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2026: The Six Defining Challenges for the Office of the CFO — Blog Series (1 of 6)
By GrowCFO in partnership with Acterys
As we approach 2026, the momentum around Artificial Intelligence has shifted from conceptual curiosity to operational necessity. AI is not simply another technology trend — it is the most transformative force to reshape finance since the Internet revolution. What the Internet did for connectivity, AI is now doing for decision-making, unlocking a level of speed, intelligence, and automation previously out of reach.
Across the GrowCFO community, finance leaders describe AI as the catalyst that is redefining how finance operates. Instead of reacting to events, interpreting variance reports, and manually consolidating data, CFOs are now using AI to surface insights instantly, model scenarios dynamically, and automate tasks that once consumed days or weeks.
Why AI Matters Now
AI’s promise is clear:
- Eliminate repetitive manual work.
- Enhance predictive accuracy.
- Provide insights at a depth and scale that human analysts cannot match.
- Enable faster, evidence-driven decisions.
Jeff Bezos recently framed AI as a “horizontal enabling layer” — a universal capability that will embed itself across every business function. For finance, this means AI won’t just improve planning and forecasting — it will underpin risk management, capital allocation, resource planning, profitability optimisation, and strategic decision support.
From Reactive Scorekeeping to Strategy Steering
For decades, finance has been constrained by backward-looking processes. But with AI, the finance function can now operate as a strategic engine. Predictive forecasting, anomaly detection, and autonomous reporting are already practical realities for leading teams.
Yet success with AI depends on one truth: AI is only as good as your data.
Fragmented spreadsheets, inconsistent structures, and siloed data undermine every model, insight, and forecast.
This is where Acterys plays a pivotal role.
How Acterys Makes AI Ready for Finance
Acterys is designed to help finance teams unify ERP, CRM, HR, supply chain, and operational data into a single governed performance model. With this foundation, finance teams can:
- Run predictive models securely and at scale
- Automate insights directly in Power BI and Excel
- Build trustworthy, auditable forecasting environments
- Simulate scenarios instantly
- Remove manual consolidation work entirely
Across GrowCFO members, the shift has been remarkable. CFOs who previously struggled with spreadsheets now run dynamic, real-time planning across the business.
The New Finance Leader
AI won’t replace finance leaders — but finance leaders who adopt and operationalise AI will replace those who don’t. The competitive advantage is no longer technology itself, but the ability to operationalise it.
GrowCFO Insight
AI won’t replace finance leaders — but finance leaders who understand and operationalise AI will replace those who don’t.
