Why CPAs Make Great CFOs

In this Greatest Hits episode of CFO Weekly, Alex Curran, Chief Executive Officer at Aptitude Software, joins Megan Weis to revisit why AI adoption in finance is fundamentally an architecture problem, not a model problem. Drawing on more than two decades of experience modernizing finance and accounting systems, Alex explores what it takes to build an AI-ready finance function, why real-time and auditable data matter, and how CFOs can embrace a more strategic role in the era of autonomous finance.

In this Greatest Hits episode of CFO Weekly, Mark Dempster, Founder at The Circle by Founders Circle Capital, joins Megan Weis to explore why peer communities are essential to CFO leadership. Drawing on his experience building The Circle and supporting finance executives at venture-backed companies, Mark shares how vulnerability, peer support, and leadership development help CFOs navigate pre-IPO pressures and prepare for the demands of public company leadership.

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Amy Wang, Chief Financial Officer at Procurify, joins Megan Weis to explore what AI in finance actually looks like inside mid-market companies, where automation adds real value, where human judgment still matters most, and how finance leaders can make smart technology decisions in a landscape that changes every six months. Drawing from her experience at PwC, Solium, Morgan Stanley, and Userful, Amy shares how CFOs can stay disciplined without becoming bureaucratic.

In this episode of CFO Weekly, James Vanreusel, Founder and CEO of Vanreusel Ventures, joins Megan Weis to explore where AI is genuinely improving forecasting, reporting, and analysis, and why fundamentals like pricing, margins, and unit economics still matter most, drawing on a career spanning Wall Street, microfinance, and more than a decade of fractional CFO work.

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Courtney Stoner, who has held executive leadership roles at Iron Mountain, GE Vernova, and GE Aerospace joins to discuss The CFOs playbook for Agentic AI & ROI. Drawing from a career spanning civil engineering, operations, M&A, and finance.

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Kerrie Jones, Financial Controller at Peak Living, joins Megan Weis to explore why professional judgment, not just technical expertise, is what makes accountants trusted business advisors. Drawing from her experience leading accounting teams through growth and change, hiring and developing more than 50 accountants, and serving on a nonprofit board, Kerrie shares how finance leaders can use AI as a decision support tool while still owning every decision.

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Shirley Shu-Hurley, Chief Financial Officer at Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART), joins Megan Weis to explore how today's finance leaders are shaping strategy, strengthening governance, and building the organizational capacity businesses need to grow and adapt in an increasingly complex world. Drawing on two decades of experience across the energy sector, entrepreneurship, and global nonprofit finance, Shirley shares her framework for becoming a decision architect rather than a financial operator.

In this episode of CFO Weekly, John Wise, Director of Finance and Accounting at The Armstrong Company, joins Megan Weis to explore how the CPA designation can become a foundation for strategic business leadership, the cultural growing pains that come with scaling a middle-market business, and where finance leaders should start when transforming a decentralized finance function into one built for growth.

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Mark Gaudiosi, Chief Financial Officer at Burro, joins Megan Weis to explore why AI adoption in finance succeeds or fails on one question: what decision does this actually change? Drawing on more than twenty-five years scaling finance functions at Gopuff, Medical Guardian, and now an outdoor autonomous robotics company, Mark shares how CFOs can separate real AI value from hype, why data ownership is shifting from IT to finance, and how operational data from robots is becoming a core financial metric.

In this episode of CFO Weekly, Mike DePrisco, President and CEO of IMA (Institute of Management Accountants), joins Megan Weese to explore why AI cost and ROI are becoming CFO problems rather than pure technology problems, drawing on IMA's own research showing 63% of finance leaders have now deployed AI and 37% of CFOs still don't trust their own data, and outlining what it really takes to evaluate AI investments and build measurable business value.