The Finance Leader Podcast
Organizations have a greater chance of success when Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), Accounting, Operations, and the Executive Senior Leadership are more strategically aligned. Developing Finance Leaders capable of growing partnerships across the organization and leading positive change are the goals for this podcast. The host is Stephen McLain, a U.S. Army-Retired Finance Officer. After retirement, Stephen transitioned to working as a Business Consultant in Corporate FP&A and Accounting. Topics will be dedicated to finance leadership development, "The CFO Mindset", improving processes like month-end close, and strengthening strategic alignment. Please listen to the trailer so you can check it out. Thank you!
The Finance Leader Podcast
Organizations have a greater chance of success when Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), Accounting, Operations, and the Executive Senior Leadership are more strategically aligned. Developing Finance Leaders capable of growing partnerships across the organization and leading positive change are the goals for this podcast.
The host is Stephen McLain, a U.S. Army-Retired Finance Officer. After retirement, Stephen transitioned to working as a Business Consultant in Corporate FP&A and Accounting.
Topics will be dedicated to finance leadership development, "The CFO Mindset", improving processes like month-end close, and strengthening strategic alignment.
Please listen to the trailer so you can check it out. Thank you!
New to The Finance Leader Podcast?
1
Sept. 22, 2025
FP&A and Operations: Creating Powerful Partnerships for Strategic Growth
Send us Fan Mail Episode # 145: What happens when your FP&A team operates in isolation from the people actually running your business? Nothing good. The gap between finance and operations isn't just an organizational issue—it's a strategic vulnerability that could be costing your company significant competitive advantage. Bridging this divide creates transformative opportunities. When finance professionals develop deep partnerships with operations teams, forecasting becomes dramatically ...
2
April 28, 2025
Transforming Business without Sacrificing Employee Satisfaction: Interview with Service Physics Co-Founders, Brian Reece and Steve Crowley
Send us Fan Mail Episode 137: What if the key to transforming your business lies not in adding more resources, but in simply understanding how your employees move through their workspace? In this eye-opening conversation with Service Physics co-founders Brian Reece and Steve Crowley, we uncover the hidden costs of inefficient processes that might be quietly draining your profits and customer satisfaction. Website: www.servicephysics.com Service Physics app download: Apple Store Service Physic...
5
Feb. 5, 2024
Wassia Kamon Interview - VP of Finance and Corporate Controller, How to Emphasize Your Value
Send us Fan Mail Episode # 119: In the episode, Wassia talks about her work with H.O.P.E - Helping Other People be Empowered: you can find the link here. This is an amazing organization doing work that matters and changing lives for the better. Embark on a transformative journey through the dynamic world of finance with Wassia Kamon, Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller from the Low Income Investment Fund, as she unpacks the essence of value beyond the numbers. Was...
3
Jan. 22, 2024
Interview with Mark McMillion - A Discussion on Growing Our Leadership and Mastering Conflict Management
Send us Fan Mail Discover the leadership secrets that can transform your team from functioning to phenomenal as I'm joined by retired Lieutenant Colonel Mark McMillian. With a storied 22-year military career and a passion for coaching as the founder of McMillion Leadership Associates, Mark offers a wealth of knowledge on the importance of clear communication and defined expectations. Our conversation is a treasure trove for anyone looking to inspire and guide teams to greatness, especia...
1
April 14, 2025
Building the Future of Contract Management - Interview with the CEO of Concord Worldwide, Matt Lhoumeau
Send us Fan Mail Episode #136: Matt Lhoumeau, CEO of Concord Worldwide, takes us on his extraordinary journey from founding his first company at 17 to revolutionizing how businesses handle their contracts. Connect with Matt Lhoumeau and Concord: 1) Matt Lhoumeau: Matt's LinkedIn 2) Website: concord.app Matt's revelation will surprise you: contract management has fundamentally transformed. While traditionally the exclusive domain of legal departments, today's reality shows operations and fina...
1
Jan. 7, 2025
Personal Accountability Strategy for Success in 2025
Send us Fan Mail Episode #128: Kickstart your 2025 with a potent strategy that ensures your goals don't end up as forgotten resolutions! We promise to guide you through a personal accountability process that transforms dreams into achievable milestones. What if we told you the secret to success lies not just in setting goals, but in how you hold yourself accountable to them? Join me as we unpack the power of mindset, attitude, and a commitment that defies excuses. Harness the SMART goal-set...
4
Sept. 23, 2024
Mike Manalac, Accounting Manager at Google Interview - Navigating Career Changes in Accounting
Send us Fan Mail Episode 126: Ever wondered how to transition from the demanding world of public accounting to a prestigious industry role? Join us as we sit down with Mike Manalac, Accounting Manager at Google and former PwC and Walmart accountant. Mike shares his incredible journey and the invaluable lessons he's learned along the way. From the rigorous training environments of Big Four firms to the nuances of auditing publicly traded companies, Mike offers insights that are crucial for any...
4
June 30, 2026
How Agile Strategy Can Transform FP&A from a Reporting Function to a Strategic Business Partner
Episode # 154: Most FP&A teams aren’t short on effort they’re short on time to think. When the calendar is dominated by budgets, monthly reporting, variance explanations, and forecast refreshes, finance can end up reacting to problems after they’ve already hit results. That’s risky in a world of rapid market shifts, customer behavior changes, supply chain disruption, and nonstop technology transformation. We walk through how agile strategy applies to financial planning a...
Recent
4
June 30, 2026
How Agile Strategy Can Transform FP&A from a Reporting Function to a Strategic Business Partner
Episode # 154: Most FP&A teams aren’t short on effort they’re short on time to think. When the calendar is dominated by budgets, monthly reporting, variance explanations, and forecast refreshes, finance can end up reacting to problems after they’ve already hit results. That’s risky in a world of rapid market shifts, customer behavior changes, supply chain disruption, and nonstop technology transformation. We walk through how agile strategy applies to financial planning a...
3
March 2, 2026
Start Shaping Strategic Decisions Instead of Only Reporting Financial Results, Deliver Real Impact to Senior Leaders
Episode # 153: Strategy rarely changes because of a perfect variance report. It changes when someone connects the numbers to what customers feel, what operations can deliver, and which levers will protect margin and growth. We dig into how FP&A analysts and staff accountants can stop just reporting results and start shaping what happens next by diagnosing drivers, partnering across functions, and communicating like executives. We start with a mindset reset: reporting per...
2
Feb. 2, 2026
When FP&A Translates Drivers, Strategy Finally Moves
Episode # 152: We show how finance becomes a real partner to operations by translating numbers into drivers, embedding FP&A in decisions before they are made, and aligning metrics and incentives to strategy. The result is faster execution, fewer surprises, and teams that own outcomes. • translating financials into operational drivers • replacing data dumps with clear operational stories • partnering early to frame trade‑offs and scenarios • aligning metrics, goals, and i...
1
Jan. 12, 2026
How Clear Priorities, Trust, And Timely Decisions Transform Performance
Send us Fan Mail Episode # 151: Start the year with leadership that actually moves the needle. We walk through the strategic actions that make teams faster, clearer, and more resilient—without adding noise. We begin with the culture you model when pressure hits, because people copy what you do, not what you say. Calm, integrity, and active listening create psychological safety and higher standards at the same time. From there, we narrow in on priorities: how to publish a short, ranked ...
6
Nov. 12, 2025
Finance Leadership, Beyond The Numbers
Send us Fan Mail Episode # 150: Leadership in finance isn’t a title—it’s a practice. We dive into what turns any role in accounting, FP&A, or audit into a force for strategic impact, starting with the four pillars that anchor meaningful change: influence, grow your people, deliver results, and see the future. Along the way, we unpack how to turn data into decisions, build trust with senior leaders, and convert operational friction—like a chaotic month end—into a reliable, learning-driven ...
5
Nov. 4, 2025
Month-End Close Procedures Improvement by Using the Army's After-Action Review Process
Episode #149: Month-end doesn’t have to feel like a rolling emergency. We walk through a proven, blame-free framework—the U.S. Army’s After Action Review—to turn your close into a reliable, data-driven process that gets faster and more accurate every cycle. If your calendar is packed and bottlenecks keep returning, this is the practical reset your team needs. We start by reframing performance reviews as a leadership habit that compounds. Then we break down the AAR into...
Join the Email List
Listen On
