GrowCFO Show
The GrowCFO Show is the podcast produced for finance leaders by finance leaders
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In this episode, Kevin Appleby hosts Acterys leaders Eric Reyhle (SVP Global Alliances) and Manuel Marcos (Regional Director EMEA/LATAM) to explore 2026: The Six Defining Challenges for the Office of the CFO. The conversation opens by underscoring why 2026 is a pivotal inflection point: the convergence of mature enterprise data platforms (e.g., Microsoft Fabric), governed data foundations, and practical AI that elevates finance from historical reporting to forward-looking decisioning. The guests frame AI’s promise and risks candidly—AI is transformative, but only as trustworthy as the underlying data and governance that feed it.
Across the discussion, Eric and Manuel translate technical change into finance impact: continuous planning over static, snapshot budgeting; predictive and scenario-driven decisions over backward-looking reporting; and a shift from spreadsheet “systems of record” to governed, auditable platforms that keep Excel/Power BI as the familiar front-end. They emphasize cyber resilience as a CFO mandate with direct P&L and valuation consequences, and outline a pragmatic path: modernize the data foundation, embed governance, enable real-time write-back and scenario modeling, and apply AI to augment—not replace—finance judgment. The result is a finance function positioned to deliver strategic foresight and resilient performance in 2026 and beyond.
Key topics covered:
- Why 2026 is the inflection point: convergence of AI, governed data, and enterprise platforms like Microsoft Fabric.
- From historian to pilot: AI automates consolidation/reconciliations and unlocks predictive forecasting and rapid scenario modeling.
- Keep Excel/Power BI; fix the back end: shift from spreadsheet “system of record” to governed, auditable, AI-ready data with real-time write-back.
- Cyber resilience is a CFO issue: attacks translate directly to P&L, cash flow, and valuation—governance and access control are non-negotiable.
- Continuous planning replaces static snapshots: always-on data flow enables weekly/biweekly scenario refreshes and faster decisions.
- Practical impact: 50–70% reduction in manual consolidation effort; 3–5x faster planning cycles; instant “what-if” responses for leadership.
Links
Timestamps
- 00:03 Why 2026 is pivotal: AI goes mainstream as data platforms mature; finance and IT must converge.
- 00:11 Finance’s shift: from manual reconciliations to predictive forecasts, anomaly detection, and rapid scenario simulations.
- 00:16 Keep Excel/Power BI; govern the data: front-end familiarity with a secure, auditable back end and real-time write-back.
- 00:22 Data lake/warehouse/mart “kitchen” analogy for finance–IT alignment and model design.
- 00:23 Cybersecurity as a CFO mandate; the real risk of uncontrolled spreadsheets vs. governed environments.
- 00:35 Quantified benefits: 50–70% less manual consolidation; 3–5x faster forecasting/budgeting; instant “what-if” analysis.
- 00:39 Continuous planning defined: why snapshots are obsolete and how always-on data enables dynamic plans.
- 00:45 Microsoft Fabric as connective data tissue; build on the stack users already know
- 00:47 From reactive reporting to strategic foresight; leveraging granular operational data for predictive decisions.
- 00:53 What differentiates 2026 leaders: modern data foundations, governance, AI augmentation, and cross-functional collaboration.
Find out more about GrowCFO
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The Next 100 Days
The Next 100 Days Podcast is a leading UK business show. Through this podcast, Kevin and Graham reveal strategies you can use to improve your business and take it to the next level. In addition to featuring their own advice, Kevin and Graham host amazing guests from across the business world. Often the guests are successful, but lesser-known business owners and entrepreneurs, enabling the show to bring fresh content and stand out from many of the US based business shows.
Graham and Kevin believe that business change comes about when a business owner focusses on just one thing that will make a real difference to his business. That might be product development, a new product launch or a marketing campaign. Focussing for less than 100 days, or focussing on too many things generally won’t deliver the results you need, Equally, its difficult to maintain effective focus for much longer than 100 days without re-assessing priorities.
The Next 100 Days Podcast is your source to learn how to move your business forward, with practical advice and guidance that you can put into action and make a difference in your own organisation within the next 100 days.
Business Coaching of mid to upper-level management, high-potential leaders, and struggling leaders is Holly Golebiowski’s focus in her coaching practice.
Summary of Podcast
Introductions and small talk
The participants – Kevin, Graham, and Holly – greet each other and engage in some casual conversation, including discussing Holly’s Polish last name and Graham’s past colleague Veronica.
Shifting to business coaching and leader skills
The group transitions the discussion to focus on business coaching and leader skills, with Kevin and Graham clarifying that the main topic is about helping leaders develop their skills.
Holly’s background and experience as a business coach
Holly shares how she became a business coach, including her own experience working with a coach named Nan who helped her improve as a leader when she was at risk of being fired from her previous COO role. She explains the value of self-awareness and empathy as key leadership skills.
Leader Skills program overview
Holly provides an overview of the Leader Skills program she co-runs with Nan, including the specific skills they focus on (e.g. conflict management, time management), the format of the program (online modules plus group discussions), and the types of companies they work with (ranging from startups to large enterprises).
Feedback and impact of the Leader Skills program
Holly shares positive feedback and impact of the Leader Skills program, including a 99% satisfaction rate and a money-back guarantee that no one has ever used, indicating the program’s value. She also discusses how the program helps companies, especially growing startups, develop the leadership skills needed as they scale.
The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-Hosts
Graham Arrowsmith
Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. He’s the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, where he introduces AI Agents that you can talk to, that increase engagement, dwell time, leads and conversions. Now, Graham is offering Answer Engine Optimisation that gets you ready to be found by LLM search.
Kevin Appleby
Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He’s the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com