What's Rarely Measured Matters Most

AI adoption

Why AI Speed Without Direction Is a Strategic Risk | Laura Belmont, General Counsel, The L Suite

In this special third installment of Suite Voices, featuring general counsels from The L Suite, Laura Belmont explores how organizations can adopt AI responsibly while balancing speed with strategic direction. Building on insights from earlier episodes, she emphasizes that AI success depends on aligning usage with business goals and governance frameworksnot just rapid deployment. Belmont highlights early risks such as “shadow AI” and underscores the importance of CFO/GC collaboration in evaluating financial and legal exposure. She also stresses continuous training and vendor scrutiny, while looking ahead to a future where GCs act as systems architects embedding accountability into AI-driven decision-making. Three Key Takeaways Velocity Over SpeedAI adoption is not about moving fast—it’s about moving in the right direction with clearly defined strategic outcomes. Governance Is the New DifferentiatorOrganizations that proactively manage data, vendor transparency, and internal AI usage will outperform those chasing unchecked adoption. Finance + Legal = Risk-Adjusted GrowthCFOs and GCs must…
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The Reset That Restarted Growth

Facing slowing growth, Aidan Viggiano led a sweeping reset—workforce reductions, compensation redesign, leadership changes, and governance overhaul—shifting the company toward balanced growth and profitability. Anchored by a “do what we said we would do” mindset, she rebuilt financial discipline, restored credibility, and emerged a stronger, more decisive leader. Now Watch Our Complete Episode Featuring CFO […]

1174: How a Hard Reset Reignited Momentum | Aidan Viggiano, CFO Twilio

In 2023, stepping into the CFO role at Twilio, Aidan Viggiano faced a defining reality: “the first hard call was a layoff,” she tells us. The company had surged during the pandemic as digital communications accelerated, but by mid-2022, growth slowed while profitability lagged. “We can’t be slowing in growth and not be profitable and…
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AI Governance & the Board: What CFOs Need to Know | Akin Adekeye, GC, Compound

In this episode of Suite Voices, Jack Sweeney speaks with technology general counsel Akin Adekeye about when AI becomes a board-level concern. Adekeye explains AI crosses into governance when it impacts risk, capital allocation, and competitiveness. He highlights “shadow AI” risks, regulatory uncertainty, and the need for structured oversight. Effective governance includes board involvement, executive…
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1166: Building Equity Value in a Capital-Intensive World | Derek Doyle, CFO, C Spire

Fiber is “a lot of investment up front for that stream of cash flow in the future,” Derek Doyle tells us. At C Spire, that reality defines nearly every strategic decision. The advanced technology and communications company has been reinventing itself for more than 70 years, Doyle tells us. Today, it is the largest privately…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:52:49)
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Why Growth Demands Smaller “Chunks” of Accountability | Toby Driver, CFO, Ideagen

As Ideagen scaled from roughly £50M ARR to five times that size, complexity threatened accountability. Driver helped lead a shift to a regional operating model, breaking the business into three clear regions with defined ownership. Finance redesigned reporting and management information, restoring focus, accountability, and execution discipline—leaving the company stronger and more scalable. Now Watch […]

From Data Roots to an AI Playbook | Zane Rowe, CFO, Workday

Rowe’s strategic moment came when he recognized Workday needed to lean harder into AI—both organically and through acquisitions. Instead of defaulting to cost cuts, he shifted focus to targeted investment, partnering across teams to identify the highest-return opportunities. The result: a smarter, faster AI strategy designed to outpace competitors and deliver long-term shareholder value. [ssp-player] […]

1148: How Early Data Lessons Shaped Workday’s CFO AI Playbook | Zane Rowe, CFO, Workday

At first, we wondered why Zane Rowe was once again leading us back to Continental Airlines. With notable CFO tenures at VMware and EMC—chapters rich with transformation—surely there were fresh stories to surface. But as Rowe began tracing the logic behind flight profitability, route modeling, and data-rich decision making, the relevance snapped into focus. His…
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Ep 50: Discipline at the Heart of Innovation

In this episode of Planning Aces, we spotlight FP&A insights from three CFOs leading innovation with discipline: Chris Sands (InvoiceCloud), Steve Sutter (Celigo), and Niels Boon (Cint). Each shares how finance is shaping AI, go-to-market models, and data-driven transformation without losing rigor. From building an “AI Ops” function and embedding finance in sales strategy, to […]

Pilot, Learn, Scale What Works | Troy Anderson, CFO, Kelly Services

Troy Anderson stepped into a troubled $2B Xerox unit and uncovered mispriced contracts, communication gaps, and failing operations. After renegotiating key agreements and restoring transparency, he recommended shutting down an unsalvageable business. His decisive analysis saved years of wasted investment, restored credibility, and allowed the company to plan with clarity and confidence. Now Watch the […]

1143: Building a Transformation-Ready Finance Function | Troy Anderson, CFO, Kelly Services

When Troy Anderson accepted the CFO seat at Kelly Services in 2024, he stepped into an organization that, as he tells us, “had done a number of acquisitions … and really invested in the business.” The legacy staffing firm had spent nearly $1 billion to expand its reach but had yet to fully integrate those…
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1140: The EQ Playbook for Post-Merger Reality | Niels Boon, CFO, Cint

The moment that stayed with him began at a marketplace where sales dashboards showed 40% gross margin—yet finance closed the books at 20%, Boon tells us. The gap, he discovered, lived in the shadows: rebates, discounts, and “free” services that never touched operational metrics. He manually traced economics to the client level and found margins…
Listen to the Episode Below (0:59:10)
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