CFO THOUGHT LEADER

Atsushi Kitamura, CFO of Astellas Pharma and former finance leader at Procter & Gamble, dives deep into the transformative challenges in pharma finance. He shares how his diverse experience shaped his approach to instilling financial discipline after a major acquisition. With over 40% of revenues at risk from a patent cliff, he unveils a three-part strategy focused on brand growth, scientific investment, and sustainable margins. Atsushi also highlights the shift from RPA to agentic AI, revolutionizing finance operations.

Michael Levine, CFO of Fireblocks and former CFO of Payoneer, dives into the world of stablecoins and decentralized finance. He shares insights on how CFOs are grappling with stablecoin adoption and offers examples of blockchain's real-world utility, like programmable money. Levine highlights Fireblocks' unique approach to securing digital assets and addresses the evolving regulatory landscape. With a keen eye on capital allocation and AI's role in finance, he discusses the need for education and strategic thinking in a rapidly changing economy.

Amy Foo, CFO of Ignition, shares her journey from employee number one at Zendesk to steering global finance operations. She discusses her innovative pooled-seat pricing model that maximized revenue by aligning with customer needs. Amy emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making and tracking customer payment patterns for optimized pricing strategies. She also advocates for integrating AI into existing frameworks while recognizing its limitations. Her focus on psychological safety in teams and continuous forecasting highlights her unique approach to finance leadership.

Joe Custer, CFO and SVP of Operations at Intrado, shares insights on transforming the company’s public-safety operations. He elaborates on Intrado's crucial role in handling 90% of 911 calls, emphasizing their commitment to reliability. Joe discusses the strategy of integrating previous acquisitions and modernizing technologies, including a shift to AI. He reflects on the importance of mentorship and developing finance talent, while also revealing his personal competitive spirit through his love for racing and triathlons.

Clayton Kossl, CFO of Basis Technologies, shares his journey from investment banking to strategic finance, emphasizing the art of blending numbers with storytelling. He discusses the importance of operational finance in startups, highlighting his transformative role at Paintzen. As Basis's CFO, he focuses on automation and AI, aiming to enhance customer retention. Clayton also advises new CFOs to cultivate soft skills and reflects on his past as a college radio host, merging finance expertise with engaging narratives.

“InvoiceCloud is not just payments,” Chris Sands tells us. Sitting inside the company’s finance organization, he sees a platform built to change habits—helping businesses shift customers from paper invoices and mailed checks to fully digital transactions. The success metric, he adds, is simple: “Do more of their customers stop receiving paper invoices, stop mailing in checks, and do both of those things digitally?”That clear yardstick reflects how Sands thinks about growth. He describes a foundation rooted in existing customers even as the broader economy accelerates toward digital payment adoption. Utilities and insurers remain core markets, yet new verticals, such as consumer finance, beckon. Each expansion, he notes, must rest on data that confirms user behavior is truly changing.Inside finance, Sands has built what he calls a Strategic Finance function to mirror that discipline. The group handles special projects and, increasingly, AI initiatives—efforts he says once fell entirely within FP&A. Now they stand on their own “leg of the stool,” amplifying how finance supports innovation.That mindset extends beyond the department. Sands helped stand up an AI Ops team—an internal SWAT group that guides employees exploring AI tools. Instead of experimenting in isolation, staff can bring use cases to the team for help. For Sands, finance’s role is to stay analytical amid the excitement: “We can add more value … by helping the rest of the org with [AI] and using our finance skill set to understand where the best opportunities to create business value exist.”

In this episode of Planning Aces, host Jack Sweeney and resident thought leader Brett Knowles explore how finance leaders are approaching AI’s early returns—balancing efficiency, experimentation, and human judgment. CFO Craig Foster of Pax8 discusses how AI enablement is driving measurable productivity gains. CFO David Obstler of Datadog reflects on finding ROI amid rapid innovation and market demand. And CFO Ben Gammell of Brex shares why forecasting still requires human intuition despite data-driven progress. Together, their insights reveal a spectrum of FP&A strategies defining the modern CFO’s mindset toward AI adoption and business transformation.Brett Knowles’ Key TakeawaysBrett Knowles observes that finance leaders are positioning themselves along a broad continuum—from bold experimentation to cautious skepticism—when it comes to AI in planning. He notes a shift in tone: CFOs are now openly discussing productivity gains and cost efficiency rather than avoiding them. Knowles cautions against overreliance on ROI metrics, emphasizing instead disciplined cost management, pragmatic experimentation, and the evolving role of finance in navigating technology-driven transformation.

Kimberlee Duval, CFO of Cymbiotika and finance transformation leader, discusses the company's leap from direct-to-consumer to major retail channels. She shares insights on adopting AI and automation to streamline operations, emphasizing a cross-channel approach that avoids siloing e-commerce and retail finance. Duval highlights the importance of transparency in wellness products and the significance of critical thinking in hiring. Her leadership philosophy focuses on team unity and purposeful development, ensuring the finance function supports strategic growth.

Steve Sutter, CFO of Celigo and seasoned finance leader, shares his insights on integrating business processes through innovative automation. He emphasizes the importance of unit economics and sustainable growth strategies, balancing aggressive marketing investments with solid financial discipline. Sutter advocates for quickly acknowledging failures to pivot towards success, and he elaborates on leveraging AI to enhance workflow efficiency. His approach to resource allocation embodies both artistry and accountability, making finance a pivotal ally in business success.

Beth Gaspich, the CFO of NICE with over 30 years of experience in finance, shares her transformative journey from a volatile IPO in 2008 to leading a cloud-native, AI-driven enterprise. She discusses how NICE scaled its revenue from $1 billion to nearly $3 billion, emphasizing a culture that encourages finance leaders to drive strategy. Gaspich highlights the role of AI in reshaping financial metrics and engaging investors, while also addressing compliance challenges and the importance of mentorship in her career.