In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst talks with Bryan McGowan, founder of Alpyne, about what great FP&A looks like, how technical skills can improve finance work, and where AI is actually useful for CFOs and finance teams. Bryan shares how his background in engineering shaped his approach to finance, why he built Alpyne to solve real workflow problems, and how AI can reduce manual work so finance professionals can spend more time on analysis and business partnering.

Bryan McGowan is the founder of Alpyne and a CFO with a rare mix of finance and technical skill. After spending a decade leading finance in tech, he launched Alpyne in 2021 to solve a problem he had lived himself: great CFOs were spending too much time on manual work and not enough time on strategic thinking.

Expect to Learn:

• What great FP&A looks like in practice
• Why accounting fundamentals still matter
• How coding and data knowledge help finance professionals
• Why Bryan built Alpyne to solve his own CFO workflow problems
• How AI can help save time in finance roles

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:

• “Models are never right, but sometimes they're useful.” - Bryan McGowan
• “If you can create a structure, if you can provide a framework that allows for supports effective decision making across the organization, I feel like you're doing your job.” - Bryan McGowan

Bryan explains that FP&A is not about predicting the future perfectly. It is about giving the business a useful framework to make better decisions. He also shares that AI works best when it is used on process-heavy work like cleanup, mapping, reporting, and system workflow.

Follow Bryan:

Primary Alpyne website: https://getalpyne.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-mcgowan-8572644/

Earn Your CPE Credit

For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.

In Today’s Episode

[02:55] – What Great FP&A Looks Like

[04:03] – How Bryan Uses AI Today

[08:26] – Why Technical Skills Matter in Finance

[10:47] – Why Bryan Built Alpyne

[14:24] – Using AI in Finance Workflows

[17:49] – Building Client Context Into AI Tools

[21:44] – Checks, Controls, and Trust in Finance

[24:26] – A Real Finance Problem Solved With AI

[29:04] – Advice for Finance Professionals Starting With AI

[33:12] – What Holds Finance Teams Back From AI

[35:31] – The Most Important Skills in FP&A

[40:43] – Better Business Partnering and Closing Thoughts

In this special solo episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst celebrates reaching 100 episodes of the podcast while also reflecting on his broader journey of hosting over 200 FP&A episodes across multiple shows. He shares lessons from his experience in FP&A, career growth, and learning AI, along with what actually matters in the field today. He also shares his thoughts on AI and how it’s changing finance workflows, explaining why building repeatable processes matters more than just prompting. He also previews upcoming conversations with professionals already using AI in their day-to-day work.

Expect to Learn:

• What helps FP&A professionals grow beyond technical skills
• Why career paths are rarely linear
• How to approach networking in a more effective way
• Why AI is more about processes than prompts
• How AI can help save time in finance roles

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:

• “AI is a magnifier. If you don't know what you're doing, it will magnify that.” - Paul Barnhurst
• “Technical skills get you your first job, the soft skills get you promoted.” - Paul Barnhurst

Paul explains that FP&A is not just about reports and models. It’s about understanding the business and working with people. AI can help speed up tasks, but it doesn’t replace core skills like financial modeling, data understanding, and communication. If anything, those skills matter more now.

Campfire: AI-First ERP:

Campfire is the AI-first ERP that powers next-gen finance and accounting teams. With integrated solutions for the general ledger, revenue automation,

close management, and more, all in one unified platform.

Explore Campfire today: https://campfire.ai/?utm_source=fpaguy_podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=100225_fpaguy

Earn Your CPE Credit

For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.

In Today’s Episode

[00:00] – Trailer

[01:41] – 100 Episodes Milestone

[02:36] – What Makes FP&A Professionals Stand Out

[03:38] – Career Growth Is Not a Ladder

[04:25] – Early Career Struggles After Graduation

[05:47] – How to Approach Networking the Right Way

[06:37] – Turning Down Offers & Career Decisions

[07:28] – Moving into FP&A & Career Shift

[09:08] – Learning AI & Current Challenges

[10:06] – AI Skills, Courses & Future Focus

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst is joined by Josh LaSov to explore how FP&A is evolving with data, BI, and AI. They discuss how finance professionals can move beyond traditional reporting by combining financial and operational data, and why understanding data at a deeper level is now essential. Josh shares how AI is changing analysis, forecasting, and workflows, and how FP&A teams can use it to increase productivity and deliver faster insights.

Josh LaSov is an FP&A and data professional with experience in consulting, ERP implementations, and analytics. He has implemented NetSuite and FP&A tools across many companies and previously co-founded Satori Reporting, a BI platform for NetSuite users that was later acquired by private equity. He is now the founder of Causi AI, where he focuses on building AI agents to help finance teams automate analysis, processes, and forecasting.

Expect to Learn:

• What makes FP&A professionals stand out today
• Why combining financial and operational data is critical
• How BI tools expand the role of FP&A
• How AI is improving analysis, forecasting, and workflows

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:

• “AI helps you save a lot of time, but the judgment and analysis still need to be done by you.” - Josh LaSov
• “You can’t explain why numbers changed if you don’t understand the data behind them.” - Josh LaSov

Josh highlights that FP&A is no longer just about building reports or models. The role is shifting toward deeper analysis and faster decision-making. While AI can handle large amounts of data and speed up workflows, the real value still comes from understanding the business and communicating insights clearly.

Campfire: AI-First ERP:

Campfire is the AI-first ERP that powers next-gen finance and accounting teams. With integrated solutions for the general ledger, revenue automation,

close management, and more, all in one unified platform.

Explore Campfire today: https://campfire.ai/?utm_source=fpaguy_podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=100225_fpaguy

Follow Josh:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-lasov-7897334/

Homepage: https://www.cauzzy.ai/

AI Agent Marketplace: https://marketplace.cauzzy.ai/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@cauzzyAI

Follow Glenn:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/glenntsnyder

Earn Your CPE Credit

For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.

In Today’s Episode

[02:25] – Introducing Josh LaSov

[04:59] – What Great FP&A Looks Like

[09:52] – Building Satori Reporting

[13:19] – BI Tools and Reporting Challenges

[16:25] – Introduction to Causi AI

[25:05] – AI Agents and Accuracy Challenges

[29:22] – How FP&A Should Use AI

[36:10] – AI Tech Stack & Future Direction

[43:05] – Key Skills for FP&A

[46:53] – Get To Know Function