#279 Is AI Making CFOs Less Strategic? Susana Serrano-Davey, GrowCFO Mentor

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of AI on the strategic role of CFOs, exploring both its benefits and potential threats.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0tIFk3EkP63wzKxWBPJUeD In episode 279, Kevin Appleby and GrowCFO mentor Susana Serrano‑Davey explore a critical question for modern finance leaders: whether the rapid rise of AI is enhancing or eroding the strategic role of the CFO. They frame AI as both an incredibly powerful assistant and a potential threat to originality, judgment, and confidence if used uncritically. Throughout the conversation, they examine how tools like ChatGPT and other AI solutions are reshaping research, writing, preparation, and decision support for finance leaders, and what this means for the future of strategic finance careers.  The discussion moves from personal use cases, AI as a “personal assistant, sounding board, and translator”—into the realities of implementing AI within finance functions. Susana and Kevin highlight the growing interest in AI among CFOs contrasted with a lack of confidence about how to deploy it in practice. They compare AI adoption to past ERP implementations, emphasizing trial‑and‑error, learning from failure, and maintaining authenticity. The episode ultimately argues that AI should augment, not replace, a CFO’s strategic thinking: the…

People in this episode

Host: Kevin Appleby

Guest: Susana Serrano-Davey

Topics covered

• AI in finance
• CFO strategic role
• AI adoption
• decision support
• finance leadership

Keywords

• AI
• CFO
• finance leaders
• strategic thinking
• decision making
• ChatGPT
• adoption
• leadership

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: GrowCFO

Products: ChatGPT

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