#280 What Every CFO Should Know Before Implementing AI, Michael Pytel, Technology Leader & Director, VASS

About this episode

The episode discusses the critical role of CFOs in AI implementation and its implications for risk and competitive advantage.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/29EE2Ec32RWQKNVvVj2U8d In this episode of The GrowCFO Show, host Kevin Appleby, together with Michael Pytel , Technology Leader & Director at VASS , underscores why AI is now a board-level issue for finance leaders: decisions made today about platforms, data, and governance will shape an organization’s risk profile and competitive position for years to come. They frame AI not as a shiny add‑on but as an infrastructure-and-controls question that sits squarely in the CFO’s remit: data sovereignty, privacy, security, and ROI. Michael draws on his deep background in ERP and large‑enterprise technology to give CFOs a practical roadmap for implementing AI safely and effectively. He explains how vendors such as SAP are approaching “sovereign AI” to keep sensitive financial data within the organization, why mid‑market businesses should consider anchoring around the Microsoft ecosystem, and how to structure permissions so AI behaves like a fully controlled team member rather than a black box. The discussion closes with forward‑looking guidance on avoiding vendor lock‑in, upgrading ERP for an API‑ready, AI‑enabled future, and identifying quick wins that…

People in this episode

Host: Kevin Appleby

Guest: Michael Pytel

Topics covered

• AI implementation
• CFO responsibilities
• data sovereignty
• privacy
• risk management
• competitive advantage

Keywords

• AI
• CFO
• data governance
• ERP
• security
• vendor lock-in
• ROI
• sovereign AI

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: VASS, SAP, Microsoft

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