From Pilots to Powerhouse: How Finance Chiefs Are Steering the AI Revolution
Good morning. Artificial intelligence has decisively moved from the innovation lab to the boardroom agenda, with Chief Financial Officers emerging as pivotal figures in orchestrating its strategic rollout. This new reality was the central theme of Fortune’s inaugural Emerging CFO webinar of the year, held in partnership with Workday, featuring insights from finance leaders at the forefront of this transformation.
"AI is not a line item; it's a lens through which we view every investment and operational decision," stated Tiffany Buchanan, CFO of real-time intelligence company Dataminr. She described AI as a standing priority in their annual operating plan, a shift enabled by the proliferation of AI-native capabilities in modern SaaS platforms. For Buchanan, this evolution redefines the CFO's role as the CEO's core strategic partner in channeling capital toward initiatives that simultaneously drive growth and efficiency.
At Adobe, the focus is on acceleration. Dan Durn, CFO and EVP, framed their AI strategy around amplifying "organizational velocity"—drastically shortening the cycle from data insight to decisive action in a complex digital ecosystem. "Embedding AI across our workflows allows teams to detect signals and respond with unprecedented speed," Durn explained. He emphasized that technology is only part of the equation, noting that a culture of continuous learning and intellectually curious leadership is essential to move beyond rigid, outdated playbooks.
The calculus differs in heavily regulated sectors like banking. Zachary Wasserman, CFO of Huntington Bancshares, highlighted the tightrope walk between innovation and risk management. "In this environment, even a brief hesitation can cede significant competitive ground," Wasserman cautioned. Huntington's response involves a structured generative AI risk framework that categorizes use cases by risk level and mandates human oversight for higher-stakes applications, ensuring speed does not compromise safety.
These executive accounts signal a broader, industry-wide transition: finance chiefs are driving AI past the pilot phase and into full-scale execution. Sommer Frazier, Managing Director of Finance Transformation at KPMG US, who also participated in the webinar, noted that while AI adoption is widespread, many organizations remain trapped in a "pilot purgatory." Common roadblocks, she cited, include inconsistent data quality, inadequate governance, infrastructure gaps, and a scarcity of skilled talent.
The challenge, according to Frazier, is for finance to fully embrace its role as the steward of enterprise data. A recent KPMG AI Pulse survey found that 82% of executives rank data quality as the primary barrier to AI success. "Finance must lead in establishing the standards and governance," Frazier argued, "while business units maintain daily accountability for the data they produce."
Generative AI, she observed, has swiftly evolved from a novelty to an embedded feature in daily tools, from productivity suites to core financial systems. Finance teams are now leveraging it for tasks ranging from meeting summarization and drafting variance analyses to large-scale contract review and identifying nuanced pricing patterns.
Looking forward, Frazier predicts 2026 will be a tipping point toward "orchestrated AI agency," where finance professionals will manage networks of specialized AI agents, freeing human talent to focus on strategic analysis and complex decision-making.
Reader Reactions:
"Finally, a pragmatic view that goes beyond the hype. Wasserman's point about the regulatory-speed tension in banking is something every industry should study. This is the blueprint for responsible scaling."
— Marcus Chen, Tech Strategy Consultant
"Calling CFOs 'architects' is generous. More often, they're the brakes, not the engine. This article glosses over the internal battles where finance still kills innovative projects over short-term ROI fears. Talk to the engineers whose pilots get shelved."
— Rebecca Shaw, Former AI Product Lead
"The insight about 'organizational velocity' from Adobe is key. It's not just about doing things cheaper but about making the entire company smarter and faster. That's the real competitive edge AI offers."
— David Park, Venture Capitalist
This story is based on Fortune's Emerging CFO webinar. You can watch the full discussion here.
Sheryl Estrada
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This story was originally featured on Fortune.com