FP&A Coaches, Events, and Resources

I’ve built my career at the intersection of healthcare, finance, and strategy—shaped by experiences at some of the world’s most respected Fortune 500 companies: Amazon (#2), UnitedHealth Group (#3), American Airlines (#81), JPMorgan Chase (#11), and now Cigna (#13). I have spent the majority of my career in FP&A roles spanning accounting, M&A, financial modeling, and reporting. I am passionate about talent having spent four years recruiting for Amazon. Furthermore, I am actively involved with recruiting at the MBA level for my current employer and can help with all things required to land the role from resume and LinkedIn to interview prep and offer review.

I’m a VP of Global Business Control at a global SaaS company with 2,400 employees, leading a 20-person global finance team and reporting directly to the CFO. I’m also a hiring manager for finance and business control roles, which means I know what actually gets candidates noticed, shortlisted, and hired. I specialize in helping candidates break into FP&A, business control, and strategic finance — especially those coming from consulting, strategy, commercial, operations, or other nontraditional backgrounds. My own career path is proof that you don’t need a linear FP&A background to land a senior finance role: I broke into the function without prior traditional FP&A experience and stepped directly into a VP-level leadership position. My background spans corporate finance, SaaS business control, consulting, telecom, pricing analytics, private equity, and M&A. I’ve worked on executive-level decision-making, financial planning, performance management, commercial strategy, operating model transformation, and global stakeholder management. Through my coaching, I help clients craft a credible finance story, sharpen their resume and LinkedIn, prepare for FP&A and business control interviews, and understand what hiring managers, CFOs, and finance leaders actually look for in high-potential candidates.

With 20+ years in corporate finance across top technology companies including Amazon, RingCentral, VMware and Salesforce, I help finance professionals land senior FP&A and finance leadership roles at top tech companies and perform once they get there. As a Head of Finance at a leading FAANG company, I have personally conducted hundreds of finance interviews across all levels. I know exactly what the interview loop looks like, what the hiring bar is for L6+ finance roles, and what separates candidates who get offers from those who don’t. I specialize in senior finance candidates targeting Amazon, FAANG, and high-growth tech, whether you’re breaking in or leveling up. Having coached 50+ individuals, I bring tailored advice on profitability, strategy, and operational excellence that goes beyond interview prep and into the real skills that make you indispensable once you’re in the room. I’m also a US Air Force veteran with tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. That experience taught me that discipline, clarity under pressure, and mission-focused execution aren’t just military values. They are the foundation of every high-performing finance team I have built since. I take on a limited number of clients at a time. If you’re serious about landing your next role in finance, let’s talk

I have worked in corporate finance/FP&A in F500, growth stage companies, and finance roles vary across company size and industry. I am interested in coaching with people who are looking to growth their corporate finance/FP&A career and someday want to be a CFO.

My name is Derek and I'm excited to meet you! I specialize in coaching FP&A professionals, but I'll work to support you in whatever your goals are! Rather than simply sharing what worked for me, I'd love to be a guide as you explore what will work for YOU! Whether your focus is kicking your career journey off, growing into leadership roles, or just looking for a new professional challenge, I would love to help you navigate your career and educational journey! I have been fortunate to learn in world-class environments, both academically and professionally. I earned a BS in Finance from Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Business and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Additionally, I have developed finance expertise learning from mentors at two of the top companies for developing CFOs: Honeywell and PepsiCo. I'm now expanding on my leadership capabilities as a Director at Rad Power Bikes. More importantly, I have experience as a teacher, mentor, and friend. Reach out if there is any way I can be a helper to you!

I work with finance professionals who want to break into tech finance roles — and set them up to actually thrive once they’re there. Over the past 10 years, I’ve worked in strategic finance roles at companies like DoorDash and Tinder, partnering closely with product, marketing, and leadership teams to make real decisions about growth, pricing, and where to invest. I know what skills make you compelling as a candidate, and I can coach you on successfully breaking into the industry. Throughout my career I’ve supported billion-dollar subscription businesses, owned models tied to $1B+ in revenue, managed $30M+ growth budgets, and helped drive over $45M in incremental revenue through data-backed strategy. I know firsthand that breaking into tech finance isn’t just about having strong modeling skills or a polished resume. It’s about understanding how tech companies think — where to find growth, how to run experimentation, unit economics, and how to make decisions with incomplete information. I help clients translate their experience into what tech hiring managers are actually looking for, position themselves effectively in interviews, and bridge the gap between traditional finance roles and strategic finance in tech. If you're trying to move from “FP&A” into a true business partner role inside tech, I will help coach you from real operating experience.

After working for two years in public accounting, I worked as an FP&A analyst at a private equity fund. I worked with a portfolio of B2B SaaS companies on ad-hoc FP&A projects including modeling, budgeting, forecasting, and SaaS metrics. I found that there was a large overlap between accounting and FP&A, and I would love to help you learn FP&A skills as either a transition out of accounting or a first-time role.

I'm an FCPA (HKICPA) with over a decade in finance — from Big 4 assurance at PwC, to leading an 8-person analytics team in large-cap commercial real estate, to FP&A roles at global MNCs including Merlin Entertainment, and FP&A management at The Cookware Company. I've owned budgeting, rolling forecasts, scenario and operating models, and CFO-/executive-ready reporting. I'm completing my MBA at Chicago Booth, and hold the Wharton FP&A Certificate and the FMVA (financial modelling & valuation). I currently coach senior finance professionals on applying AI to real FP&A workflows — 200+ coached to date — and run my own FP&A advisory practice. I help analysts and managers master the FP&A skills that actually move careers: driver-based forecasting, variance/bridge analysis, operating-model building, and decks that get a "yes" from leadership. Whether you're breaking into FP&A, preparing for interviews and case studies, or stepping up to run your first planning cycle, you'll get proven frameworks, real templates, and direct feedback to get there faster — plus a practical view on using AI to make your forecasting and reporting audit-ready, not just faster.

I'm a Director of FP&A Business Strategy & Planning at Lionsgate, where I help leadership evaluate decisions shaping the direction of one of the most recognizable names in global entertainment. But my path to strategic FP&A wasn't linear — and that's exactly what makes me an effective coach. My FP&A experience spans three distinct industries: entertainment (Lionsgate), hyper-growth CPG (Patco Brands), and healthcare technology (Providence St. Joseph Health). Across each, I've owned different parts of the P&L — from gross margin to G&A overhead and OpEx forecasting — which gives me a well-rounded view of what different FP&A roles actually require and how to position yourself for them. Before FP&A, I spent several years in Accounting, Tax, and M&A — at PwC advising 15+ clients across entertainment, financial services and technology, and later at Beats by Dr. Dre and Apple supporting a $3B acquisition. I understand firsthand what it takes to translate an Accounting or Tax background into a compelling FP&A narrative, because I've lived that transition myself. Whether you're making a pivot from Accounting, targeting your first FP&A role, or competing for a more senior seat — I can help you build the story, the skills, and the strategy to get there.

After a career in Investment Banking and Private Equity, I made the move over an Operating role, running FP&A. I'm now the CFO of a company, and can help people understand the difference in career paths and how to progress to an eventual Executive role.