Why Finance Must Evolve or Become Obsolete with Anders Liu-Lindberg

In Episode 310 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Anders Liu Lindberg, a global thought leader in business partnering and one of the strongest voices shaping the future of finance today. Anders has built a reputation for turning finance teams into strategic powerhouses, helping CFOs and finance leaders move beyond reporting and compliance into real influence, better decision making, and measurable business impact. This conversation is a masterclass in why finance must evolve, and why the professionals who learn to partner with the business will become indispensable.

Anders breaks down what business partnering actually is, why most finance teams struggle to earn a seat at the table, and how influence and communication are now just as critical as technical skill, especially as automation and AI accelerate. You will also hear Anders’ philosophy on purpose, fulfillment, and building authority through consistency, the same mindset that helped him grow into one of the most trusted educators in the space. If you want to understand where finance is headed and why Anders is leading that change, this episode delivers.

Key Takeaways:

1. Finance earns a seat at the table when it shows up to help leaders win, not to police budgets.

2. Business partnering is when functional experts translate their expertise into insights leaders can understand and use for better decisions.

3. Insights alone are not enough, because if you cannot influence decisions, your impact becomes zero.

4. The fastest way to build trust is to lead with empathy and partnership: “How can I help you meet and beat the budget” changes everything.

5. If finance shows up as the cold messenger of bad news, leaders will avoid them, but if finance shares ownership of outcomes, leaders will pull them closer.

6. AI and automation are shrinking the value of pure number crunching, so finance must get better at people skills like communication, relationship building, and influence.

7. You can teach “numbers people” to become stronger with people by giving them structure, tools, and repeatable frameworks they can practice.

8. Leaders should not just tell finance to “be strategic” and figure it out, they need to invest in training and create a clear path for that transformation.

9. Personal branding is not a hack, it is consistency plus authenticity over time, and your voice cannot be “wrong” when you are sharing real experience and perspective.

10. Passion comes and goes, but purpose creates staying power, and purpose plus passion is where fulfillment and long-term momentum come from.

About Anders Liu-Lindberg:

Anders Liu-Lindberg is a global thought leader in business partnering and finance transformation, helping finance teams evolve from reporting and control into strategic partners who drive real business outcomes. He runs the Business Partnering Institute, a worldwide hub for training, tools, and community built to raise the influence and impact of finance leaders (https://www.bpidk.org/), and he’s also the author of Communicating Financials to Executives, a practical guide for turning numbers into clear, decision driving communication at the executive level (https://www.amazon.ca/Communicating-Financials-Executives-Anders-Liu-Lindberg/dp/1394292600). Connect with Anders directly on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andersliulindberg/.

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