Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst is joined by Giles Male and Ian Schnoor, alongside guests Michael Jarman and Diarmuid Early, to explore how AI is transforming financial modeling, model review, automation, and the skills finance professionals will need next.
The question is no longer whether AI can build a financial model.
The real question is how many specialised AI agents you'll have working alongside you.
The biggest leap won't come from asking one AI assistant for help.
It will come from orchestrating teams of AI agents that each solve a specific problem with speed and precision.
The professionals who embrace that shift will spend less time building.
And more time making better decisions.
🎧 Listen to the full episode on @thefpandaguy
#FinancialModeling #ArtificialIntelligence #Finance #FPandA #Copilot #Automation #AIAgents #FinancialModels #FutureOfWork #FinanceInnovation #ModelReview #MEWC
In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst is joined by Giles Male and Ian Schnoor, alongside guests Michael Jarman and Diarmuid Early, to explore how AI is transforming financial modeling, model review, automation, and the skills finance professionals will need next.
The question is no longer whether AI can build a financial model.
The real question is how many specialised AI agents you'll have working alongside you.
The biggest leap won't come from asking one AI assistant for help.
It will come from orchestrating teams of AI agents that each solve a specific problem with speed and precision.
The professionals who embrace that shift will spend less time building.
And more time making better decisions.
🎧 Listen to the full episode on @thefpandaguy
#FinancialModeling #ArtificialIntelligence #Finance #FPandA #Copilot #Automation #AIAgents #FinancialModels #FutureOfWork #FinanceInnovation #ModelReview #MEWC

![How to Build Great What-If Analysis for FP&A Professionals
The FP&A Guy sits down with Lee Lazarow, a finance and technology expert with more than 30 years of experience in FP&A and business planning to discuss how to build effective what-if analysis that goes beyond simple forecasts to drive better business decisions.
Expect to Learn:
- The difference between good-enough and effective what-if analysis
- How to identify the business drivers that matter most
- Why spreadsheet-based planning becomes risky as organizations grow
- Why modeling multiple scenarios leads to better decisions
Follow Lee Lazarow:
Website: https://revelwood.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-lazarow-4019a7/
In Todays Episode
[00:00] – Introduction to what-if analysis
[00:16] – Good enough vs. great scenario planning
[01:36] – Identifying the right business drivers
[03:21] – Why Excel breaks down at scale
[05:14] – The role of modern planning platforms
[06:33] – AI adoption in FP&A today
[07:56] – Three ways to improve what-if analysis
[08:32] – Planning for multiple scenarios
[08:54] – Why timely data matters
[10:01] – Closing remarks How to Build Great What-If Analysis for FP&A Professionals](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/c8v2sBEvJGs/mqdefault.jpg)






![Developing Business Acumen necessary to become a strategic business partner with Robert Blanding
In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst sits down with Robert Blanding, an experienced finance and operations leader in the ag-tech sector. Robert shares insights on building high-performing FP&A teams, partnering effectively with accounting, developing financial acumen, and applying strategic finance to drive operational impact in global businesses.
Robert Blanding is the Chief Financial Officer at Fall Creek, a global leader in the Ag-Tech sector. He brings extensive experience in finance and operations from 18 years at Intel and leadership roles across industrial manufacturing, technology, and ag-tech companies. Robert combines strategic financial leadership with a focus on innovation, long-term business growth, and developing high-performing teams.
Expect to Learn:
What great FP&A looks like and the importance of business acumen
How to develop strong partnerships between FP&A and accounting
Strategies for building high-performing, empowered finance teams
Navigating systems, processes, and technology challenges in FP&A
Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
It starts with being connected to the business, having strong acumen, and being consulted by stakeholders. – Robert Blanding
Investing in relationships outside of crisis is critical to getting support from accounting and operations. – Robert Blanding
Robert shares practical insights for FP&A professionals and aspiring CFOs, emphasizing the importance of business acumen, strong partnerships with accounting, creative problem-solving, and developing high-performing teams.
Follow Robert:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfb19/
Company Website: https://www.fallcreeknursery.com/
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] – Defining Great FP&A
[07:39] – Career Path & First CFO Role
[17:49] – Fall Creek & Ag-Tech Overview
[21:18] – Importance of FP&A & Accounting Partnership
[32:23] – Creative Problem Solving & Process Improvement
[38:59] – Challenges in Building High-Performing Teams
[45:32] – Advice for Aspiring CFOs
[49:11] – Top Technical Skill for FP&A Professionals
[52:50] – Personal Interests & Basketball
[56:12] – How to Connect with Robert Developing Business Acumen necessary to become a strategic business partner with Robert Blanding](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fK7gtWrg9m8/mqdefault.jpg)

![How CFOs Can Reduce Manual Reporting and Increase Strategic Impact Using AI with Brian McGowan
In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst talks with Bryan McGowan, founder of Alpyne, about what great FP&A looks like, how technical skills can improve finance work, and where AI is actually useful for CFOs and finance teams. Bryan shares how his background in engineering shaped his approach to finance, why he built Alpyne to solve real workflow problems, and how AI can reduce manual work so finance professionals can spend more time on analysis and business partnering.
Bryan McGowan is the founder of Alpyne and a CFO with a rare mix of finance and technical skill. After spending a decade leading finance in tech, he launched Alpyne in 2021 to solve a problem he had lived himself: great CFOs were spending too much time on manual work and not enough time on strategic thinking.
Expect to Learn:
What great FP&A looks like in practice
Why accounting fundamentals still matter
How coding and data knowledge help finance professionals
Why Bryan built Alpyne to solve his own CFO workflow problems
How AI can help save time in finance roles
Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
“Models are never right, but sometimes theyre useful.” - Bryan McGowan
“If you can create a structure, if you can provide a framework that allows for supports effective decision making across the organization, I feel like youre doing your job.” - Bryan McGowan
Bryan explains that FP&A is not about predicting the future perfectly. It is about giving the business a useful framework to make better decisions. He also shares that AI works best when it is used on process-heavy work like cleanup, mapping, reporting, and system workflow.
Follow Bryan:
Primary Alpyne website: https://getalpyne.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-mcgowan-8572644/
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] – Introduction
[02:55] – What Great FP&A Looks Like
[04:03] – How Bryan Uses AI Today
[08:26] – Why Technical Skills Matter in Finance
[10:47] – Why Bryan Built Alpyne
[14:24] – Using AI in Finance Workflows
[17:49] – Building Client Context Into AI Tools
[21:44] – Checks, Controls, and Trust in Finance
[24:26] – A Real Finance Problem Solved With AI
[29:04] – Advice for Finance Professionals Starting With AI
[33:12] – What Holds Finance Teams Back From AI
[35:31] – The Most Important Skills in FP&A
[40:43] – Better Business Partnering and Closing Thoughts How CFOs Can Reduce Manual Reporting and Increase Strategic Impact Using AI with Brian McGowan](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fx8kYHq7104/mqdefault.jpg)