How to Communicate Financials to Executives, with Anders-Liu Lindberg
In this episode of The Growth-Minded CFO, hosts Alex Louisy and Lauren Pearl sit down with Anders Liu-Lindberg, Partner at the Business Partnering Institute, co-author of Communicating Financials to Executives, and one of LinkedIn’s most followed finance voices, with nearly half a million followers.
Anders has spent his career helping finance teams move beyond control and compliance — to become influential business partners who drive impact. His core formula, Insights × Influence = Impact, is now a guiding principle for CFOs and finance leaders around the world.
From Maersk to the Business Partnering Institute, Anders’ journey is all about one thing: helping finance step out of the trunk and into the co-pilot seat.
A Career of Building
Anders’ path wasn’t linear. He spent over a decade at Maersk in global finance roles before making the leap into consulting. His motto is simple:
“I have a very simple motto. It just says, keep building. I don’t know what I’m building towards always, but usually good things will happen.”
That philosophy has guided him through years of creating — from LinkedIn content to books and training programs — helping finance leaders worldwide shorten the long learning curve he once faced himself.
“I went through this journey of becoming a business partner, which took me 10 years. My passion now is helping others shorten that journey to two or three.”
Insights × Influence = Impact
Finance teams have no shortage of insights — but without influence, they rarely lead to impact.
“You have to make it simple and easy for people to do the right thing,” Anders explains. “That’s why we came up with this formula: insights times influence equals impact.”
This mindset shift begins with one truth: numbers don’t speak for themselves. Finance professionals must learn to translate insights into stories that shape decisions — and to do that, they need to build trust.
“It all comes down to trust. If people trust you, they will listen to you. And then you can worry about whether you have something smart to say. But if they don’t trust you, you might as well go home.”
For Anders, influence isn’t a soft skill — it’s a leadership skill. It’s what turns financial analysis into strategic action.
Storytelling as a Finance Superpower
For many finance professionals, the idea of storytelling feels uncomfortable — something better left to marketers or journalists. Anders disagrees.
“Finance professionals are not the most entertaining people in the world,” he laughs, “but we are great at applying structure. And storytelling is all about structure.”
His advice: borrow from consultants. Use frameworks like SCQA — Situation, Complication, Question, Answer — to tell a financial story that connects data to decisions.
“Start by describing the situation, then the complication or opportunity, align on the question, and deliver your answer,” he explains. “You can do it in five minutes and keep everyone’s attention until the end.”
When finance leaders learn to tell stories like this, they don’t just present numbers — they command the room.
Know But Don’t Show
One of Anders’ most quoted lessons — and a mantra for CFOs everywhere — is “know, but don’t show.”
Finance teams often overwhelm executives with data. Decks overflow with tables, variances, and details that cloud the message. The fix isn’t hiding information — it’s designing for clarity.
“If you want to follow the framework, have all the details you want — just put them in the appendix,” he says. “Five, maybe ten slides for your main deck. If someone asks about variable costs, you can go to slide 48. You need to know, but don’t show.”
It’s not about simplifying the numbers — it’s about simplifying the story. A strong financial narrative makes decision-making faster, not shallower.
“Awareness is never enough.You have to practice removing noise over time — every month, every presentation. That’s how you build trust and shift the conversation toward what really matters.”
Become the Consultant for Your CEO
One of the episode’s most powerful sections comes when Anders draws a comparison between consultants and finance leaders:
“When something big happens, CEOs often call their consultant friends. They’ll come in, look around, write a big report — and then leave. But finance professionals with the right skillset can do both: the consulting and the follow-through.”
This, he says, is the real prize for modern CFOs — not just advising, but driving change.
“Finance partners get to work on the most exciting, difficult challenges in the company,” he adds. “They’re part of where value is created — all the way up to building the strategy.”
The Takeaway
Finance leadership today isn’t about control — it’s about communication.
Anders Liu-Lindberg’s frameworks remind us that insight alone doesn’t drive change. Influence does. And it starts with trust, clarity, and the courage to simplify.
Whether it’s a board meeting, a CEO discussion, or a 30-minute update, the goal is the same: Turn data into dialogue, and dialogue into direction.
Full Episode
If Anders' journey and insights sparked an idea, pass this episode to a finance friend who’s ready to better communicate financials to their management team colleagues.
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