FLP, the Finance Leadership Podcast

"The more that we talk about mental health in the workplace, the more employers and organisations need to be prepared for that"  New ways that organisations can build employee resilience and create environments which strike a better balance between the 9-to-5 and what makes them thrive. UK-based Lauren Gasser shares her deeply honest and personal journey as she changed tack from working inside the...

"Financial figures are the results of decisions, and you need to be involved in the decisions if you want to influence the financial figures".   Data is vital. So vital that, when there's no data network infrastructure where your business is based, you have to get it built yourself. This relies on relationships, partnering with mobile phone companies and local government to get it done. Cape Town-...

"Most common organisational issues could be solved if we had a better understanding of how individuals and groups operate, and of how those forces impact upon organisations" Author, journalist and researcher Sarah Niblock is Chief Executive of the UKCP, the country's leading body for research, innovation, education and regulation working to advance psychotherapies for the benefit of all. She tells...

"The things that come to us easily tend to be the nature of our bias" Khalil Smith is Head of Diversity and Inclusion Practice at the NeuroLeadership Institute (North Carolina, USA). He talks to Kim Drumgo, Director of Diversity and Inclusion (AICPA & CIMA, USA) about the unconscious brain dynamics that feed into biases and assumptions. He reveals how it impacts our work relationships and explains...

"The future of accounting is in someone who understands guidance and all the rules, (with) the technical 'chops' and knowledge to APPLY that" When accounting legislation changes, accounting businesses have to change as well. Our guest, Mike Whitmire, responded by disrupting a specific niche in the market, transforming his accounting operation by growing his team and developing innovative AI-driven...

""Finance teams are most effective when they've got a clear purpose: when they know WHY the team actually exists"" We begin 2019 with a guest who's an accountant and consultant coach by profession. Duncan Brodie, MD of Goals and Achievements Ltd, has worked with over 5 thousand professionals in the finance field. He tells Oliver Rowe (AICPA & CIMA, London, UK) about what he's learned helping secto...

"Be really clear that you're trying to develop SOLUTIONS... as well as being aware of your own biases, your own motivations for challenging" December's "Human Intelligence" theme concludes with a look at key changes in the field of critical thinking for corporate governance and Boards.  Gillian Lees is a Research and Development Specialist in Corporate Governance and Risk-Management. She talks to...

"Leaders recognise that skills, knowledge and experience simply won't cut it anymore. They have to change HOW they know things, not just WHAT they know." Another episode in our 'Human Intelligence' strand for December. While many see AI automation as a threat, there are many clear ways to protect and enhance the value that our profession offers. Three-times TED Talks presenter Dr. Alan Watkins off...

"Creative accounting might be frowned upon but creative thinking - innovation - is not. Creativity is a muscle in the brain and requires exercise". Your December podcasts are inspired by our "Human Intelligence"-themed work around the world. This episode features Heather Wright, an international facilitator 20 years into a mission to learn as much as she can about the psychology of influence over...

"We could communicate by email but the pendulum is swinging back. People want face-to-face communication" Our "Human Intelligence" work inspires our December episodes and our guest for the first of them is Dexter Moscow. He shares his depth of insight into how professionals and their teams can rise above the hum of the tech to positively impact and motivate others. Dexter talks to AICPA & CIMA (UK...

 "There is now an RPA solution for everyone's needs. The barriers have dropped. You can start from free. Money isn't an issue." We conclude our November 2018 focus on Robotic Process Automation by talking to RPA expert and author Rob King. He shares his insights based on over 25 years experience as a lean business process and efficiency innovator, a 6 Sigma trainer and Master BlackBelt. ABOUT OUR...

  "Get really clear about how you want to spend your time. Don't get roped in to attending every holiday party if you don't want to". Not only is it Thanksgiving but it's the end of Q4, finance professionals are closing off the year's sales gaps, new budgets are being set while unspent budgets are being used as quickly as possible – plus there are the school and Christmas/New Year breaks to deal w...

The first of our occasional "Friday Focus" episodes coincides with our current series of Finance Transformation conferences being held in mid-November 2018 in New York, London and Johannesburg.  Alvin Liew presents at the Johannesburg conference and brings a global perspective to this expanding market. He talks to Andy Harris (AICPA & CIMA, UK) about the qualities, traits, and professional opportu...

"Maybe there's a missing link...Analysis alone won't suffice." Our subject matter expert this week is CIMA member Peter Simons. He talks to Kyle Hannan (AICPA & CIMA, UK) about emotional intelligence, soft skills, competition, lean process, influence and insight, and the importance of management accounting as an 'engaged' profession.   OUR GUEST: A Development and Innovation Specialist with AICPA...

"With the recent release of watchOS5, we've realised that there's an opportunity to share even more insights with our listeners". Out and about this weekend? Want to reduce your screen time though not your podcast-listening time? Here's a quick introduction to something new we'll be bringing you very soon. These podcasts will soon be going beyond the week...and offering you the occasional "Friday...

"This change is people first, then technology, and not the other way around". We're focusing on Robotics and Process-Automation this month, and our guest is just the man to outline how Human Intelligence should accompany RPA to transform a business at scale. Chris Argent talks to AICPA & CIMA's Kyle Hannan about the challenges faced by high performers. Chris will be a speaker at our forthcoming "F...

"In today's global marketplace, more and more decisions to do business with people and organisations are driven by their security posture" On this final day of Cyber Security Awareness Month in the USA and CyberSec Month in the EU, we talk about the practical realities - and the recommended best practices - surrounding cyber risk assessments. OUR GUEST: Anthony Hargreaves is currently Director at...

"In order to learn more...you have to become uncomfortable. You have to get out of your comfort zone! You have to get out there and talk to people". Peter Rehm is our first returning guest on the podcast and describes himself as "a CPA who is also a technologically-orientated blockchainer". In the last week of Cyber Security Awareness Month in the USA and CyberSec Month in the EU, he talks to Lond...

"Smishing is a funny term to describe a very serious problem that's going to be more and more prevalent" Rod Griffin is Director of Public Education at Experian, a leading credit reporting agency which aggregates information on over 1 billion individuals and businesses around the world. Speaking from the company's head office in Texas, Rod tells AICPA & CIMA's Orlando-based Samantha Delgado about...

" Information security and IT are two rather different things, and organisations don't realise that yet". As EU CyberSec Month and USA Cybersecurity Awareness Month continue, so does our focus on online safety for business. Cybersecurity expert Lisa Traina introduces AICPA & CIMA staffer Julia Woislaw to the world of 'ethical hacking', a technique which saw her featured on NBC news. OUR GUEST:  Li...

"This whole space is very volatile and very technical...so it's important to think carefully and to do your homework before putting your capital to work" In conversation with Linsday Patterson (AICPA & CIMA, Washington DC), Dr. Smith shares how his work and research on blockchain and accounting technology enables him to offer some welcome illumination on this occasionally opaque intersection of te...

 "Security is a table stakes business-survival matter" This October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month in the USA and CyberSecMonth across the EU. On the eve of this month-long focus on the safety and resilience of the internet, we talk to an expert who reveals why it's something that every business should prioritise EVERY day of the year. Kyle Hannan (AICPA & CIMA, London) talks to Tim O'...

"What's ordinary to accountants is extraordinary to everyone else...and that's your unique skill-set". In addition to her work with AICPA & CIMA's CPD Academy programmes, Andi Lonnen is a qualified ACCA, a financial trainer, a speaker, and an author. She makes a difference to her clients by making finance fun for business professionals! Research carried out for CIMA's report  Ready for business: b...

"We're not robots, we're people. And it's PEOPLE that get things done, together". Samantha Watson (AICPA & CIMA, London) talks to specialist people-developer, speaker, and trainer Clare Haynes of Wildfire. They discuss the differences between Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Quotient, the ways that they contribute to a better-functioning workplace environment, and how it can help when having d...

"There are three things leaders need to do: Lead themselves, influence others and drive change ". From AICPA & CIMA's office in London, UK, Andy Harris talks to Mark Fritz, a global leadership speaker, mentor, author, CIMA-presenter, and professor. Mark is most often associated with the phrase "Own It" and is well-known for his popular and practical presentation "Why You Never Wash A Rental Car"....