GrowCFO Show #224 How Power BI and AI Are Redefining the CFO Role with Rishi Sapra, GrowCFO Facilitator
Mar 11, 2025
34:45
#224 The Future of Finance: How Power BI and AI Are Redefining the CFO Role with Rishi Sapra
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6sIeKqInI1Ur549AprBRnw
How Are Power BI and AI Redefining the CFO Role?
Power BI and artificial intelligence are transforming how finance leaders operate. In this podcast, Rishi Sapra, Microsoft MVP and GrowCFO Facilitator, explores how modern CFOs can use data, automation, and AI to make faster, smarter decisions. From building interactive dashboards to automating reporting, this episode shows why mastering these tools is no longer optional — it’s a competitive necessity.
Rishi Sapra, a GrowCFO Facilitator and Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP), brings a wealth of experience from top-tier financial institutions to demystify the power of business intelligence technologies. Through his expertise, finance professionals can understand how advanced analytics platforms are not just technological tools, but strategic assets that can drive organizational performance and competitive advantage.
The podcast explores the intricate world of Power BI, showcasing how modern finance professionals can leverage data visualization, automation, and AI-driven insights to make more informed decisions. By bridging the gap between complex technical capabilities and practical business applications, Sapra provides a comprehensive overview of how emerging technologies are reshaping the financial analysis landscape.
This session offers a deep dive into the transformative potential of Power BI, illustrating how finance leaders can move beyond traditional reporting to create dynamic, interactive, and intelligent financial narratives that drive strategic decision-making.
Key topics covered:
Power BI's role in creating comprehensive semantic models for financial data
The importance of context and storytelling in financial reporting
Automation capabilities that streamline financial data processing
Integration of AI and copilot technologies in financial analytics
Practical approaches to building interactive financial dashboards
Bridging the gap between technical complexity and business value
The future of data management through unified platforms
Strategies for handling diverse skill levels in financial technology training
The critical role of education in adopting advanced analytics tools
Transforming financial reporting from static to dynamic insights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guXnwOwe0_s&t=7s
Links
Rishi Sapra on LinkedIn
Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn
GrowCFO Mentoring
Timestamps
0:03:22 Initial introductions and background context
0:06:37 Podcast formal introduction
0:08:37 Discussion of Power BI teaching approach
0:11:30 Motivation for teaching technical subjects
0:13:58 Experiential learning in technical training
0:20:34 Power BI's core functionalities in financial reporting
0:31:14 Course structure and content details
0:38:13 Future trends in Power BI and AI integration
0:41:11 Historical challenges in performance management
0:45:56 Concluding insights on technology and education
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