Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast

The question facing every CFO and finance leader right now is, how to invest in AI when the value case is still emerging? Andrew Ashton, Cisco's Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance, sits down with host Myles Corson to discuss the strategy behind how finance leaders can prove AI's impact.   Follow the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast for more conversations with global CFOs and finance leaders on AI, finance transformation and business strategy. Find out more at ey.com/betterfinance.  Key takeaways:  Treat AI spend as additive rather than a substitute for existing budget and prioritize accordingly.  Use pilots to identify patterns of value through better forecasting, stronger insights and faster decision-making.  Coordinate AI activity across functions to reduce duplication and focus resources where they can have the greatest impact.  Establish governance and security controls early to support AI adoption across the enterprise.  Embed AI across existing priorities rather than treating it as a standalone initiative.   © 2026 Ernst & Young Global Limited

In this episode of the Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast, Myles Corson speaks with Sheryl Estrada, senior writer at Fortune and author of the CFO Daily newsletter. Drawing on her conversations with finance leaders, Sheryl shares insights into how the CFO role is evolving beyond traditional finance responsibilities. She also explores how CFOs are playing an increasingly influential role in enterprise transformation.  Sheryl explains that finance leaders are rethinking whether traditional performance metrics fully capture business growth. With CFOs taking a more active role in shaping business strategy, organizations are placing greater emphasis on connecting financial performance to the broader business narrative. As a result, finance is reassessing legacy KPIs and redefining how value is measured and communicated.  The need for greater clarity is also reshaping the finance function itself. Sheryl describes AI and automation as a way to move finance beyond routine work, creating more capacity for the function to contribute to the business as a strategic partner. As CFOs rethink how roles are structured and how work gets done, the future of finance becomes less about adopting new technology and more about building a finance function that can bring sharper insight to the decisions that shape long-term value.  Follow the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast for more conversations with global CFOs and finance leaders. Find out more on ey.com/betterfinance.  Key takeaways:  Understand how the CFOs role is evolving beyond traditional finance responsibilities  Recognize the growing influence of AI on finance priorities and decision-making  Rethink how organizations measure and communicate value  Strengthen collaboration across the C-suite through data-driven insights  Prepare finance teams for a more strategic, technology-enabled future   © 2026 Ernst & Young Global Limited

Many finance organizations are exploring how to scale AI, but readiness remains uneven across teams and processes.  In this episode of the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast, host Myles Corson speaks with Mike Whitmire, CEO and co-founder of FloQast, about what CFOs need to get right before scaling AI in finance.  Drawing on his experience working with thousands of finance teams and building FloQast's accounting workflow platform, Mike explains why visibility into workflows, structured processes and reliable data remain essential for effective AI adoption. The conversation also highlights how AI adoption varies widely across finance functions, with different levels of maturity requiring tailored approaches based on scale, complexity and growth plans.  Mike also discusses the importance of governance, audit readiness and operating discipline, outlining how CFOs can align people, process and technology to scale AI in a structured way and deliver measurable value.  Follow the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast for more conversations with global CFOs and finance leaders. Find out more on ey.com/betterfinance.  Key takeaways:  Challenge assumptions about AI by focusing on what finance teams need to trust and adopt it, not what technology promises.  Tailor AI approaches to the scale, complexity and maturity of the finance function, rather than applying a single model.  Redefine the role of finance teams, with greater emphasis on judgement, review and providing confidence in outputs.   © 2026 Ernst & Young Global Limited

Treasury is entering a new phase of responsibility, one defined by continuous action rather than periodic oversight.  In this episode of the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast, host Myles Corson speaks with Stephen Randall, Global Head of Liquidity Management Services at Citigroup, about how treasury is adapting to an always-on, real-time global economy and becoming more central to enterprise value creation.  Stephen shares insights from Citi's research and client experience on what differentiates high-performing treasury functions, highlighting the importance of strong fundamentals, high-quality data, automation and programmable, rules-based cash management. He explains how always-on treasury models help CFOs and treasurers respond faster to disruption, reduce operational risk and make more informed balance sheet decisions.  Follow the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast for more conversations with global CFOs and finance leaders. Find out more on ey.com/betterfinance.  Key takeaways:  Understand why forecasting accuracy alone is no longer sufficient to support confident finance decision making.  Recognize how treasury can enable confidence through real‑time liquidity, visibility and control.  Explore how leading organizations are redesigning treasury operating models for an always‑on environment.  Identify the role of real‑time liquidity and automation in reducing reliance on manual intervention.  Understand how treasury's evolving role can support resilience, agility, unlock capital and support enterprise value creation.  © 2026 Ernst & Young Global Limited

In this episode of the Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast, host Myles Corson is joined by Jack McCullough, President of the CFO Leadership Council, to explore how CFOs can uncover and support hidden talent within their organizations to thrive in an AI-driven world. They discuss the concept of indispensable specialists — those individuals who may not hold senior titles or be highly visible but possess unique skills that drive significant value and impact. Jack shares insights on why recognizing these key contributors are important for CFOs navigating rapid technological change and organizational complexity.   The conversation highlights how AI is transforming finance roles but cannot replace the nuanced judgment, trust and crisis management that these specialists provide. Jack and Myles also explore practical strategies for CFOs to identify, nurture and reward these talents, including embracing dual career paths that allow experts to deepen their skills without necessarily moving into management roles.   Follow the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast for more conversations with global CFOs and finance leaders. Find out more on ey.com/betterfinance.   Key takeaways:  Identify the specialists who deliver outsized value in your finance teams.  Recognize the importance of unique skills that AI cannot replace.  Implement strategies to nurture and retain indispensable talent.   Assess whether current career paths support both technical experts and leaders.   © 2026 Ernst & Young Global Limited

In this episode of the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast, Myles Corson speaks with David Homonoff, CFO at Feast & Fettle, about what it takes to lead finance in a fast-growing business where culture and customer experience are deeply intertwined.  David shares how Feast & Fettle's success stems from a simple yet powerful idea: make decisions through the lens of the customer. He explains why treating the customer as the North Star shapes nearly every decision, from pricing and expansion to how the organization thinks about retention, profitability and long-term value. Rather than chasing growth at any cost, the conversation explores how finance leaders can use their operating model to make thoughtful trade-offs as complexity increases.  The episode offers an inside look at the modern CFO mindset. David reflects on why strong fundamentals are essential, but not sufficient, and why some of the most important work happens outside the spreadsheet. He talks candidly about testing new ideas, learning from experience and willingness to adjust course when something no longer makes sense. Throughout the conversation, David highlights the importance of building teams that take ownership, stay curious about technology and are prepared to navigate uncertainty, illustrating how today's CFOs are evolving from financial stewards into true business leaders.  Follow the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast for more conversations with global CFOs and finance leaders. Find out more on ey.com/betterfinance.   Key takeaways:  Understand how strong finance fundamentals and operational discipline create the foundation for sustainable, profitable growth.  Discover why treating the customer as the North Star can help CFOs balance expansion, pricing and investment decisions without compromising quality or culture.  Learn how embracing innovation, including AI, while leading with integrity can enable finance leaders to navigate complexity and create long‑term value.  © 2026 Ernst & Young Global Limited

In this episode of the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast, Brian Tomlinson, Managing Director, ESG, Financial Accounting Advisory Services, Ernst & Young LLP, speaks with Jan Rosenow, Professor of Energy and Climate Policy at the University of Oxford, about how the global energy transition is reshaping the economic landscape for businesses.  The discussion explores the growing role of industrial policy in decarbonization and how different regions are using incentives such as tax credits and subsidies to influence where clean energy technologies are developed and deployed. As economies shift from fossil fuel dependence toward electrification, companies face new considerations around energy costs, supply chain exposure and policy uncertainty.  Jan shares practical insights on how organizations can approach the transition, highlighting the importance of improving efficiency first and making step-by-step investments that make financial sense. The conversation also examines how quickly markets can change and why companies that delay adaptation may face competitive risk.  Follow the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast for more conversations with global CFOs and finance leaders. Find out more on ey.com/betterfinance.  Key takeaways: Understand how industrial policy and targeted incentives can influence investment decisions and competitive positioning.  Discover how shifting from fossil fuels to electrification can change cost structures, supply chain exposure and energy risk.  Learn how a phased, efficiency-first approach can help organizations navigate the transition while maintaining financial discipline.  © 2026 Ernst & Young Global Limited

In this episode of The EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast, host Myles Corson speaks with Riya Grover, CEO and co-founder of Sequence, about how CFOs and finance leaders can navigate revenue complexity and enhance collaboration.  Riya shares her entrepreneurial journey and discusses the important role of finance in shaping revenue strategy. She highlights how identifying disconnects between pricing, revenue data and accountability can improve decision-making and business performance.  The conversation explores how CFOs can leverage technology for better visibility into pricing strategies, track revenue trends and maintain pricing hygiene as organizations scale. She also discusses the impact of emerging pricing models, such as usage-based and outcome-based pricing.   The discussion highlights the evolving role of finance in driving growth and the importance of collaboration between finance sales teams to effectively manage revenue and growth. Follow The EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast for more conversations with global CFOs and finance leaders. Find out more on ey.com/betterfinance.  Key takeaways:  Understand the strategic importance of pricing for CFOs and its impact on revenue management.  Recognize how early involvement in pricing decisions can transform the role of finance leaders.  Explore the role of data integrity and collaboration in informed financial decision-making.  Learn how CFOs can leverage technology for visibility into pricing strategies and revenue trends.  Identify challenges and opportunities with emerging pricing models, including usage-based pricing.  © 2025 Ernst & Young Global Limited

Cash flow forecasting and liquidity confidence have become defining priorities for CFOs and finance leaders, yet both remain persistent challenges across organizations.  Two studies, APQC's Cash Flow and Liquidity Management Practices Report and the 2025 EY Global DNA of the Treasurer Survey, found that even with automation, AI and analytics, many finance teams may struggle to trust their source data and forecast with accuracy.  In this episode of the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast, host Myles Corson speaks with Kelley Pruetz, Principal Research Leader at APQC, and Francois Holzman, EY Global Treasury and Commodities Leader, about how CFOs and treasurers can improve cash visibility and strengthen liquidity management.  They discuss why forecasting remains difficult in an era of technology-enabled finance and how leading organizations can improve collaboration, data transparency and agility to make more confident decisions.   Follow the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast for more conversations with global CFOs and finance leaders. Find out more on ey.com/betterfinance.   Key takeaways:  Discover why cash flow forecasting remains a persistent challenge for treasurers and CFOs despite advances in automation and analytics.  Explore how cross-functional collaboration can help finance and treasury teams break down silos to improve forecasting accuracy and liquidity resilience.  Recognize how "transformative treasurers" can redefine value creation through mentorship, collaboration and strategic leadership.  © 2025 Ernst & Young Global Limited    

In this episode of the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast, host Myles Corson speaks with Simon Brown, EY Global Learning and Development Leader and co-author of The Curious Advantage. Drawing on years of research into learning, leadership and behavioral science, Simon explains how embedding curiosity into everyday practices can help finance teams evolve beyond traditional ways of working.  The conversation explores how a mindset of curiosity can help CFOs lead through uncertainty and respond to emerging challenges. Through real-world examples, Simon illustrates how asking better questions, creating space for exploration and staying open to different perspectives can uncover opportunities that might otherwise be missed.  The conversation reframes curiosity as a leadership behavior that fosters stronger connections across the business and supports a culture of continuous learning. Key takeaways:  Explore how curiosity can help CFOs strengthen decision-making, build collaboration and foster trust. Understand how asking better questions can guide teams through complexity with greater clarity and confidence.  Learn how psychological safety and a culture of experimentation can strengthen resilience and spark innovation in finance.   Discover ways to embed curiosity into everyday leadership behaviors and continuous learning practices.  © 2025 Ernst & Young Global Limited ________________________________________________ Tap the FOLLOW button now to ensure you never miss the latest episode of the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast! For more conversations with global CFOs and finance leaders: ey.com/betterfinance.