CFOs Talk AI and Peak Workloads in Denver

CFOs looking to implement large digital transformations have a problem: Their finance teams are a bit busy working.

That challenge kept coming up at the CFO Leadership Council’s recent Fall Conference in Denver, according to Jack McCullough, the council’s president. He told CFO Upside that the conference’s first appearance in the city brought plenty of first-time attendees, with conversations outside the scheduled sessions often returning to the idea of fitting technology projects into existing work.

“Recruiting and retention remain challenging,” McCullough said. “[The question now is] ‘How do you focus the team on digital transformation when they are busy with their day jobs?’”

Finance leaders’ side chats with McCullough reflected three main pressures:

• Team capacity: Finding employees and keeping them remains difficult as finance teams pursue costly technology implementations.
• Healthcare and insurance: Rising costs around both were prominent topics, with McCullough describing Marsh & McLennan Agency Senior Vice President Marybeth Gray as one of the event’s most asked-about speakers.
• AI risk: CFOs see the technology’s potential, but concerns about cybersecurity and data privacy continue to shape the adoption approach.

Shocker, CFOs Were Right

McCullough explained how he thinks finance leaders deserve some credit for approaching the technology carefully. CFOs recognize its potential, he said, while concerns about cybersecurity and data privacy continue to shape their decisions.

“At one point, I think people thought CFOs were behind the curve,” McCullough said. “I actually think they were ahead of the curve.”

His assessment puts the enthusiasm around adoption alongside questions about how companies will manage their teams’ use of it. For finance teams already working through talent challenges, adding digital transformation to their responsibilities also raises a practical question: Who has time for all of this?

ROI on OOO

Given the widespread phenomenon of overworked finance teams, taking a few days away from the office can require some explaining. When asked about CFOs making the case to their CEOs about attending conferences, McCullough suggests starting with the opportunity to build relationships with other finance leaders.

In Denver, the local advisory board promoted the conference among peers and introduced local attendees to board members before the event. Those introductions, McCullough said, gave newcomers a familiar face to look for when they arrived.

“We had a lot of first-time attendees there, and they were a bit overwhelmed, in a good way, at how friendly and supportive our community is,” he said.

Face Time Pays. That opportunity to develop a peer network, McCullough said, gives CFOs a reason to make the trip. “CEOs recognize the value of relationships as being critical to their success and will support efforts of CFOs to grow their peer networks,” he said.