
Developing Business Acumen necessary to become a strategic business partner with Robert Blanding
From The FP&A Guy Network by Paul Barnhurst
June 11, 2026 · 56 min · Season 1 · Episode 118
About this episode
Paul Barnhurst interviews Robert Blanding about developing 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 partnerships
- financial acumen
- CFO
- high-performing teams
- operational impact
- ag-tech
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Fall Creek, Intel
Places: Ag-Tech
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