Good morning. This yr has proven that AI isn’t only a buzzword anymore—it’s redefining finance.
In masking AI, I’ve spoken with CFOs throughout industries who’re targeted on worth creation and creating real-world use instances for AI to reshape the whole lot from forecasting and monetary planning to strategic decision-making. As information strikes quicker than ever, finance leaders are asking a brand new query: not what AI may do, however the way it can actually rework the enterprise. I’ve additionally talked with trade consultants and researchers about subjects starting from the ROI of AI to “prompt-a-thons” and debates over whether or not AI will flip CFOs into chief capital officers.
Finance chiefs are signaling the following large evolution—2026 would be the yr of enterprise-scale AI. Pilot applications and proofs of idea are giving option to avenues for full-scale deployment as CFOs count on AI to ship measurable worth: quicker choices, leaner operations, and predictive insights that may present a aggressive edge. Nevertheless, that degree of transformation comes with new calls for—governance, information integrity, and human oversight matter greater than ever.
I just lately requested finance chiefs from main firms how they count on AI to redefine what it means to steer in finance. For example, Zane Rowe, CFO at Workday, instructed me: “There has by no means been a extra thrilling time to be a CFO with AI unlocking new alternatives for worth creation via unprecedented information and insights. A lot of the focus has been on experimentation and discovering the artwork of the attainable, however this yr, leaders will shift from ‘What can AI do?’ to ‘How can we construct the muse for scale?’ They’ll handle a extra nuanced AI portfolio that balances launching pilots with rolling out confirmed options, and they’re going to prioritize the unglamorous however important work of knowledge governance, course of redesign, and upkeep of latest applied sciences. Success in 2026 can be outlined by how we mature our AI technique to make sure it’s each agile, sturdy, and enterprise-grade.”
Shifting from the attitude of a significant tech firm to a magnificence and cosmetics chief, Mandy Fields, CFO at e.l.f. Magnificence provided this prediction: “From the place a CFO sits, AI concurrently helps broaden our view to get a greater macro image and can assist put a sharper give attention to very particular factors of curiosity. e.l.f. Magnificence is rising globally, and AI has visibility throughout all of it. Going into subsequent yr, we’ll proceed to discover how we greatest leverage AI in finance to lean into its strengths. It’s a reasonably related strategy to our high-performance teamwork tradition by which we encourage the workforce to pursue and thrive within the areas the place they’ve experience, study repeatedly and transfer at e.l.f. velocity.”
You’ll be able to learn extra insights from over a dozen CFOs on how AI will form finance in 2026 in my full article right here.
That is the ultimate CFO Every day of 2025. The following problem will land in your inbox on Jan. 5. Thanks in your readership—and wishing you an exquisite vacation season. See you in 2026!
Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
