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This article is an excerpt from AI Mastery for Finance Professional.sa new book by Glenn Hopper, published by Readers Press. Copyright © 2024. Mr. Hopper will be the keynote speaker at the Finance & Accounting Technology Expo in New York on October 30th. OpenAI, a leading research organization and technology company specializing in the development of artificial intelligence, has outlined five steps for artificial intelligence that are very representative of the direction the industry is heading. Founded in December 2015, OpenAI is focused on how artificial general intelligence benefits all humanity. Known for breakthrough technologies such as ChatGPT and DALL-E,…
Seasoned finance professional Melissa Howatson is so passionate about the role finance plays in helping organizations reach their potential that she hosts a podcast about it, The CFO Show . Howatson, CFO of Toronto-based Vena Solutions, has extensive experience in finance and consulting. In 2021, she served as CFO and Director of D2L, leading the global learning technology company's IPO. Houtson, a certified public accountant, launched The CFO Show in September 2023 for two reasons. Her most valuable learning experiences came from listening to the biographies of other financial executives, for example. Second, “I have had great mentors and joining…
After a proxy season with the lowest say-on-pay failure rate since 2017, compensation committees could be forgiven for being relatively optimistic about the 2025 voting season. But scrutiny of investor compensation practices has grown just as intense. A closer look at the 2024 proxy season highlights how investors and proxy advisors continue to have high expectations of companies of all industries and sizes when it comes to paid program design and decision-making. . Research into the outcomes of companies that have struggled to receive Say on Pay support this year shows the need for stronger disclosures around remuneration, particularly in…
To paraphrase a 1980s commercial, “This is not your father's business landscape.” We live in a world of constant change. This reality led to changes in all C-suite positions, but no one experienced a CFO transformation. Therefore, it's time to throw out the old playbook. Modern CFOs face a variety of challenges that require fresh perspectives, innovative thinking, and a willingness to embrace new paradigms. Here are 12 unconventional strategies every CFO should adopt to succeed in today's environment and ensure their organization is future-ready. 1. Adopt a startup mentality Startup culture has redefined the pace of innovation. CFOs can…
In June 2016, world psychiatryThe official journal of the World Psychiatric Association has published an online article to help you understand the experience of burnout. “Burnout is a psychological syndrome that manifests as a long-term response to chronic interpersonal stressors at work. Three major aspects of this response are overwhelming feelings of exhaustion, cynicism and disengagement from work, and and a sense of helplessness and lack of accomplishment.The importance of this three-dimensional model is that it clearly places an individual's experience of stress within a social context, involving both the person's concept of self and others. That’s it.” Eight years…
Innovation is a tricky beast. Everyone talks about it, but few people know how to grow it, and even fewer know how not to kill it. Some of the world's most innovative companies, like Pixar, understand that innovation is more than just shiny new ideas. It's about dismantling outdated beliefs that stifle creativity before it has a chance. Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull realized that a few stubborn business ideas act like a dam, blocking the flow of innovative new ideas. And it wasn't just Pixar. From tech giants to startups, these four outdated management beliefs (beliefs you've probably never thought…
StrategicCFO360, a member of the Chief Executive Officer Group, and the CFO Leadership Council announce the winners of the second annual CFO Leadership Awards, recognizing those in one of the most demanding, important and rapidly changing roles in business. Recognized finance executives who set new standards of excellence. The selection committee, which included CFOs from Bank of America, Humana, Oracle, Starbucks, Marriott International, and other well-known companies, included Peter Ovaldyk, CFO and EVP of T-Mobile (pictured above, right); ) was selected as the CFO of the Year. Costco CFO Richard Galanti has been selected as the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award…
In a world where customer expectations are higher than ever, personalization has become a strategic necessity, and AI-driven “personalized leaders”—effectively leveraging AI and other data-driven approaches—are making personalization a strategic necessity. , companies are expected to provide highly customized customer experiences. As consumers become more difficult to satisfy, businesses must leverage AI to deliver seamless, customized experiences at every touchpoint. This change goes beyond marketing and requires an overhaul of organizational structures and the integration of customer experience, marketing, and data analytics to deliver value quickly and at scale.Agile ways of working are essential to jump-start and succeed in personalization…
True leadership is about more than just managing numbers; it’s about empowering teams and embracing change. This is what Navneet Govil has learned as executive managing partner and CFO of Softbank Investment Advisors. Managing huge investments in tech startups that have gone on to change the business world—like DoorDash and Uber—requires an innovative and adaptable team. “The idea is that they should feel empowered to be innovators in their jobs and roles,” says Govil. “They can bring about innovation and have the autonomy and freedom. They feel like you don’t have to start a company to be an entrepreneur. The…
In today's business environment, the strength of a single team is no longer sufficient to ensure organizational agility. Success depends on something broader, including a collaborative network that spans internal teams, external partners, suppliers, and even competitors. These networks are critical to fostering innovation and allowing companies to pivot quickly in response to market changes. As a CEO, mastering the art of creating and maintaining these networks is key to ensuring your company's future relevance. A study published in Harvard Business Review highlights the critical role of collaboration in tough economic times. During the 2008 financial crisis, the top 10%…