Two Cents: Finance Talk

Isabel Divanna puts it plainly: businesses exist to make money, and the energy transition is where a lot of future money will be made.On this episode of Two Cents: Finance Talk, we sat down with Isabel Divanna, Associate Director at The Carbon Trust, to talk about why finance leaders should treat decarbonization as a growth strategy rather than a cost.

Finance leaders are trained to manage risk. But in a world of economic uncertainty, rapid technological change and increasingly unpredictable markets, could playing it safe actually be the biggest risk of all?In this episode of Two Cents: Finance Talk, we're joined by Amrit Singh, President of Field Operations at Multiplier, to discuss how AI is transforming financial planning, forecasting and decision-making.

In this episode, Lydia Stone, Chief Accounting Officer at Chargebee, shares how her team moved from cautious curiosity to building real AI agents that are cutting days of manual work down to minutes.

What does it actually take to run finance in a business where revenue is unpredictable, hits are rare, and Hollywood timelines are out of your control? In this episode, we sat down with Diya Sagar, CFO at AWA Studios, to talk about what it really means to lead finance in a hit-driven, creative business. From managing investor expectations to finding the balance between creative ambition and commercial reality, Diya shares her honest take on the challenges, the rewards, and the qualities that make a great CFO in an industry like entertainment.

Going public isn’t just about growth — it’s about rigor.In the newest episode of Two Cents: Finance Talk, Joy Mbanugo (CFO, CXAI) breaks down what finance teams must get right before an IPO, from audit readiness to building the discipline public markets demand.

In this episode of Two Cents: Finance Talk, we sit down with Abhishek Chandna, Director of Finance Data Strategy and Governance at Visa, to explore why many AI initiatives in finance struggle and what leaders can do differently.Instead of treating AI like a one time IT rollout, Abhishek argues for a product mindset that focuses on user workflows, decision improvement, strong data foundations, and continuous iteration. The conversation covers how to choose the right AI use cases, what a good AI MVP really looks like, and why actionable metrics matter more than flashy dashboards.If you work in finance, FP&A, or data leadership and want to move beyond AI hype into real business value, this episode is packed with practical guidance.

FP&A Manager Persia Setna joins us for a candid conversation about what it really takes for finance teams to become strategic partners, not just reporters of the past. Persia shares her journey from pre-med to FP&A, and how creativity, storytelling, and cross-functional curiosity have shaped her career and impact.We explore the shifting role of FP&A in an AI-driven world, why critical thinking matters more than ever, and how finance teams can earn (and keep) a seat at the decision-making table.

In this episode of Two Cents Finance Talk, we sit down with Nikki Mamedova, Senior Finance Executive at RBC, to talk about what it really takes to modernize finance with AI.Nikki shares why finance has to shake the “gatekeeper” label and show up as a strategic partner from the start. We dig into the real blockers—regulation, legacy systems, risk culture, and the perception of finance as a cost center—and how leaders can move forward without putting sensitive data or compliance at risk.

The role of finance has transformed drastically in recent decades, from simple accounting and balance checks to a strategic role that drives impactful growth in your organization. In this episode, Siqi Chen, CEO and CFO at Runway, lifts the lid on how the finance role has evolved and how our AI-driven future is set to impact the role.

Guy Maizels, Co-Founder of Plan Assist, joins the Two Cents podcast to discuss some of the most valuable lessons FP&A teams can learn from Formula One.Guy will also be speaking at the CFO Summit (virtual event) on September 25 - so make sure to register and mark your calendars (it's free!).Tune in to uncover:Valuable financial planning lessons from Formula OneHow to ensure data quality and speed in financial planning How Plan Assist directly impacted Formula One team's performance & decision-making processWhy it might be time to move away from traditional spreadsheetsEmerging FP&A and workforce planning trends to prepare for….and so much more.About GuyGuy Maizels is a Chartered Accountant and subject matter expert in both Pigment® Planning and Workday® Adaptive Planning. Over a number of years working for large scale EPM implementation partners, Guy has helped over 60 clients to go live with a new EPM platform.His sector experience has been wide ranging, and he is able to draw upon the “best of each” and apply that knowledge to the benefit of Plan Assist’s clients. Guy has a track-record of relentless, proactive innovation and excellent results for his clients. A passion for problem solving, improvement and quality. About Plan Assist At Plan Assist, we help businesses realise the full potential of their planning platform. We support from vendor selection, to implementation and strategic roadmap creation.Our experienced team specialise in providing robust, business-value driven solutions using two products; Pigment Planning® and Workday® Adaptive Planning.The solutions we create with our clients, offer them a distinct edge in a competitive world. We help to turn uncertainty into strategy, challenges into opportunities, and vision into reality.Resources mentioned in this episode:Guy’s email: [email protected] Website: www.ThePlanAssist.comConnect with Guy on LinkedIn