I think we all come to our roles in business through varying paths and leveraging different types of qualifications. I came to FP&A (Financial Planning and Analysis) mainly through semiconductor manufacturing operations and later corporate strategy. FP&A seemed to fall somewhere in the middle between baptism by fire and very long term projects totally lacking in instant gratification but offering long term satisfaction. I see FP&A as one of the most critical roles an executive team has to fill. The person leading the FP&A function at a company serves as a C level executive’s “True North”. And that is why I love what I do. I cherish the responsibility and privilege of showing people their options and possibilities for growing their business. When they actually take my advice, I cherish it even more. In this blog I aspire to share my experiences in FP&A and offer some candid insights into what it is really like in the decision maker’s office, what works and what doesn’t and why what FP&A people do for a living really matters.