Journey from Accountant to Business Partner with Jonathan Cant, Executive Consultant, FocusCore Japan

Jonathan Cant, Executive Consultant at FocusCore Japan is back for round two on the podcast. This time, David and Jonathan chat about the steps needed to transition from an accountant inputting data to telling a story with those numbers and becoming a valued and trusted business partner at a Fortune 500 company.In this episode you will hear:What is finance business partnering? What are the important benefits of business partnering for finance professionals?What are the essential skills a finance professional needs to improve and grow beyond the numbers on a spreadsheetWhy Business Partnering is in demand in Japan Learning valuable lessons and skills from mentors and the impact mentors have on your careerJonathan Cant Bio:A leading member of the FocusCore team, Jonathan is a UK native who has been in Japan for just under 19 years. With around 15 years of leadership experience, he brings maturity and just the right amount of grey hair to the team. A father of two young boys, he spends most of his free time in the park or playing with Lego. He is also a fan of Newcastle United FC and enjoys photography and cooking.Connect with Jonathan:Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/consultants/jonathan-cant?source=google.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathancant/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonathancant?lang=en-GB Links of things mentioned in this episode:Episode 12 - The challenges of managing local and regional stakeholders in Japan with Jonathan CantLinkedIn poll survey The Journey from Accountant to Business Partner in Japan article Connect with David Sweet:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasiaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. https://music.cdavisshannon.com/album/fifty-50-2 Support independent musicians and artists.Mentioned in this episode:Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan. 2025 Salary Guide