Developing Business Acumen necessary to become a strategic business partner with Robert Blanding

About this episode

Robert Blanding discusses the importance of business acumen and building high-performing FP&A teams in the ag-tech sector.

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst sits down with Robert Blanding, an experienced finance and operations leader in the ag-tech sector. Robert shares insights on building high-performing FP&A teams, partnering effectively with accounting, developing financial acumen, and applying strategic finance to drive operational impact in global businesses. Robert Blanding is the Chief Financial Officer at Fall Creek, a global leader in the Ag-Tech sector. He brings extensive experience in finance and operations from 18 years at Intel and leadership roles across industrial manufacturing, technology, and ag-tech companies. Robert combines strategic financial leadership with a focus on innovation, long-term business growth, and developing high-performing teams. Expect to Learn: What great FP&A looks like and the importance of business acumen How to develop strong partnerships between FP&A and accounting Strategies for building high-performing, empowered finance teams Navigating systems, processes, and technology challenges in FP&A Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode: "It starts with being connected to the business, having strong acumen, and being…

People in this episode

Host: Paul Barnhurst

Guest: Robert Blanding

Topics covered

• business acumen
• FP&A teams
• strategic finance
• partnerships
• operational impact

Keywords

• FP&A
• business acumen
• finance
• operations
• strategic partnerships
• high-performing teams
• ag-tech

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fall Creek, Intel

Places: Ag-Tech

More episodes of FP&A Unlocked

• Stop Doing Monthly Reports for Analysts to Automate Finance Workflows Using AI with David Dors · June 4, 2026 · 45 min
• FP&A Strategy for Finance Leaders to Scale a Sports Business Like a Startup with Tim Naddy · May 28, 2026 · 58 min
• The Future of FP&A with AI for Finance Professionals to Move Beyond Excel Analysis with Derek Baker · May 21, 2026 · 58 min
• Your Data Won't Convince Anyone. Do This Instead. | Gabrielle Dolan on FP&A Storytelling · May 14, 2026 · 1h 3m
• How FP&A Teams Can Improve Decision-Making with Scenario Planning & Financial Models - Michael · May 7, 2026 · 1h 4m
• FP&A Career Advice and the Current State of FP&A with Glenn and Paul · April 30, 2026 · 58 min