#279 Is AI Making CFOs Less Strategic? Susana Serrano-Davey, GrowCFO Mentor
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 winners will be those who use AI for speed and insight while preserving their own voice, critical judgment, and leadership presence.
Key topics covered:
- AI is becoming a personal assistant and translator for finance leaders, dramatically changing how they research, write, and prepare for meetings and communications.
- Both speakers warn that over‑reliance on AI risks diluting authenticity, with presentations and content sounding generic when leaders delegate too much to AI.
- The episode highlights how AI can undermine critical thinking and self‑confidence if finance professionals treat AI outputs as answers rather than input for their own judgment.
- Implementing AI in finance is compared to complex ERP rollouts—CFOs are interested but cautious, overwhelmed by the volume of tools and uncertainty about where to start.
- Kevin and Susana stress that AI should be used mainly for research, framing, and speed, while the CFO’s strategic value lies in interpretation, narrative, and decision‑making.
- They raise concerns that widespread AI use could homogenize thinking and propagate confident but wrong answers, making human skepticism and validation more important than ever.
Links
Timestamps:
- 0:00:00 – Kevin introduces Susana and they explore how AI is already reshaping day‑to‑day work, especially for finance leaders who use it for research and drafting.
- 0:02:46 – Susana describes AI as her “personal assistant and translator,” while Kevin explains how he uses AI extensively for reports, webinars, and thought leadership content.
- 0:07:13 – A workshop example shows how heavy dependence on ChatGPT produced a less authentic presentation, prompting a deeper discussion on storytelling, personal experience, and confidence.
- 0:12:38 – They compare AI rollouts to ERP implementations: CFOs are intrigued but hesitant, facing tool overload, uncertainty, and the need to accept mistakes and learn quickly.
- 0:25:01 – Kevin questions whether AI is eroding original thinking; Susana argues leaders must protect their own voice and avoid relying solely on AI‑generated content.
- 0:30:47 – The episode closes by examining AI’s tendency to sound certain even when wrong, and the risk of AI‑generated falsehoods becoming accepted truths without human scrutiny.
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