The FP&A Guy Network

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Chithra Rajagopalan, Head of Finance at Obsidian Security, to discuss what great FP&A looks like in high-growth companies, why strong data foundations matter, and how finance teams can become more strategic business partners. Chithra shares lessons from scaling finance teams, supporting hypergrowth companies, and using data to influence better decisions.

Chithra Rajagopalan is a finance leader with experience across high-growth SaaS and AI security companies. She currently serves as Head of Finance at Obsidian Security, where she oversees financial strategy and operations. Her previous roles include finance leadership positions at Glue, ClickUp, and People.ai, following earlier experience at Deloitte and Ernst & Young.

Expect to Learn:
Why great FP&A goes beyond reporting.
How strong data foundations support better decisions.
What finance teams need during hypergrowth.
How AI is changing finance roles and workflows.
Why cybersecurity matters when finance adopts AI.

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
“Accounting is always going to give you exposure to what already happened. You still need a strong FP&A partner to know what to do in the future.” - Chithra Rajagopalan
“You can have as much data as you want, but if you don’t utilize it to make decisions, surface risk, or hold people accountable, it’s pointless.” - Chithra Rajagopalan

Chithra explains that strong FP&A starts with reliable data, business understanding, communication, and the ability to prioritize what actually moves the business forward. For finance professionals, the growing use of AI also means shifting from task execution toward an orchestration mindset, where teams understand systems, workflows, automation, and business strategy rather than simply producing reports.

Follow Chithra:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chithra-rajagopalan-mba
Website: https://www.obsidiansecurity.com/

Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.

Earn Your CPE Credit
For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.

In Today’s Episode:
[00:00] - Trailer
[05:07] - What Great FP&A Looks Like
[11:16] - Building Finance During Hypergrowth
[15:19] - Creating a Culture of Data
[17:52] - Three Foundations of Strong FP&A Teams
[29:31] - Inside Obsidian Security
[34:38] - AI, Finance & Cybersecurity
[39:42] - Moving Beyond AI Hype
[44:43] - Why Finance Needs AI Guardrails
[47:24] - The Skills FP&A Professionals Need
[50:01] - The Future of Finance Teams
[57:08] - Why Startup Chaos Builds Better Leaders
[59:15] - Closing Thoughts

In this episode of Future Finance, hosts Glenn Hopper and Paul Barnhurst sit down with Matija Nakic, CEO and Co-founder of Farseer, to discuss how AI is changing financial planning, enterprise software, and decision-making. Matija shares why asking better questions matters, how finance teams can build stronger AI workflows, and where Excel still fits in modern planning.

Matija Nakic is the CEO and Co-founder of Farseer, an AI-native SaaS platform for business modeling, planning, and analysis. With a background in computer engineering, an MBA, and experience across B2B enterprise software, she has progressed from developer to product director and now leads Farseer’s mission to improve how financial professionals plan, model, and make decisions.

In this episode, you will discover:
Why asking the right questions matters with AI.
How finance can build a stronger decision culture.
Why clean data and governance still matter.
How AI can speed up planning and forecasting.
When to use Excel versus planning software.

AI can dramatically accelerate finance work, but speed alone does not create better decisions. Matija explains that effective AI adoption still depends on fundamentals such as clean data, consistent definitions, connected data sources, business logic, and human judgment

Follow Matija:
LinkedIn: https://hr.linkedin.com/in/matija-nakic
Company: https://www.farseer.com/

Follow Glenn:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiii

Follow Paul:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguy

Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.

Future Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai.

Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.

In Today’s Episode:
[00:00] - Trailer
[05:22] - Why Farseer Was Built
[08:35] - AI and the Future of Enterprise Software
[13:30] - Building Faster with AI
[17:24] - Why Asking the Right Questions Matters
[22:55] - The Three Levels of AI Adoption
[24:57] - Building a Decision Culture
[32:04] - When Excel Is Still the Right Tool
[35:57] - Governance, Context & Audit Trails
[36:37] - Rapid-Fire Questions
[39:21] - Turning Frustration with Planning Into Farseer
[40:59] - Closing Thoughts

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Oren Klaff, Private Equity Fund Manager and bestselling author of Pitch Anything, to discuss how financial modeling can support deal-making, investment decisions, and career growth. Oren shares how modeling helped him move from financial analyst to dealmaker.

Oren Klaff is a Private Equity Fund Manager and the author of Pitch Anything. He began his career as a financial analyst in private equity before moving into deal-making and capital raising. Financial modeling has remained central to how he evaluates businesses and structures deals.

Expect to Learn:
How modeling can lead to deal-making and capital raising.
Why identifying key sensitivities matters more than finding errors.
How modelers can become trusted business partners.
Why simple, structured models are more useful.
How financial insight can help move deals forward.

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
“The shortest path to high status is finding something wrong.” - Oren Klaff
“Your job is to make the future feel more certain.” Oren Klaff

Oren explains that strong modelers do more than build spreadsheets. They identify the assumptions that drive outcomes, communicate insights clearly, and help decision-makers find practical ways to make deals work.

Follow Oren:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orenklaff/
Follow Financial Modeler's Corner:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/financial-modeler-s-corner/
Newsletter - Subscribe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7079020077076905984

Sign up for the Advanced Financial Modeler Accreditation today and get 15% off using the code “Podcast” at https://bit.ly/497oAqW

Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.

In Today's Episode:
[04:00] - From Modeling to Deal-Making
[06:08] - Creating Business Insight
[08:38] - Finding Sensitive Assumptions
[09:38] - How Analysts Build Trust
[10:58] - Reviewing Models Without Creating Conflict
[14:41] - Structuring Better Deals
[18:23] - Real-World Deal Applications
[20:13] - Closing Thoughts

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst speaks with Eric Alexander about building effective FP&A functions, developing business acumen, and preparing finance professionals for leadership. Eric explains why finance teams need to look beyond the numbers, understand the business, communicate effectively, and develop the leadership skills needed to create greater impact.

Eric Alexander is the President of Six Arrows Consulting and an advisor, speaker, and author with nearly 40 years of financial management experience, including 20 years in CFO roles. He served as CFO of Happy State Bank and now provides leadership development, strategic planning, finance function, and advisory services to community banks and mid-market companies. He is also the author of Stewardship Leadership for Stinking Accountants: Serving as the CFO.

Expect to Learn:
Why business understanding matters beyond technical skills.
How to build a stronger FP&A function.
Why CFOs need leadership and communication skills.
How to make better decisions through constructive disagreement.
Why stewardship is essential to effective finance leadership.

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
"Numbers that are done correctly relative to the business issue and then communicated well... that's good FP&A." - Eric Alexander
"If I live in my little silo by myself and ignore the effects upstream and downstream, I'm missing opportunities." - Eric Alexander

Eric emphasizes that strong finance professionals need more than technical expertise. They must understand the business behind the numbers, communicate their insights, collaborate across functions, and help leaders make better decisions. As professionals move toward CFO roles, leadership, strategy, communication, and stewardship become increasingly important

Follow Eric:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-alexander-sixarrowsconsulting/
Website: https://ericralexander.com/
Company: https://sixarrowsconsulting.com/

Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.

Earn Your CPE Credit
For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.

In Today's Episode:
[00:00] - Trailer
[03:55] - What Great FP&A Looks Like
[04:47] - Building a Strong FP&A Function
[07:43] - Understanding the Business Behind the Numbers
[09:23] - Building Business Acumen
[13:39] - Moving From Accounting to FP&A
[16:19] - The Path to CFO
[20:31] - Leadership & Constructive Disagreement
[26:06] - Pre-Mortems & Better Decisions
[30:03] - Point Estimates vs. Ranges
[38:10] - Stewardship Leadership & The CFO Role
[43:57] - Technical & Human Skills for FP&A
[46:19] - Personal Questions & Closing Thoughts

In this episode of Future Finance, Paul Barnhurst speaks with Glenn Hopper about his new book, The AI-Ready CFO, and what finance leaders need to do to successfully adopt AI. Glenn explains why CFOs must take a leadership role in AI strategy, how finance can balance innovation with risk management, and why successful AI implementation starts with data readiness, process improvement, and strong governance.

In this episode, you will discover:
Why CFOs should lead AI adoption.
How finance can balance AI, speed, and risk.
Why data readiness is essential before AI implementation.
How to build trust through governance and transparency.
How to create effective AI pilots and scale success.

Glenn explains that AI adoption is not just about choosing new tools. Finance leaders need to understand their current processes, establish a baseline, identify opportunities, run focused pilots, and use evidence to decide what should be scaled.

Follow Glenn:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiii

Glenn’s new book: The AI-Ready CFO
https://robocfo.ai/ai-ready-cfo

Follow Paul:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguy

Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.

Future Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai.

Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.

In Today’s Episode:
[00:00] - Trailer: The AI-Ready CFO
[03:54] - The AI-Ready CFO Explained
[08:59] - The Changing CFO Role
[13:27] - Why Finance Should Lead AI
[16:46] - AI Change Management
[21:32] - Building an AI Strategy
[27:39] - Trust, Governance & AI
[32:32] - Transparent AI Processes
[36:30] - AI Build vs. Buy
[40:02] - Building AI Agents
[43:21] - Closing Thoughts