CFOs can get ahead of 99% of the market
You can get 10x leverage and 10x returns.
You walk into your office.
Half the desks are empty, but every report is done, every number checked, and every dashboard updated. Not by your team. By your AI agents.
This isn’t science fiction.
It’s what the future of finance looks like. And it’s coming fast.
Right now, most finance org charts still assume a human in every seat.
Accountants, analysts, and managers. Layers of manual execution.
But that structure wasn’t built for a world run by AI.
And the shift, when it hits, won’t be gradual. It will feel sudden.
The dashboards will go dark for those who don’t adapt.
And agents will quietly build the future without them.
The CFO’s Wake-Up Call
There’s urgency now. A visceral push to rethink how we build finance teams.
It’s why 87% of finance leaders trust AI to take on part of their role. And why companies investing 5%+ of their budgets into AI are already seeing 2x the ROI.
Google’s President and Chief Investment Officer is restructuring the entire finance team to redirect resources toward AI. That means layoffs, relocations, and a new org model designed for speed, automation, and adaptability.
CFOs don’t just need to know AI. They need to lead it.
And that means redesigning their teams.
Fix What’s Broken First
Before AI can transform finance, CFOs must modernize their core financial systems. AI amplifies efficiency, but it can’t fix data silos, outdated processes, or broken workflows on its own.
Without a solid foundation, AI projects will fail.
Start With the Basics
Many finance teams still rely on legacy ERPs, scattered Excel models, and disconnected systems. This leads to:
Slow, manual financial close? AI can cut processing time in half.
Outdated forecasts? AI adjusts predictions instantly based on live data.
Compliance risks? AI spots anomalies before they become fraud.
AI can’t function without structured, real-time data. Before implementing AI, CFOs must:
Break down data silos. Unify financial data across ERPs, FP&A, and reporting systems.
Invest in a modern finance tech stack. Move beyond legacy systems to cloud-based platforms.
Automate core financial processes. Standardize workflows to reduce errors and improve speed.
What to Do Next
Assess your finance tech stack. Are your ERP, FP&A, and reporting tools fully integrated?
Find gaps. Where are data silos and process inefficiencies slowing you down?
Upgrade strategically. Before introducing AI, ensure your financial systems are modern, automated, and scalable.
CFOs who invest in fixing the fundamentals will see faster, more reliable AI adoption without wasted investments in tools that can’t function in a broken system.
The Pareto Rule applies here; 80% of inefficiencies come from 20% of finance processes.
Build the Business Case First, Then Get CEO and IT Buy-In
AI won’t sell itself.
CFOs must build a clear business case that proves AI’s financial impact.
Without measurable ROI, AI initiatives won’t get leadership support, and without IT integration, they won’t scale.
High-ROI AI Use Cases That Get CEO Approval
CFOs who successfully get AI buy-in focus on profit-driving, efficiency-boosting use cases, such as:
Real-Time Forecasting
Traditional forecasting is lagging and manual. AI models adjust in real time using market conditions, sales trends, and operational data.
Example: Team Car Care (Jiffy Lube franchisee) uses AI to predict customer traffic, optimizing staffing and inventory, cutting waste and lost revenue.
AI-Powered Risk Simulations
AI runs real-time scenario modeling to predict financial risks and their impact.
Example: Mastercard uses AI-driven risk models to predict credit risk, optimizing fraud detection and compliance monitoring.
Automating Financial Close
AI speeds up month-end close by matching transactions, flagging anomalies, and reconciling accounts.
Example: BlackLine cut close cycles by 50% using AI-powered anomaly detection.
These aren’t experimental AI projects.
They drive tangible ROI, making the case for broader AI adoption.
How to Get CEO & IT Buy-In
Translate AI into Revenue & Cost Savings
Show AI’s bottom-line impact. How will it increase margins, reduce errors, or accelerate processes?
Use data from early AI adopters in finance and FP&A to validate ROI.
Make AI an Enterprise-Wide Strategy
AI isn’t just for finance. It affects IT, compliance, and business units.
Ensure AI aligns with broader corporate goals (efficiency, risk reduction, and decision-making).
Work with IT & Compliance from Day One
AI requires secure, structured data and must integrate with existing financial systems.
Bring in IT leadership early to ensure AI tools are scalable and compliant.
Pilot AI in a High-Impact Area
Avoid company-wide AI rollouts. Start with one AI initiative with a clear ROI.
Use that success as proof of concept to gain CEO and IT confidence.
AI can build board slides for CFOs with financial storytelling
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Your reports are precise. Your dashboards update in real time.
The Legacy Org Chart Is Dead
The traditional structure: A tall pyramid with analysts grinding through Excel is breaking. It’s too slow. Too rigid. Built for humans doing all the work.
In this model, duplication and delays are the norm. People spend more time compiling data than using it. Insights come late, if at all.
That’s not sustainable in a world where AI agents can reconcile, forecast, report, and analyze in minutes.
The future org chart might look like this:
Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Owns financial strategy, cross-functional influence, and oversees human + AI performance.
Head of Agent Operations: Manages the design, deployment, and debugging of agent workflows. Ensures agents deliver quality, not chaos.
Director of Strategic Finance: Interprets outputs, validates assumptions, and turns agent insight into business action.
Director of Data Governance: Owns the integrity of the data agents rely on, cleansing, labeling, and syncing across systems.
AI Risk & Compliance Lead: Audits agent behavior, explains model decisions, and ensures alignment with controls and regulations.
That’s it.
No layers of manual work. No headcount bloat.
Just high-leverage thinkers managing AI workflows.
The value shifts from doing to directing.
The Bottom Line
AI is your opportunity to do 3 things:
Lead strategy
Drive innovation
Transform your team
64% of CFOs believe autonomous finance can become a reality by 2028. (Gartner)
AI is transforming operations and growing profits across industries. Massive investments in AI are coming, and delaying means losing a competitive edge. CFOs must direct funds toward AI projects that cut costs, improve productivity, and drive efficiency.
Act now and secure a strong position for your company.
And like any investment, AI needs:
A strong business case (clear ROI, not just hype)
A roadmap (where AI fits, what problems it solves)
Risk management (governance, compliance, data security)
The goal is simple:
AI must create real value. Not just automate tasks.
Companies investing 5%+ of their budgets into AI are seeing double the ROI.
Those who are cautious with AI spending are falling behind their competitors.
AI is already paying off for early adopters.
The key is spending wisely, scaling fast, and tracking ROI.
And if you hesitate, you risk missing out on one of the biggest opportunities of your time.
Start today.
Open your org chart. Circle every box doing repeatable work.
Ask: What if an agent did this instead?
That’s how you get ahead of 99% of the market.
And that’s all for today.
See you on Thursday!
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I’m Wouter Born. A CFOTech investor, advisor, and entrepreneur.
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