FP&A Today

Leaving FP&A at billion dollar companies to become a top Fractional CFO: Rosemary Linden ‘s amazing career journey

Listen Later

Rosemary Linden more than earned her stripes in FP&A over twenty years.  Her roles included VP FP&A at Alliant Insurance Services. Director of Global FP&A at WD-40 Company and at Solera.

But after two decades in corporate finance she moved to being a fractional CFO serving small businesses (typical annual revenue of around $10million) managing an assortment of responsibilities. 

This episode is for anyone in finance who may be looking to escape the corporate grind and set up as a Fractional CFO.


But Linden warns it is not for everyone.

“One of the first things I’d say to think about is, do you really want to be a fractional CFO? Because that’s different from being a full-time CFO at one particular company and comes with its own challenges.”

In this episode:

  • Moving from corporate finance after 20 years to dealing with “astute” small business owners as a fractional CFO in San Diego 
  • Why FP&A is an ideal training ground to become a CFO
    • Secrets for telling a good story 
  • Getting to what you want the people in a room to “walk away knowing”
    • Cash flows at small companies, opportunities and challenges 
  • Dealing with seasonal variances at small businesses 
  • Advice for starting your own business as a fractional CFO
  • Moving to a more analytical mindset 
  • Difference between, strategic planning and financial planning (Case Study San Diego Civic Youth Ballet)
  • My most dangerous deep sea dive, being team Excel and Ruth Bader Ginsburg

    • Follow Rosemary Linden on LinkedIn

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemarylinden/

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store
    FP&A TodayBy Glenn Hopper
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7

    4.7

    45 ratings

    More shows like FP&A Today

    View all
    The McKinsey Podcast by McKinsey & Company

    The McKinsey Podcast

    388 Listeners

    PwC's accounting podcast by PwC

    PwC's accounting podcast

    180 Listeners

    HBR IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review

    HBR IdeaCast

    1,833 Listeners

    CFO THOUGHT LEADER by The Future of Finance is Listening

    CFO THOUGHT LEADER

    128 Listeners

    TED Business by TED

    TED Business

    1,111 Listeners

    M Science by Kison Patel

    M Science

    128 Listeners

    Wall Street Breakfast by Seeking Alpha

    Wall Street Breakfast

    1,030 Listeners

    Inside the Strategy Room by McKinsey & Company

    Inside the Strategy Room

    169 Listeners

    FT News Briefing by Financial Times

    FT News Briefing

    674 Listeners

    Making Sense by J.P. Morgan

    Making Sense

    59 Listeners

    Thoughts on the Market by Morgan Stanley

    Thoughts on the Market

    1,293 Listeners

    Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques by Matt Abrahams, Think Fast Talk Smart

    Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

    806 Listeners

    WSJ's Take On the Week by The Wall Street Journal

    WSJ's Take On the Week

    146 Listeners

    FP&A Unlocked by Paul Barnhurst

    FP&A Unlocked

    24 Listeners

    Financial Modeler's Corner by Paul Barnhurst AKA The FP&A Guy

    Financial Modeler's Corner

    16 Listeners