Financial Management (FM) magazine

Claire DuRose, lead manager–UK Student Recruitment for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, and Vince Mayne, CEO of England Touch rugby, joined the FM podcast to explain the benefits of participating in team sport for students, specifically how team sport can grow skills and increase employability for finance graduates. 
They discuss the ways team sport can prepare management accounting students for challenging environments at work, build deeper professional relationships, and help them through the interview process. 
DuRose and Mayne also highlight what participating in team sport can give young professionals that academic and other extracurricular frameworks can't. 
What you'll learn from this episode:
The project goals for CIMA's collaboration with England Touch rugby.
The soft skills that touch rugby can help finance students build.
"Super skills" that can help students prepare for interviews and work.
The value of team sport in building deeper bonds in the workplace.
How participation in team sport can grow leaders' perspectives.

The latest Future of Finance research from the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants reveals several key focus areas for finance and business leaders.
Rebecca McCaffry, FCMA, CGMA, the Association's associate technical director, joined the FM podcast to discuss survey results, highlighting leaders' top transformation strategies, barriers facing organisations looking to upskill talent, and notable areas of progress in finance teams since a previous survey on the topic six years earlier. 
McCaffry also explains the interplay between people and process and one key preference that signals a "significant shift away" from organisations' workforce strategies in 2019.
What you'll learn from this episode:
Finance and business leaders' top priorities for transformation.
Consistencies and shifts in focus from 2019 to 2025.
The interplay between process and people priorities.
Skills gap challenges and what risks they pose for organisations.
Two points of progress since 2019.
One key strategic area gaining traction and investment.

Anthony Boateng, FCMA, CGMA, Npontu Technologies' chair, explores why retirement planning is about much more than saving money and illustrates the nonfinancial ways that professionals can invest in themselves to prepare for and maintain a sustainable and fulfilling retirement. 
Boateng introduces his model for retirement planning, including four main areas he considers essential for growth and relevance into retirement years. 
He also suggests several strategies for optimising networking and building deeper relationships, and he explains why a sharp mind matters the closer we get to retirement. 
"At 50 and beyond ... you are no longer just working for today," Boateng said. "You are building the intellectual foundation for the next 20, 30, or 40 years."
What you'll learn from this episode:
Why preparing for retirement is about more than saving money.
One critical question for reframing our approach to retirement planning.
Four pillars that can help steer a fulfilling, purposeful retirement.
The interplay between relationships and wellbeing.
Three approaches for authentic, meaningful networking.
Why intellectual growth matters more as we age.

FM editor-in-chief Oliver Rowe details the content in the April digital edition of FM. He begins with an article on setting up an AI governance policy and another on the mistakes companies make related to AI policies.
This episode also summarises articles on how to use salary benchmarking sites and other resources to determine what you're worth and on ensuring a board's capability meets the organisation's business needs.
The conversation closes with an explanation of how members can access the April digital edition as well as the issue library.
What you'll learn from this episode:
Details on two articles related to AI policies.
A preview of a CIMA member's article on taking a strategic look at a board's makeup to suit business needs.
Other highlighted topics from the April digital edition.
How CGMA professionals can access digital editions of FM.

Leadership coach and diversity, equity, and inclusion professional Sophie Turner returns to the FM podcast to explain the intricacies of imposter syndrome, ways it can manifest itself at work, and the internal and external systems that can help professionals manage self-doubt.
Turner shares individual and cultural strategies that professionals and leaders can adopt to combat negative self-talk, broaden perspectives, and lean into a people-centric approach that emphasises learning and development.
"As managers, it's really important we embrace the learning curve and support our colleagues to do that because actually what can happen is, when we make a mistake, that feeds into our imposter syndrome," Turner said.
What you'll learn from this episode:
One tip for reframing how we see ourselves.
Five types of imposter syndrome.
Societal and familial factors rooted in imposter syndrome.
Techniques for improving the feedback process.
How leaders can help shift the focus from mistakes to learning opportunities.
Daily rituals for improving our mindset and self-concept.