Claudia Cragg’s Post

Are you among the 76% of FP&A pros who are struggling to achieve success due to too many priorities? If you find yourself stuck between the ideal role you want to fulfill and the day-to-day reality, then join Pigment, Brex, and Google leaders on Jan 30th to learn more about the evolving office of finance and its implications for teams of all sizes.

If I could have lunch with anyone today - It would be Amy Hood. Because as Microsoft's EVP and CFO, she has made massive waves in the world of finance. Here's what you probably don't know: When Amy first joined the Microsoft team back in 2002, she had no executive-level experience. But just a few years later, she became Microsoft's first female CFO. How did this happen? Through hard work and relentless perseverance, combined with a knack for seizing opportunities. Amy's story starts in 2002, when she joined Microsoft as part of the investor relations group. While there, Amy wasn't trying to sneak her way to the top. She was simply doing her best to contribute to her team and her company. For a while, Amy tried to find success by immersing herself in various roles: ➡ Working in the Business Development and Strategy team ➡ Serving as Chief of Staff in the Server and Tools Business group ➡ Leading the finance team for the Microsoft Business Division Until one day, everything changed. She’d worked her way up to an incredible opportunity—and she took it. It was 2013, and Amy became the first female CFO at Microsoft. Her gameplan: ➡ Enhance financial performance across the board ➡ Drive strategic business decisions that allow the company to innovate ➡ Establish strong investor relations to create new potential for the future As you can probably guess: it worked. By 2020, Amy had risen to a wild level of success. At one of the biggest tech companies in the world, she was: ➡ Managing massive acquisitions ➡ Leading Microsoft's finance, worldwide ➡ Overseeing treasury activities, tax planning, accounting and reporting, internal audit, investor relations, and a load of other processes And the rest is history. I love this story. It’s the perfect encapsulation of what it takes to climb the corporate ladder. And it also shows how in order to be ‘lucky,’ you need to put yourself in a position to receive luck. Great reminder for anyone with big dreams. What is the most exciting opportunity you’ve positioned yourself to receive?

🔍 Strategic Edge: Q1 FP&A Hires Before the Holidays 🎄 Forget the Christmas wind down, let's talk strategic advantage. Considering Q1 FP&A hires before the break holds immense potential. Here's why: 🤝 Ahead in Financial Strategy: Q1 FP&A hires decode future financial landscapes, enabling precise planning amidst market shifts. 👀 Talent Lead: Engaging now secures top FP&A talent before competitors start their search, positioning your team ahead. 🚀 Precision Planning: Early hires streamline financial planning, aligning resources for a robust start in Q1. 💡 Accelerated Impact: Onboarding pre-holidays means a quicker integration, maximizing their contribution from day one. ✅ Proactive Stance: Initiating FP&A discussions now showcases a proactive approach, signaling readiness for what's ahead. Let's discuss how early FP&A hires can reshape your financial strategy. Cheers to a season of celebration and foresight! 📈✨ #Q1FPAHires #FinancialStrategy #TalentAcquisition #AheadoftheCurve #LetsConnect #FPandA

Want to fast-track your FP&A career? The secret sauce lies in...𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀. 🔑 But what is a mental model? Put simply, it's a representation of how something works. You know who's famous for them? Our friend, Charlie Munger. 💪 Here are 3 reasons why mental models are important, especially in FP&A: 1️⃣ 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Mental models equip you with structured thinking approaches, enabling you to make well-informed decisions amidst complexity. 2️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: By leveraging mental models, you can extract strategic insights from tons of data. These frameworks help you identify patterns, trends, and interdependencies, allowing you to develop proactive strategies and drive impactful outcomes. 3️⃣ 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: In a rapidly changing business landscape, mental models act as your compass. They enhance your ability to adapt to changing scenarios, make quick course corrections, and seize opportunities that arise. Our favorite mental model? First principles 😎 Which mental model have you found most impactful in your FP&A career? Share your experiences and insights below 👇 PS: Want more FP&A tips and tricks? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/edDPYq_t #fpandhey #fpanda #careers

This is critical! With a considerable shortage of accounting professionals continuing to put pressure on hiring managers, businesses, and current employees; investing in expert help to find qualified candidates is more important than ever. Being short-staffed leads to burnt out employees and burnt-out employees lead to higher turnover! If you are experiencing a key shortage on your team I invite you to reach out to get a conversation started. Lets get proactive and not reactive. https://lnkd.in/gtvnVyDi

Welcome to Extreme Investor Network, where we go above and beyond to bring you the latest and most valuable insights in the world of finance. Today, we're diving into the upcoming earnings report from Amazon, one of the tech giants that investors can't get enough of. #Amazons #earnings #expectations #Report #Streets #Wall

https://lnkd.in/gf-TPiQ8 The difference between a data driven business and a personality driven one will always eventually come to light. Every company likes to wrap itself in the notion of informed decision making, but for too many, only while the empirical data supports what the strategic decision-makers already believe.

Recommended reading for founders and CEOs about strategy and culture - the two subjects I'm focusing on right now while closing year 1 and starting year 2 of building Across. I hope it's helpful. https://lnkd.in/erauMkVD

Golden oldie. The author highlights the challenge of forecasting long-term adoption rates and the importance of understanding potential growth limitations. In Amazon's case, the identified obstacle was customers' aversion to paying shipping fees. The company addressed this by introducing initiatives like Super Saver Shipping and eventually Amazon Prime, transforming shipping into a pre-paid service and creating a significant competitive advantage. The narrative underscores the value of identifying and overcoming such obstacles for sustained business success. Enjoy. https://lnkd.in/eR9N7Fex