AI is reshaping first-100-days playbook for CFOs: FTI

Dive Brief:

• Artificial intelligence is reshaping what companies expect from CFOs during their first 100 days on the job, according to a white paper from FTI Consulting.
• CFOs are increasingly being hired to modernize finance and enable change across the enterprise, the consulting firm said, adding that early priorities after taking the role should include assessing the maturity of the organization’s data and systems to help lay the groundwork for digital transformation efforts.
• “One of your biggest early opportunities is improving how fast the organization turns information into action,” FTI said in the paper released July 31.

Dive Insight:

The report comes as finance organizations face growing demand for AI skills.

In separate findings, finance software provider Datarails reported in March that nearly one in three corporate finance job postings it analyzed explicitly referenced AI or machine learning capabilities, up from one in four a year earlier.

The Datarails report highlighted a few examples of companies that had mentioned AI in a finance job listing, including MH Civil Constructors in Amarillo, Texas, which sought a seasoned CFO “helping a business scale into the next phase of growth — leveraging advanced tools, including AI, to drive insight, accuracy, and speed.”

FTI’s 2026 Global CFO Survey, released in February, found that 52% of finance chiefs now lead or co-lead enterprise-wide transformation, while nearly half (48%) oversee AI enablement.

“The CFO job is no longer to simply report what happened, but is also to protect and create value and help shape what comes next. AI has only accelerated the shift,” FTI said in its whitepaper.

The FTI paper highlights several opportunities for new CFOs to create value, including enhancing forecasting accuracy and scenario planning; accelerating reporting through AI and automation, improving visibility into cash, margins and operational drivers; and aligning the organization around key benchmarks and performance standards.

FTI cautioned that automation should not be pursued for its own sake. Instead, finance leaders should use technology to help the business move faster and make decisions with greater confidence, such as pressure-testing the impact of pricing changes or supply chain disruptions before committing to a course of action.

While new CFOs may face pressure to achieve fast results, the paper advises them to balance speed with effectiveness, ensuring that technology investments ultimately lead to better business decisions.

“The CFOs who create the most value in their first 100 days aren’t necessarily the ones who modernize finance fastest. They’re the ones who leave the business making sharper decisions than those made before they arrived,” FTI said.