Episode 73 - Drew Murphy: Find best practices, people that make you work better, and things you enjoy

Show Notes

Drew Murphy nearly became a meteorologist. But he opted for a different type of forecasting, warning of impending storms as an FP&A professional. A fast-paced finance career saw him land a part role at Procter & Gamble (while studying)-his senior year saw him work 30 hours a week as a plant accountant. Following six years of FP&A at Procter & Gamble (including analysis for Gillette and Braun), he took roles at Vistaprint, Mimecraft (where he was central to their IPO) and a CFO gig. Drew then launched community FP&A Hey with his co-founder Yarty Kim . The mission of FP&A Hey is to “help time-starved FP&A professionals get their free time back, their personal freedom back” offering resources and mentoring for FP&A professionals.

Core to his career approach is a clear mantra: “Find best practices, find people that make you better, work on things you enjoy.” In this episode, he discusses the implications of this approach to upgrading your career and work-life balance in a busy finance role.

In this episode:

  • Drew’s worst budgeting experience in his career

  • Shaving forecasting with Gillette and Braun

  • how to impress sales executives with quarterly sales performance analysis

  • Best practice for a monthly profit forecast and team management process

  • Why you need to be at a place with “people you respect and admire”

  • The importance of relationships in finance

  • How the IPO process felt like a “wedding”

  • His strategic finance moment delivering (at Mimecast) growth of 40%, EBITDA expansion over time as a percentage of revenue

  • Why FP&A pros must learn accounting and a business model

YouTube Video

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Episode Links

  • FP&AHey Website - Because they don’t teach FP&A in school. Grow your skills, networks, and careers, all while having fun.

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Episode 74: Jim Cook - “Partnering & Chill”: Netflix’s first CFO on Blockbuster FP&A

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Episode 72 - AI in FP&A: Your Big Questions Answered