[This article is based on a presentation given by Kishor Harsiani at our FP&A Summit, London in 2023. Catch up with this presentation, and others, using our OnDemand service. For more exclusive content, visit your membership dashboard.]

Obtaining CEO sponsorship is not just about securing approval. It’s about building a partnership, adding value, and earning trust. Over my years in finance leadership roles, I’ve learned that success in this arena requires a blend of preparation, strategic alignment, and clear communication.

In this blog post, I’ll share some insights and practical strategies to help finance professionals, especially CFOs and FP&A teams, gain and sustain CEO sponsorship.

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Understanding CEO sponsorship

CEO sponsorship is about more than just a nod of approval for budgets and plans. It’s about becoming a trusted sparring partner for the CEO - someone who challenges assumptions, adds value, and helps steer the organization toward its goals.

Finance functions, especially FP&A, are uniquely positioned to act as the strategic backbone of the organization. If utilized correctly, FP&A can become the most competitive tool for driving business success.

But here's the catch: gaining and maintaining CEO sponsorship requires effort. CEOs don’t just want compliance, they want collaboration. They need leaders who can think critically, anticipate challenges, and provide actionable solutions.

Why CEO sponsorship matters

For a healthy finance organization, particularly when it comes to FP&A and strategic planning, CEO sponsorship is critical. Without it, finance teams risk becoming overburdened with repetitive planning cycles, endless revisions, and bottom-up recalculations that exhaust the team before the year even begins. This inefficiency isn’t just bad for productivity, it’s damaging to corporate culture and employee morale.

When the CEO and finance leaders align on strategic priorities early, it creates clarity and focus. Defined variables from the top prevent the chaos of endless iterations, freeing up time and energy for what truly matters: delivering value.