You don't need to become an accountant.
You just need to stop nodding along in budget meetings. Finance in plain English, from someone who has sat on both sides of the table.
Most managers I've worked with are excellent at their job and quietly uncomfortable with the numbers attached to it. That isn't a personal failing — it's a gap in how we train leaders. Nobody sat you down and explained what a P&L actually says.
This companion turns each chapter of the book into something you do rather than something you read. You'll run business events through real financial statements, build a budget, spot the early warning signs, and rehearse the meeting before you walk into it.
Work through it at your own pace. By the end you'll be able to open your own variance report and explain it in your own words — which, in my experience, changes how people see you.
What's inside
Each one distilled into a short read plus a quiz you can actually pass.
Fire a business event and watch all three statements move in real time.
Run-rate projections, variance flags and a narrative you can present.
Thirty terms translated out of accountant and into English.
About the author
Rennie Thangiah is a finance professional with over 15 years of experience across travel, pharmaceuticals, services, FMCG, SaaS, telecommunications and media. His career spans senior roles driving financial strategy, leveraging data-driven insights and building collaborative, high-performing teams.
He has served as Chief Financial Officer at Cruiseco and Pharmacy Phusion, Financial Controller at Rentokil Initial, and Group Reporting Manager at Coca-Cola Amatil, alongside SaaS roles at Integrated Research and Information Resources. As a consultant he has contributed to major projects for Obela Fresh Dips & Spreads, Telstra Corporation and Channel Nine.
Rennie is a Certified Practising Accountant and a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and holds an MBA from the University of Hull, UK. He is passionate about making complex financial concepts accessible — educating and empowering non-accountants through his writing, teaching and this companion app.
- CruisecoChief Financial Officer · Travel
- Pharmacy PhusionChief Financial Officer · Pharmaceuticals
- Rentokil InitialFinancial Controller · Services
- Coca-Cola AmatilGroup Reporting Manager · FMCG
- Integrated Research & Information ResourcesFinance roles · SaaS
- Obela, Telstra, Channel NineConsulting projects · FMCG, Telco, Media
Stay connected — let's grow together
I'd love to stay in touch beyond the book. Connect with me on LinkedIn and mention that you have the book — I read every note. And if you'd like to lift your whole team's understanding of the numbers, I run tailored training sessions built around your organisation's own reports.
Connect on LinkedIn