1181: What AI Means for the Future of Finance Leadership | Yuval Atsmon, CFO & Sr Partner, McKinsey & Company
From CFO THOUGHT LEADER by The Future of Finance is Listening
April 26, 2026 · 1h 4m
About this episode
Yuval Atsmon shares insights on leadership and the impact of AI on finance, drawing from his diverse career experiences.
In the desert during military officer training, Yuval Atsmon entered one wrong number into a GPS device. Instead of reaching the intended destination, he and his team ended up in the wrong location, and the simulated mission failed. The mistake cost him the chance to finish at the top of his class, he tells us. Years later, he would recognize that moment as an early lesson in leadership: numbers and systems matter only if you truly understand them. That principle resurfaced when Atsmon was working with McKinsey in the Philippines on the privatization of an electricity asset. He spent several late nights studying a pricing framework that did not make sense. Eventually, he concluded the formula was recursive and would allow prices to rise indefinitely. Others initially thought he was wrong, but the process was halted and reexamined, he tells us. The experience reinforced what would become one of his core beliefs: “You can never delegate understanding.” That mindset helps explain a career shaped by movement across industries, cultures, and responsibilities. Raised in Israel, Atsmon studied law before joining McKinsey as a business analyst roughly 25 years ago, he tells us. His…
People in this episode
Guest: Yuval Atsmon
Topics covered
- AI in finance
- leadership lessons
- career development
- global business
- financial systems
Keywords
- AI
- finance leadership
- McKinsey
- career journey
- pricing framework
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: McKinsey & Company
Places: Israel, Philippines, Shanghai
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