FP&A Unlocked

In this Episode of FP&A Unlocked, host Paul Barnhurst features returning guest Jack McCullough, founder of the CFO Leadership Council, for a conversation about The Rodman Paradox and what it means for FP&A teams. The discussion explores how specialists can create outsized value, how leaders should recognise them, and how to manage them without turning them into the wrong kind of generalist.
Jack McCullough is the founder and president of the CFO Leadership Council, a professional community he built to empower senior financial executives through peer learning and collaboration. Over the course of his career, Jack has served as chief financial officer for twenty-six companies, leading not only finance but also business development, HR, and IT functions.
Expect to Learn:
Build FP&A teams with the three Cs: communication, curiosity, courage.
Rare specialists can outperform broad generalists.
Spot true critical specialists vs. those who just seem important.
Find hidden influence by who people turn to in crises.
Avoid promoting specialists away from their best work.

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
You want to encourage a culture of what I call the three Cs, which are communications, curiosity, and courage." – Jack McCullough
"The Rodman paradox is there might be people that on the surface seem like they have a limited skillset, but because there are so few people who can do it well, they may actually be more important to your organisational success than executives." – Jack McCullough

Jack brings the perspective of a seasoned CFO, author, and adviser who has spent years thinking about financial leadership, specialist talent, and the skills that matter most in modern finance.
Follow Jack:
Website - https://cfoleadershipcouncil.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackmcculloughcfo/

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
[01:42] – Jack shares the coming book The Rodman Paradox
[05:56] – The three Cs for strong FP&A teams
[07:27] – Why the book is about specialists, not basketball
[13:15] – How to spot a Rodman through influence and crisis
[20:19] – Managing specialists through motivation and bureaucracy
[30:05] – AI may increase the value of specialists
[33:42] – Career advice for future CFOs and FP&A leaders
[40:57] – Reflecting on the ultimate interview opportunities
[45:57] – Wrap-up

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst sits down with Etinosa Agbonlahor, behavioral economist and Founder & CEO of Decision Alpha, to discuss why pricing is one of the biggest drivers of business success. They explore how customer psychology influences pricing, why many companies underprice their products, and how FP&A can play a more strategic role in pricing decisions.
Etinosa Agbonlahor is a behavioral economist and pricing strategist who helps businesses improve pricing through behavioral science and customer insights. As Founder & CEO of Decision Alpha, she has advised organizations across the US, Australia, Africa, and the UK on pricing, customer behavior, and growth. She is also the author of How to Talk to Your Parents About Money.
Expect to Learn:
Why most businesses underprice their products
How customer psychology influences pricing
The role of FP&A in pricing strategy
When outcome-based pricing works best
Why storytelling makes data more impactful

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
"The problem with underpricing is that no one is going to tell you you're underpriced." – Etinosa Agbonlahor
"People don't walk around knowing what your product should cost, they infer your value from your price." – Etinosa Agbonlahor

Etinosa shares practical strategies for improving pricing through customer research, behavioral economics, and data-driven decision-making. This episode is ideal for FP&A professionals, finance leaders, and business owners looking to build stronger pricing strategies.

Follow Etinosa:
Website - https://playbook.decisionalpha.co/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/etinosasere/

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
[05:18] – What Great FP&A Looks Like
[06:12] – Why Pricing Drives Business Success
[10:03] – Why Businesses Underprice
[17:23] – Customer Segmentation
[24:02] – FP&A and Pricing
[29:28] – Behavioral Pricing Framework
[34:12] – AI & Outcome-Based Pricing
[46:05] – Data Storytelling
[57:02] – Final Advice

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst sits down with Alok Ajmera, CEO of Prophix, to explore how AI is reshaping FP&A, financial planning, and enterprise decision-making. Alok explains how modern finance teams are evolving from spreadsheet-heavy workflows to AI-enabled systems, while still relying on structured data, deterministic processes, and human oversight to maintain accuracy and trust in financial outputs.

Alok Ajmera is the CEO of Prophix, a leading financial performance management platform helping CFO organizations modernize planning, budgeting, and forecasting. With over 22 years at Prophix, he has supported more than 3,000 finance teams globally in transforming how they close, consolidate, and plan. Alok has led the evolution of FP&A systems from spreadsheet-first to system-first, and now toward AI-enabled finance operations.

Expect to Learn:
What makes FP&A a true force multiplier inside organizations
How data stewardship, collaboration, and forecasting define great finance teams
Why AI must stay deterministic when handling financial calculations
The difference between probabilistic AI and structured finance systems
How AI agents support FP&A without replacing financial control

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
"The biggest opportunity is to take inefficient manual workflows and simplify them with AI agents, delivering value quickly while building confidence in the team." – Alok Ajmera
"AI democratizes capabilities, but there must be governance and discipline. It’s easy to build things, but maintaining them is hard." – Alok Ajmera

Alok explains that while AI is transforming FP&A through speed and automation, the core of finance still depends on structured systems, clean data, and human judgment. He emphasizes that the future of finance is a hybrid model where AI enhances productivity while finance leaders maintain control, context, and strategic oversight.

Follow Alok:
Website - www.prophix.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alok-ajmera-93896617/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@prophix

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
[04:10] – What great FP&A looks like
[09:13] – Revenue and qualitative goals
[18:38] – Why AI in FP&A needs structure
[29:36] – AI in forecasting and planning
[33:45] – Risks, governance, and AI sprawl
[45:40] – Soft skills in FP&A
[49:11] – Travel and personal reflections
[51:25] – Closing thoughts

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst sits down with Tim Stallkamp, Senior Managing Director at Riveron, alongside co-host Glenn Snyder. Tim shares insights on interim management and how it is reshaping finance leadership by helping companies fill critical gaps, accelerate value creation, and bring experienced finance leaders into organizations during transition periods.

Tim Stallkamp is a Senior Managing Director and the leader of Riveron’s Interim Management practice. He is a seasoned turnaround executive who provides interim management and turnaround management services to distressed and under-performing businesses. Tim has led turnarounds as interim chief executive officer (CEO), chief restructuring officer (CRO), chief transformation officer (CTO), and chief financial officer (CFO).

Expect to Learn:
Why private equity is driving demand for interim finance leaders
What makes a strong interim FP&A and finance professional
Why broad, cross-industry experience matters more than narrow expertise
How interim leaders create value from day one
The importance of clear scope and alignment in engagements

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
"Interim management isn’t about replacing people; it’s about supplementing leadership to create value faster and help teams reach their full potential." – Tim Stallkamp
"The more experiences an individual has across industries and roles, the more effective they are in interim management. Breadth of expertise is key." – Tim Stallkamp

Tim explains how interim management is reshaping finance leadership by bringing experienced professionals into organizations during critical transitions. These leaders not only fill gaps but also help improve processes, guide decision-making, and leave companies stronger than before.

Follow Tim:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-stallkamp-537b0317/
Company: https://riveron.com/

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

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
[05:06] - What interim management is
[07:42] - Why it’s growing
[09:13] - Value creation in leadership
[13:12] - Defining scope clearly
[17:58] - Alignment in engagements
[26:11] - Types of interim roles
[37:14] - Systems vs skills
[42:55] - Private equity decision-making
[50:42] - Final thoughts

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst sits down with Nicholas Moen, CMA and Director of Finance at Section, an AI software company. Nicholas shares insights on leveraging AI in FP&A to streamline financial modeling, automate workflows, improve decision-making, and build high-performing teams. He discusses practical strategies for training finance teams, balancing human oversight with AI automation, and applying FP&A insights to drive operational impact in enterprise organizations.

Nicholas Moen is a CMA and finance leader at Section, where he reinvents finance through AI, helping organizations build AI-powered workflows at scale. Based in Franklin, Pennsylvania, Nicholas specializes in leveraging AI to streamline FP&A processes, automate workflows, and empower finance teams to focus on strategic decision-making.

Expect to Learn:
How AI frees FP&A teams from manual work
Automating reports, spreadsheets, and workflows
Training and empowering teams on AI tools
Key FP&A skills: business partnering, listening, and data understanding

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
"Context is everything. Using AI to capture meeting insights and key assumptions helps teams make smarter, faster decisions." - Nicholas Moen
"A strong FP&A professional understands both data structures and business partnering, skills that AI cannot replace." - Nicholas Moen

Nicholas Moen demonstrates how AI is reshaping the role of FP&A, allowing teams to focus on strategic decision-making instead of manual tasks. By leveraging tools like Claude and Lovable, finance professionals can automate workflows, build models faster, and make more informed business decisions.

Follow Nicholas:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-moen-320a11106/
Substack: https://substack.com/@runningfinance

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
[02:56] – What great FP&A looks like today
[05:14] – Automating spreadsheets with Claude
[14:31] – Building micro-apps with Lovable
[17:58] – Commission automation
[21:26] – Doing analysis on the go
[30:12] – Low-hanging AI wins for FP&A
[33:58] – Training and knowledge sharing
[38:41] – Top soft and technical skills
[41:35] – Personal side: music and hobbies
[45:53] – How to connect with Nicholas