Planning for the Exit: How FP&A Can Lead Business Value Creation
Tejas Parikh (FCMA / ACMA, MBA)
Helping Finance Leaders with TRUE FP&A: Trusted Data, Responsive Planning, Up-to-date Insights, Engaged Decision Support | Enabling Strategic Finance | FP&A Transformation Specialist | Founder, Akshar Business Consulting
Most businesses know how to plan for growth. But when it comes to planning for an exit? Many leave it too late and unprepared.
Finance leaders find themselves racing to clean data, explain inconsistent metrics, and answer tough questions from investors or buyers. That’s where strong FP&A strategy makes all the difference.
In this episode of FP&A Unboxed, I spoke with Deepak Hooda, Commercial Finance Director with deep experience in PE-backed SaaS and tech companies like Unit4, Mycom OSI, and Marston Holdings.
We explored how finance teams can not only support but lead successful exits from strategic planning and governance to building a narrative that earns trust.
📺 Watch on YouTube
🔑 Building FP&A as an Exit-Ready Function
FP&A isn’t just about preparing reports, it's about preparing the business.
Whether you’re 12 months or 3 years away from an exit, Deepak shared why early planning matters and how FP&A can create real business value through:
📖 Crafting a compelling business story with transparent metrics
🔍 Aligning people, culture, and cost structures to growth strategy
💻 Replacing spreadsheet chaos with scalable tools and repeatable insights
🎯 Creating forecasts that are believable—and deliverable
🍏 Listen on Apple Podcasts
📌 5 Habits of FP&A Teams That Drive Exit Success
Deepak outlined five critical practices that distinguish great FP&A teams when the pressure is high:
Be brutally clear about what changed—and why it matters.
Replace legacy spreadsheets with FP&A platforms that can scale with investor needs.
Narrate your numbers—link every line item to a story buyers can trust.
Plan for people risk—avoid over-reliance on one expert or spreadsheet.
Track early, document everything—from revenue recognition policies to cost drivers.
🎧 Stream on Spotify
These habits aren’t just nice to have, they're what buyers look for when assessing the maturity and readiness of a business. During diligence, investors don’t just ask for numbers. They ask for patterns, consistency, and logic. FP&A becomes the engine that connects historic performance with forward-looking value. If you can explain fluctuations with confidence, tie forecasts to operations, and demonstrate control without complexity you earn trust. And trust is what ultimately drives deal confidence.
🧠 From Reporting Team to Strategic Partner
A successful PE exit needs more than just clean books; it demands a clear narrative and strategic muscle.
That’s where FP&A steps in:
Helping teams own their metrics
Aligning forecasts to the company’s north star
Acting as the bridge between operating reality and boardroom expectations
It’s not about impressing investors with glossy decks. It’s about building repeatable habits that show value and earn confidence.
✍️ Final Thoughts
If you’re waiting until the exit process starts to prepare your FP&A function—it's already too late.
Whether you're 24 months out or in early talks with investors, now is the time to:
Strengthen governance
Document what drives the numbers
Build a function that doesn’t just track performance but powers it
📚 To read the full article, visit our website: 👉 aksharconsulting.com/insights
The Role of FP&A in a Successful Business Exit - Akshar Consulting
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CEO - CFO at New Work Srl
1moReally insightful Tejas Parikh (FCMA / ACMA, MBA)! "10% year-end forecasting swings due to broken data integration" so true!
Founder @ Funnels & Profit Agency | I turn “meh” sales funnels into money-making machines 💸 | 300+ Funnels Built for Coaches, Consultants & Creators | Funnel Desiger and CRO Expert, & AI Automation Consultant🤖
1moTejas, you’ve hit a crucial point. Planning for exit isn’t just about numbers; it’s about crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with investors.
I launch your B2B Podcast, you build a brand & get leads $$$.
1moI guess it's always down to what your objective is Tejas Parikh (FCMA / ACMA, MBA) Optimize for cash flow? Then you need to do a certain number of things that are not necessarily exit-friendly. Optimize for exit? Then you need to do a certain number of things that are not necessarily cash flow-friendly.