Setting Yourself Up for Success in Your First 100 Days as Head of FP&A

Your first 100 days as the Head of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) is about establishing leadership, credibility, and strategic alignment. It sets the tone for success, from understanding the business landscape to assessing your team’s capabilities and modernizing outdated processes.

A successful Head of FP&A connects data with strategy, driving performance across finance and operations. By prioritizing early wins, strengthening cross-functional relationships, and fostering a culture of business partnership, new leaders can transform FP&A from a reporting function into a strategic powerhouse.

What Is the Role of a Head of FP&A?

Before diving in, it’s important to clarify what a Head of FP&A is and what success looks like in this position. You’re responsible for forecasting performance, managing budgets, and helping the executive team make data-backed decisions. You’re also expected to translate financial outcomes into actionable strategies and ensure the company’s financial health aligns with its goals.

In short, FP&A leaders connect data to direction, and that connection starts from day one.

1. Understand the Business Before You Transform It

Your first few weeks should focus on learning, not changing. Meet with key executives, department heads, and team members to understand how your organization makes money, where it spends, and what challenges it faces.

Ask questions like:

• What are our biggest growth levers?

• How does the finance team currently support business decisions?

• Which pain points are most urgent, and which can wait?

This discovery phase allows you to build a financial map of the company, helping you identify opportunities and risks early.

2. Assess the FP&A Function You’ve Inherited

Every FP&A team operates differently. Before implementing new systems or processes, audit what’s already in place. Evaluate your team’s skills, technology stack, and workflows.

Key areas to assess:

• Forecasting Accuracy – How reliable are current projections?

• Reporting Cadence – Are insights delivered on time?

• Data Integrity – Are your data sources accurate and consistent?

• Team Structure – Do responsibilities align with company priorities?

This evaluation reveals whether your FP&A team is spending time on analysis or buried in manual reporting, and sets the stage for targeted improvements.

3. Build Relationships and Establish Credibility

As the new Head of FP&A, your ability to influence depends as much on relationships as it does on your analytical expertise. FP&A sits at the crossroads of finance, operations, and strategy, so collaboration is non-negotiable.

Prioritize building strong relationships across the organization:

• Start by aligning with the CFO on goals, expectations, and the overall finance vision.

• Collaborate with business unit leaders to demonstrate how your team can help them achieve their targets.

• Work closely with data and IT teams to ensure systems and data flows support scalable and efficient analysis.

Quick wins — like improving forecast visibility or simplifying reports — can earn trust early and demonstrate that FP&A is a strategic ally, not just a reporting function.

4. Align the FP&A Strategy with Business Objectives

Once you understand the business and your team, connect your financial plan to the company’s strategic roadmap. This is where the Head of FP&A becomes most visible, by turning company goals into financial frameworks.

Align your planning around key metrics such as:

• Growth and profitability targets

• Cost optimization initiatives

• Capital allocation and cash flow management

• Operational performance indicators

Every report and model your team produces should tie back to these priorities. This ensures finance becomes a driver of strategy, not just a scorekeeper.

5. Modernize Tools and Processes

Legacy spreadsheets and outdated workflows are common roadblocks for FP&A teams. Evaluate whether your current systems can handle the level of agility and collaboration required today.

Consider adopting:

• FP&A automation tools for real-time data consolidation

• Cloud-based platforms for faster, more accurate reporting

• Predictive analytics and AI to enhance forecasting accuracy

Upgrading your tech stack early frees your team from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on analysis and decision support.

6. Deliver Value Fast with Early Wins

Your first 100 days aren’t about overhauling everything; they’re about showing progress instead. Identify one or two quick wins that demonstrate the value of FP&A’s insights, such as:

• Reducing manual reporting time by automating key dashboards

• Improving forecast accuracy by 5–10%

• Creating a real-time Profit and Loss view for department leaders

These wins establish momentum and position you as a leader who delivers results, not just plans.

7. Create a Culture of Business Partnership

The Head of FP&A extends beyond managing numbers, it’s also about fostering a mindset where finance is viewed as a partner to the business. Encourage your analysts to engage proactively with other teams, rather than just reporting on their performance. When business units see FP&A as a trusted advisor, not an auditor, the function becomes indispensable.

Ways to build that culture:

• Host financial workshops for non-finance leaders

• Encourage data-driven discussions in business reviews

• Recognize collaboration as a key performance metric

8. Set Long-Term Priorities for Growth and Scalability

By the end of your first 100 days, you should have a clear vision of where FP&A needs to go next. Identify which areas will drive the most long-term impact, whether it’s refining scenario planning, building new models, or enhancing cross-functional collaboration.

Create a 12-month roadmap that includes:

• Process improvements and automation milestones

• Talent development and hiring plans

• Strategic initiatives to support corporate goals

This roadmap will help your CFO and executive team see FP&A’s role not just as operational, but transformational.

Lead or Be Lead?

Becoming the Head of FP&A is as much about leadership as it is about numbers. The first 100 days define whether you’ll be a financial gatekeeper or a strategic enabler. By combining strong analytics with clear communication and business alignment, you’ll set your FP&A team — and yourself — up for long-term success.

But as finance continues to evolve with AI and automation, the real question is, will you lead FP&A’s transformation, or let the transformation lead you?