#259 He Reveals the First AI Project That Actually Saved Money, Marco Torrente, Interim Group CFO, Bakuun Holdings
As AI transforms the business landscape, finance leaders are seeking practical examples of true value creation—not just hype. In this episode, Marco Torrente, Interim Group CFO at Bakuun Holdings, joins host Kevin Appleby to share real financial transformation lessons from the front lines. Marco’s candid reflections move beyond generic AI discussions to pinpoint what actually saves money, emphasizing the importance of getting digital transformation right and building team mindsets that embrace technology.
The conversation explores the practicalities of starting the AI journey, including improving transactional systems and data quality, as well as how AI enables FP&A teams to shift from data crunching to value-adding activities. Marco further reveals that while AI projects haven’t yet drastically reduced headcount, they empower teams to deliver faster, more adaptive business forecasts and partner more effectively with the business. Listeners gain actionable insights on risk analysis, business partnering, and future-proofing the finance function in an era of rapid technological change.
Key topics covered:
- Mindset change is the hardest aspect of finance digital transformation
- Accurate, clean data is critical for successful AI adoption and savings
- AI enables finance teams to spend less time crunching numbers, more time adding value
- Savings are real when AI is applied to transactional and repetitive processes
- AI leads to more frequent, adaptive forecasting and better business partnering
- Boardroom strategy discussions increasingly focus on AI-driven transformation
Links
Timestamps
- 03:57 Overcoming mindset challenges in tech and finance teams
- 07:45 How clean data and smart choices spark successful AI projects
- 14:48 Impact of AI on workflows—shifting FP&A from data crunching to insights
- 18:16 Balancing business strategy with transformation and risk
- 26:15 Real savings and workforce impact: redeployment not just reduction
- 30:04 Future plans, ongoing learning, and actionable advice
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