CFO Training on a Simulator!!

A commercial pilot is required to spend at least 50 hours on a flight simulator before they can get their license. For high stake jobs, it is common to have experiential learning by practicing their trade in a risk-free environment.

What about a CFO job?

It is also a high stake job with millions and billions on stake. While it may not be a requirement for a CFO to be trained on a simulator, it is a common practice by top business schools to train senior executives through business simulations. These business simulations provide a learning platform for trainee executives to make high stake decisions in a risk-free environment.

For the participants of batch 16 & 17 of the Strategic CFO Program at MECA CFO Academy we created a similar opportunity this last weekend to play for 2 hours on a simulation from Harvard Business School, Managing the Customer Journey Marketing Simulation: Adobe's Data-Driven Operating Model (DDOM).

I chose this HBS simulation for the MECA CFO Academy Program curriculum because it ticks all the boxes for relevance and innovation:

• A new simulation, published in 2023, that feels fresh and timely.
• It addresses a data-driven business model, a must for modern businesses.
• Focuses on the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) transformation, a pivotal shift in the tech industry towards subscription-based pricing model.
• And most importantly, it’s about marketing innovation and customer-centricity

But here’s what I didn’t expect:

It provided an excellent framework on the integration of Marketing and Finance.

Linking Finance and the Customer Journey

If I were to rename this simulation, I’d call it

“Driving Financial Performance by Aligning to the Customer Journey.”

That’s how brilliantly it integrated marketing strategies with financial results through demonstrating a real case study from Adobe. Adobe’s story is a testament to the power of this alignment. Their business model transformation (2021-22) resulted in outstanding financial performance, including clear improvements in revenue, customer retention, and profitability.

Finance professionals are often criticized for their lack of in-depth understanding of the modern business approaches and thus lack of meaningful metrics, especially in the realm of marketing strategy; and there is some truth about it.

For example, in finance, we have meticulously developed models to evaluate the feasibility of tangible fixed assets. Every dollar spent is scrutinized, justified, and aligned with ROI projections. But when it comes to marketing budgets, the process is often more opaque.

Many see marketing as a big black hole where millions or billions are poured in, with little clarity on how those investments directly contribute to financial results.

The Rise of the Customer Journey Framework

Modern businesses are laser-focused on delivering customer value at every touchpoint. This shift towards customer-centricity is reshaping entire industries. Frameworks such as the customer value chain and customer journey mapping have become critical tools for achieving sustainable growth.

Finance's Role in a Customer-Centric World

Traditionally, customer-related strategies have been relegated to marketing departments. However, in today’s interconnected business environment, financial silos are crumbling. Finance professionals must now collaborate with marketing, operations, and other departments to achieve shared business goals.

The ability to link customer journey KPIs (such as retention rates and lifetime value) to financial outcomes has become a core skill. Yet, most finance professionals remain under trained in this area, also because of few frameworks or case studies available to guide them.

The Simulation: An Eye-Opening Journey

This simulation wasn’t just an academic exercise. It was a deep dive into the incredible story of Adobe’s transformation—how a company that once sold software in a box became a subscription-based SaaS giant.

Participants stepped into the role of Adobe’s CFO, tasked with allocating millions in marketing budgets while aligning those investments with the customer journey and financial goals.

They saw first hand how Adobe’s data-driven approach led to high revenue growth and significant increase in profit margin in 2021, just one year after their monumental business model shift.

As a facilitator, I witnessed something remarkable:

• Many participants struggled with the nature of the simulation because they never interacted directly with core marketing concepts and frameworks before.
• But majority was able to develop a good grip on the model as soon as they were able to identify and comprehend the relationship between customer journey stages and related KPIs.
• With the experiential nature of the simulation format, they were able to make funds allocations in alignment with customer needs at different stages of their journey and ultimately boost the financial results.

The experience was exciting, revealing, and deeply satisfying. This wasn’t just about playing a simulation; it was about recalibrating their minds to operate at different frequency with a different context. 

Takeaways: A New Playbook for Finance Professionals

The simulation highlighted key lessons for finance professionals:

• Customer-Centricity is Key: Understanding and defining the customer journey isn’t just a marketing exercise; it’s a financial imperative.
• Metrics Matter: Linking customer KPIs to financial goals ensures accountability and results.
• Break the Silos: Modern business demands collaboration between marketing, finance, and strategy.

For my own learning, for the first time, I was able to see the direct connection between marketing strategies and financial performance in a real-life case. The insights were not just theoretical; they were actionable.

This experience reminded me why simulations are such a powerful tool in executive education. They compress years of learning into hours and help professionals navigate complex, modern business challenges with confidence and clarity.

While simulations are common at top business schools, not everyone can afford to enroll in those high-ticket executive education programs.

At MECA CFO Academy , we have been using Harvard business simulations for a while because of their proven worth in accelerating the learning journey of experienced finance professionals toward the CFO role.

The current curriculum of the Strategic CFO Program 2025 includes the following 6 simulations:

1. Everest Teamwork and Leadership Simulation
2. The Balanced Scorecard: Strategy Simulation
3. Managing the Customer Journey Simulation: Adobe's Data Driven Operating Model (DDOM)
4. Financial Analysis Simulation: Data Detective
5. Change Management Simulation: Power and Influence
6. Managing Growth Simulation: Working Capital

Batch 18 of the Strategic CFO Program starting on January 4, 2025.

Early bird pricing with generous discount is ending in 3 days.

Grab your seat now and save $1140.

See Program Details

You can also join me in-person at the upcoming MECA CFO Summit in Riyadh and Dubai next month.

To become part of the MECA community, send your request to join CFO Coaching Club. It's free to join.