Celebrating One Year of The CFO Show: A Year of Finance Insights and Industry Leadership

Vena would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to our very own Melissa Howatson, CFO at Vena and host of The CFO Show, on their first anniversary.

Since its debut on September 19, 2023, The CFO Show, a weekly podcast for forward-thinking finance and business leaders to discuss insights, industry trends and best practices has featured insights from top finance and tech leaders across a wide range of industries.

Over the past year, the show has featured 48 episodes, showcasing expert interviews with Vena customers, partners, industry professionals and finance thought leaders.

The CFO Show welcomed guests from major organizations such as Kansas City Chiefs, Asana, Docebo, Turner Enterprises, Florida Panthers, World Wildlife Foundation, CIBC Capital Markets, Plante Moran, Public.com and Yellow.ai. The show also featured finance and tech analysts from Nucleus Research, BPM Partners and more.

Additionally, Vena Partners who have appeared on The CFO Show include Marcum Technology, Delbridge Solutions, Inc., ProLytics Consulting Group, Finext, Deloitte Canada, Microsoft Canada, ScaleNorth, Inc. and Citrin Cooperman.

In celebration of the show's success, Melissa Howatson shares, "It's been an incredible year of learning and growth. I’m truly grateful for the insights and stories our guests have shared. The CFO and broader finance communities have never been more engaged, and I’m excited to see what’s next."

Looking ahead, the milestone 50th episode will air on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, and will feature interviews with attendees from the sold-out Excelerate Finance 2024 summit. Don't miss it!

Catch new episodes of The CFO Show every Tuesday on the podcast website, YouTube and on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio and Amazon.

Vena Unveils Fall 2024 Product Release Empowering FP&A Teams With Easier Access to AI-Driven Insights and More Seamless Collaboration

Vena’s latest release further elevates FP&A teams and the strategic office of finance with pre-configured AI-powered dashboards in Vena Insights, native Excel integration for ad hoc analysis and collaboration enhancements in Vena for Microsoft PowerPoint Toronto, ON – Nov. 14, 2024 – Vena, the only Complete Planning platform purpose-built to harness the full power of Microsoft 365, today announced its Fall 2024 product release, featuring enhanced integrations with Microsoft productivity and analytics tools tailored to meet the needs of modern FP&A teams. This update brings significant improvements to user experience and productivity. Vena Insights now offers faster and easier access to AI-powered data visualizations. A seamless, native integration with Excel enables more advanced ad hoc analysis and reporting by leveraging Vena data and Excel AI-powered analytics. New collaboration features in Vena for Microsoft PowerPoint further enhance workflow and collaboration. Key features of Vena’s Fall 2024 product release include: Fast setup and enhanced collaboration capabilities with Vena for Microsoft PowerPoint, now generally available: Vena for Microsoft PowerPoint now provides an even better integration with Microsoft 365, allowing users to create and refine presentations with ease. With recent enhancements, multiple users can align on real-time insights and collaborate on building powerful data-driven narratives directly within Microsoft PowerPoint, making it easier than ever to work together on creating, perfecting and delivering impactful financial presentations in minutes. Accelerated insights with Enhanced Self Service Capabilities in Vena Insights (open beta): With Vena Insights, powered by Microsoft’s AI and machine learning capabilities through Power BI embedded in Vena, FP&A teams can now access preconfigured dashboards and guided setup tools for creating custom dashboards in just a few clicks. This streamlined experience makes it even easier for users to analyze data and generate actionable insights in real time, further accelerating decision-making with AI-powered visualizations designed to support strategic planning across the organization. Vena Ad Hoc Report now integrated natively with Excel (open beta): Vena Ad Hoc Report allows FP&A teams to conduct and share ad hoc analysis directly within Excel. Using Vena’s intuitive drag-and-drop features, teams can seamlessly compare Vena with external datasets, create custom reports and gain flexibility in decision making with real-time insights. Vena Ad Hoc Report also integrates with modern Excel analytics tools, such as Analyze Data and Microsoft 365 Copilot, further enhancing users’ ability to quickly uncover insights, whether visualizing data, automating tasks or leveraging AI-driven analysis. “At Vena, continuous innovation is at the heart of everything we do. Through our strategic partnership with Microsoft, we are providing finance teams with the tools they need to transform their planning processes and drive strategic business outcomes,” said Hugh Cumming, Chief Technology Officer at Vena. “With our latest product release, we’re making it easier than ever for FP&A professionals to access real-time insights, collaborate across their organizations and make better decisions faster.” Vena’s Fall 2024 product release builds on a year of remarkable achievements. Earlier this year, Vena not only surpassed $100 million USD in annual recurring revenue (ARR), securing its prestigious Centaur status, but also launched Vena Copilot for FP&A, an AI-powered planning assistant that leverages Microsoft Azure’s generative AI technology. The company has also received multiple industry accolades, including being recognized as a CPM industry leader by Nucleus Research for the 11th consecutive year and being named a winner of the prestigious TrustRadius Buyer's Choice Award for Excellence in FP&A Software. Vena’s commitment to innovation, customer success and industry excellence is consistently acknowledged across the sector. Looking ahead, Vena remains dedicated to delivering transformative value to its customers through continuous innovation and strong partnerships. As the company looks to the future, Excelerate Finance 2025 will focus on taking FP&A beyond boundaries, highlighting the critical role of automation in streamlining workflows, advancing strategic planning and unlocking new efficiencies. The event aims to empower FP&A professionals and the broader finance community to collaborate, share insights and shape the future of finance together. About Vena Vena is the only Complete Planning platform purpose-built to harness the full power of the Microsoft technology ecosystem for FP&A teams and their collaborators. Vena amplifies Microsoft's world-leading productivity tools, cloud technology and AI innovation to make FP&A, operational planning and adjacent strategic processes more flexible, efficient and intelligent. Thousands of the world’s leading companies rely on Vena to power their planning. For more information, visit venasolutions.com. Media Contact  For immediate inquiries or more details regarding our latest company press release, please contact: Jonathan Paul  Vice President, Content Marketing  jpaul@venacorp.com 

November 14, 2024 |

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Spotlight on Families: Celebrating Connections and Communities This November at Vena

November is here, and so is the Vena Families Resource Group (VRG) Spotlight Month! The Vena Families VRG is a volunteer-based community of Vena employees dedicated to amplifying the voices of family caregivers and fostering a supportive network. This November, the VRG will spotlight its initiatives, creating more opportunities for members to share experiences, discuss challenges and celebrate triumphs together. Spotlight months like this are essential for promoting awareness and understanding, helping our employees feel valued and supported in their caregiving roles. The Vena Families VRG committee, which includes chairs Kimia Karbasi, Senior Talent Partner, Monica Iliopoulos, Senior Total Rewards Manager and Pam DeMesa, Team Lead of Executive Administration, have been busy planning the following events to help bring the community together: The annual Take Your Family to Work Day at the Vena Toronto office, where employees can bring their loved ones to experience Vena's vibrant culture and core values firsthand. The Care Café, a virtual monthly gathering where family caregivers can exchange insights and strategies for achieving better work-life balance. A presentation by internationally renowned speaker Paul Davis, focusing on Social Networking Safety to equip families with the knowledge to navigate our digital world safely. As Pam DeMesa, Vena Families VRG Founder, shares, "These gatherings remind us that while the caregiving journey can be challenging, we are not alone. By coming together, we uplift each other and strengthen our community." At Vena, we’re proud to support Spotlight months like this one as they offer invaluable opportunities to recognize and celebrate the diverse experiences within our workforce. By fostering connections and sharing stories, we can continue uplifting one another. "These gatherings remind us that while the caregiving journey can be challenging, we are not alone. By coming together, we uplift each other and strengthen our community." —Pam DeMesa Families VRG Founder

November 6, 2024 |

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Vena Wins TrustRadius Buyer’s Choice Award for Excellence in FP&A Software

Award underscores Vena's leadership in delivering unmatched capabilities, value and customer relationships based on verified customer feedback Toronto, ON – Oct. 29, 2024 – Vena, the only Complete Planning platform purpose-built to harness the full power of Microsoft 365, today announced that it has been named a winner of the prestigious TrustRadius Buyer's Choice Award. This recognition highlights Vena’s continued excellence in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) software, reflecting its commitment to delivering best-in-class capabilities, value for price and outstanding customer relationships—all based on verified customer reviews. The TrustRadius Buyer’s Choice Award recognizes technology providers who consistently exceed user expectations across three critical areas: product capabilities, value for price and overall customer relationship. With 75% or more of reviewers choosing Vena as the top solution in all three categories, this recognition underscores the company’s unwavering focus on providing its customers with innovative solutions that deliver both immediate and long-term value. Based entirely on vetted, unbiased customer reviews, Vena consistently stood out for the following: Cloud-Based Efficiency: Vena effectively resolves file size issues by storing data in the cloud, allowing for more detailed and scalable financial models that Excel alone cannot handle. Excel Familiarity: The platform’s Excel-based interface enables seamless adoption by users who are already proficient in Excel, facilitating quick transitions and the creation of familiar templates. Automation and Speed: Vena automates budgeting processes and financial reporting, significantly reducing update cycles from once every 30 days to daily, enabling users to see changes in reports almost immediately. Flexibility in Complex Planning: Vena allows for detailed budgeting across multiple departments and currencies, enhancing the ability to manage complex compensation planning and breaking down budgets into manageable pieces. Robust Support and Community: Vena provides excellent customer support and fosters a community where users can share best practices and insights, coupled with valuable webinars featuring industry experts. “We’re incredibly honored to receive the TrustRadius Buyer’s Choice Award, as it reflects the voice of our customers,” said Hunter Madeley, CEO of Vena. “Customer success is at the core of everything we do, and this award is a testament to the strong partnerships we’ve built and the trust our customers place in us to help them achieve their strategic goals. It’s exciting to see Vena consistently recognized for delivering powerful, scalable solutions that make a difference in the way finance teams operate.” About Vena Vena is the only Complete Planning platform purpose-built to harness the full power of the Microsoft technology ecosystem for FP&A teams and their collaborators. Vena amplifies Microsoft's world-leading productivity tools, cloud technology and AI innovation to make FP&A, operational planning and adjacent strategic processes more flexible, efficient and intelligent. Thousands of the world’s leading companies rely on Vena to power their planning. For more information, visit venasolutions.com. Media Contact  For immediate inquiries or more details regarding our latest company press release, please contact: Jonathan Paul  Vice President, Content Marketing  jpaul@venacorp.com 

October 29, 2024 |

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Celebrating One Year of The CFO Show: A Year of Finance Insights and Industry Leadership

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