest’s Career Journey and Educational Initiatives.
[15:54] FP&A Education.
[30:10] Importance of Financial Storytelling.
[36:10] Rapid-fire session.
[42:44] Guest’s Reflections and Motivations.
[45:10] Advice for FP&A Professionals.