CFO Alliance Expands FP&A Resources Through First Water Finance and New Technology Partner Abacum
[Berwyn, PA - February 19, 2025] – CFO Alliance, the leading community for finance leaders of emerging and mid-market enterprises, is expanding its FP&A capabilities through its strategic partner, First Water Finance, and new technology sponsor, Abacum. This initiative responds to growing member demand for better data management, streamlined processes, and improved financial visibility.
Why Now? The Growing Need for FP&A Transformation
The 2025 CFO Alliance Global Mid-Market Sentiment Report highlights the increasing complexity finance leaders face in optimizing people, processes, and technology. Among 350+ finance leader participants, over 24 FP&A platforms and 30+ accounting/ERP systems are in use, showing a fragmented technology landscape. More than half of respondents plan to increase budgets for automation and AI, while also identifying soft skills gaps within their teams. As finance leaders take on more strategic responsibilities, they need the right tools and expertise to maximize their impact.
Nick Araco Jr., CEO of The CFO Alliance, emphasized the importance of structured FP&A improvements: “Finance leaders are expected to drive strategy, not just report numbers. By partnering with First Water Finance and Abacum, we’re ensuring CFOs and their teams have the frameworks and technology needed to optimize FP&A and position Finance as a key driver of business growth.”
A Clear Path Forward: First Water Finance’s 21-Day FP&A Roadmap
The 21-Day FP&A Capability & Data Maturity Roadmap from First Water Finance provides a structured approach for finance teams to assess their current FP&A processes, identify gaps, and define an action plan. It helps teams:
- Gain clarity on data management and technology investments
- Strengthen process stability and scalability
- Improve collaboration with internal stakeholders and capital partners
In support of roadmap execution, First Water Finance has launched Structured Replication as a data management extension of its Managed FP&A BPO services. This enables direct system connectivity, ETL, and central source of truth management, reducing manual efforts and accelerating FP&A capabilities.
Ben Lehrer, CEO of First Water Finance and Head of Learning & Development at CFO Alliance, explained: “Optimizing FP&A means optimizing data. Finance leaders must bridge the gap between financial insights and operational execution. The 21-Day Roadmap delivers a transparent, structured approach to building scalable FP&A functions, ensuring Finance stays ahead of evolving business needs.”
Technology That Works for Finance: Abacum’s FP&A Platform
The CFO Alliance welcomes Abacum as a new technology partner to support its members in modernizing FP&A. Abacum’s platform simplifies consolidation, reporting, budgeting, and scenario planning, offering finance teams a flexible and scalable solution.
Ryan McDonald, Head of Partnerships at Abacum, shared his perspective: “Finance teams need more than just reports—they need tools that empower them to drive better decision-making. Our partnership with CFO Alliance ensures that finance leaders have access to both cutting-edge technology and peer-driven insights to improve FP&A outcomes.”
Richard Harem, CFO Alliance Global Advisory Board Member, Senior Director Finance, RapidSOS, and Abacum user, added: “Integrating Abacum into our FP&A processes has improved efficiency and given us real-time insights. Combining structured FP&A improvements with the right technology is a game-changer for finance leaders.”
Take Action: How Finance Leaders Can Engage
Finance leaders can explore the 21-Day FP&A Capability & Data Maturity Roadmap and Structured Replication solutions from First Water Finance. To see how Abacum’s FP&A platform can support their goals, visit https://cfoalliance.com/page/abacum
About CFO Alliance
CFO Alliance is the leading community for finance leaders of emerging and mid-market enterprises, providing a trusted forum for connection, collaboration, and learning. Through peer-driven insights, best practices, and strategic partnerships, CFO Alliance helps finance executives navigate complexity, drive business success, and stay ahead of industry trends.
www.cfoalliance.com
About First Water Finance
First Water Finance is the Relational Finance platform, helping mid-market finance teams maximize data-driven decision-making, optimize FP&A, and improve transaction outcomes. With solutions ranging from Managed FP&A to strategic finance projects, First Water partners with growing companies to build scalable finance functions.
www.firstwater.finance
About Abacum
Abacum is a leading FP&A platform that helps finance teams streamline planning, automate forecasting, and improve collaboration. By integrating with existing financial tools, Abacum enables finance teams to operate more efficiently and strategically.
www.abacum.ai
Media Contact:
Nick Araco, CEO
[email protected]
610.316.1660
CFO Alliance
https://cfoalliance.com/page/home