Post by Felix Courvoisier

Over the past months, I’ve completed two executive programmes that nicely connect two worlds I’m deeply passionate about: 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗣&𝗔. ☑️ Strategic Management for Executives (St. Gallen Business School) ☑️ Strategy Execution (Harvard Business School) What stood out for me once again: Strategy is not only about defining direction — it’s about 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. This is where FP&A and Finance play a critical role. Not as a reporting function, but as a 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Strong finance teams 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀. They create transparency on whether the organization is 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁. They also provide the 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 leadership teams need when trade-offs must be evaluated. For me, FP&A is at its best when it actively supports strategy execution - by connecting 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 and 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀. Grateful for the learning, the exchange and the fresh perspectives. Always curious how others see the evolving role of Finance in strategy development and strategy execution.