CFO Reporting Re-Imagined Series

In Module 1 of CFO Reporting Re-imagined — Modern Reporting Structures, Views & Ethical AI, you’ll learn how to shift from static spreadsheets to flexible, insight-rich reporting that today’s executives expect.

In Module 2 of CFO Reporting Re-imagined — Building Interactive Excel Reporting with Gen AI Assistance, you’ll learn how to transform static spreadsheets into dynamic, decision-enabling reporting.

In Module 3 of CFO Reporting Re-Imagined — Visual Storytelling, From Data to Action, you’ll move beyond spreadsheets full of numbers and examine visuals that drive decisions.

In Module 4 of CFO Reporting Re-Imagined — Unlocking Operational Insights with Excel & Gen AI, you’ll explore how to uncover powerful operational insights by combining Excel’s reporting tools with Gen AI support. This session focuses on AR aging, AP vendor analysis, sales trends, and employee analysis —the operational metrics CFOs rely on daily. You’ll see how to use Excel’s power tools, and modern Excel functions to build flexible reports and how Gen AI can help streamline and simplify the process.

Who Will Benefit

This course is designed for accounting and finance professionals who build or interpret executive-level financial reports and want to enhance their skills in creating interactive, automated, and insightful Excel reports. It also focuses on sharpening storytelling for management or board-level insights while leveraging Gen AI for faster, more effective results beyond basic reporting.

Key Topics

• Foundational Reporting Structures
• Align teams on what trends, comparatives, and LTM analyses deliver and when each is appropriate.
• Reporting Views in Practice
• Clarify where GAAP, cost-center, or natural account layouts best serve senior leadership.
• Excel Essentials: Formulas, functions, Power Tools, tips and techniques
• Preview how simple rules trigger faster decisions without advanced coding.
• Mindset Shifts for Continuous Improvement
• Cultivate a culture of experimentation, iteration, and data literacy.
• Advanced data-validation & dependent lists – structured drop-downs keep user inputs clean and drive self-service parameter changes.
• Scenario-driven slicers – one-click region or date pivots let users explore “what-ifs” without rewriting formulas.
• PivotTables as data sources – how to set up pivottables as reporting data sources
• Micro-automation tips – one-click VBA or Office Scripts refresh data, tidy formatting, and export polished PDFs in seconds.
• Gen AI prompt patterns – Use responsible prompting, data privacy, and ethical considerations in their Gen AI use and consider where “My Excel Buddy” custom GPT can streamline workflows.
• Chart Selection for Trends & Comparatives — lines for rolling-LTM, clustered columns for YoY, waterfalls for bridge analysis, sparklines for quick context.
• Conditional Formatting for Storytelling — heat maps, icon sets, and formula-driven highlights that flag KPIs needing immediate action.
• Storyboarding with the “What-Why-How” Model — craft a three-sentence narrative that moves leaders from awareness to action.
• AI-Assisted Narratives & Chart Suggestions — see live prompts that turn variance tables into first-draft commentary and recommend the most persuasive visual.
• Operational reporting categories
• AR aging, AP Vendor analysis, sales, and employee headcount analysis
• Excel tools for operational reports – using PivotTables, and Excel’s power tools for drill-down and refreshable insights
• Gen AI prompt-driven support – brainstorming key metrics, generating commentary, identifying red flags, and producing scenario narratives
• Controls and risk lens – embedding visibility into anomalies, compliance gaps, or potential fraud in operational reporting.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Recognize why prompt, insight-centric reporting surpasses static month-end packages—and the business risks of slow information.
• Distinguish reporting types (trend, comparative, LTM) and presentation views (GAAP, cost-center, natural) for distinct stakeholder needs.
• Select foundational Excel techniques—Power Tools, Excel functions and formulas, conditional formatting—and Gen AI prompts that safely accelerate routine tasks.
• Apply PivotTables, functions and formulas to create core trend, comparative, and LTM calculations.
• Use data-validation dropdowns, dependent lists, slicers, and timelines to build self-service report interfaces that guide scenario analysis and minimize input errors.
• Select lightweight automation—Worksheet_Change events, one-click VBA/Office Scripts, and refresh-all Power Query routines—to distribute ready-to-use workbooks rapidly.
• Apply Gen AI (“My Excel Buddy” custom GPT) responsibly to generate formulas, refactor macros, and assist you with all Excel related tasks.
• Select chart types that best reveal trend and comparative insights for stakeholders.
• Apply conditional-formatting rules and clean layouts to spotlight risk by indicating outliers and reducing cognitive load.
• Use Gen AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT or Copilot) to propose chart options, generate audience-focused narratives, and determine follow-up questions for decision-makers.
• Identify core operational reporting areas that support CFO-level decision-making
• Apply Excel-based techniques to build dynamic operational dashboards for areas like AR, AP, headcount and sales trends
• Determine how Gen AI can be used to suggest key metrics, explain trends, and improve reporting in operational packages