Happy New Year, CFOs! 🎆 

This upcoming year promises to be a game-changer, especially for CFOs stepping into the spotlight of radical transparency and AI-driven decision-making. With generative AI rewriting the rules and finance leaders making bold moves to secure top talent, the stakes have never been higher—or more exciting.

In this issue, we explore the trends, tools, and strategies shaping the future of leadership in this transformative year.

Let’s kick off 2025 with inspiration and action!

📰 Upcoming in this issue

• 2025: A New Era of Radical Transparency for CFOs 🎆

• New Year, New Talent: CFOs Race to Secure AI Experts in 2025 🎉

• New Year, New Moves: Stripe CFO Joins $3B AI Startup Vercel’s Board to Lead 2025 Innovation 🎉

2025: A New Era of Radical Transparency for CFOs 🎆 read the full 1,034-word article here

Article published: December 20, 2024

New year, new rules: 2025 will be the year CFOs step into the spotlight as transparency becomes the name of the game. In CFO Dive’s article, “The Radical Transparency Era is Here: Ready or Not, CFOs”, Maura Webber Sadovi highlights how generative AI is rewriting how companies are seen—and held accountable.

Imagine AI dissecting employee reviews, social media chatter, and financial reports faster than ever, revealing how companies are really perceived. McKinsey’s Andy West calls this the age of “information ubiquity,” where CFOs can no longer control the narrative but must actively manage it.

McKinsey’s Holistic Impact Thesis (HIT) is leading the charge, giving companies an AI-driven mirror to compare external perceptions with internal goals. For CFOs, the challenge of 2025 isn’t just financial—it’s navigating this transparency tidal wave and using it to their advantage.

Ready or not, transparency is here to stay.

Key Takeaways:

• 📊 AI changes the game: Generative AI analyzes unstructured data—from Glassdoor to 10-Ks—at lightning speed, uncovering corporate blind spots.

• 🌎 Perception is everything: CFOs must align how the world sees their company with internal goals or risk being left behind.

• 🔍 McKinsey’s HIT tool is transformative: HIT gives companies real-time insights into market perception, far beyond traditional financial metrics.

• 🕒 2025 demands transparency now: There’s no waiting—CFOs must manage transparency as an ongoing strategy to stay competitive in a hyperconnected world.

New Year, New Talent: CFOs Race to Secure AI Experts in 2025 🎉 read the full 800-word article here

Article published: December 18, 2024

Happy New Year! For CFOs, 2025 kicks off with a resolution that can’t wait: securing top AI talent. In Alexei Alexis’s CFO Dive article, “CFOs Scramble for New AI Talent Amid Fierce Competition, Report Says”, it’s clear that AI is no longer a luxury for finance teams—it’s a necessity.

Nearly half of finance leaders (45%) are ringing in the new year by ramping up their search for AI experts, but the competition is fierce. With demand for AI skills skyrocketing 1,300% since 2022, CFOs are finding themselves in a hiring frenzy. Why the urgency? AI is expected to shape 85% of financial decisions in 2025, from forecasting to strategy.

But the challenges are as big as the opportunities. Attracting top talent and upskilling teams are top hurdles in this AI-fueled new year. For CFOs, 2025 isn’t just about numbers—it’s about making bold moves to stay ahead.

Key Takeaways:

• 🎆 AI tops CFOs’ New Year’s resolutions: 45% of finance leaders plan to expand their teams with AI expertise to dominate 2025.

• 📈 Demand soars into the new year: AI job openings have risen 1,300% in two years, making talent acquisition a top priority for finance teams.

• 🤖 AI will transform decision-making: 85% of CFOs expect AI-generated insights to play a major role in strategy by the end of 2025.

• 🏆 The 2025 race is on: Success in the new year depends on CFOs securing top talent to harness the transformative power of AI.

New Year, New Moves: Stripe CFO Joins $3B AI Startup Vercel’s Board to Lead 2025 Innovation 🎉 read the full 893-word article here

Article published: December 18, 2024

The new year is off to a dazzling start for the generative AI world! In CFO Dive’s article, “Stripe CFO Joins Board of $3B AI Start-up Vercel,” Grace Noto unveils a headline-making move: Stripe CFO Steffan Tomlinson is now a board member of Vercel, a cutting-edge generative AI startup valued at $3.25 billion.

With $250 million in fresh funding, Vercel is charging into 2025 to expand its AI-powered tools like “v0,” which helps developers code faster and smarter. Tomlinson, who brings heavyweight experience from Google and Palo Alto Networks, joins just in time to guide Vercel through a new year of massive potential in the booming AI market.

As funding for AI startups skyrockets—$14 billion in November alone—this appointment signals Vercel’s ambitions to lead in 2025. Will this be the year generative AI becomes unstoppable? With moves like this, the odds are looking good.

Key Takeaways:

• 🎆 2025 kicks off with AI momentum: Generative AI funding hit $14 billion in November, setting the stage for explosive innovation in the new year.

• 💼 Stripe CFO steps into AI leadership: Steffan Tomlinson brings experience from tech giants to help Vercel grow its enterprise footprint.

• 🤖 Vercel’s AI tools are game-changers: The “v0” tool uses AI prompts to make coding faster and easier, transforming the developer experience.

• 🥂 Generative AI is 2025’s big story: Mega-funding rounds from startups like Databricks and OpenAI show this market is just getting started.

Why It Matters

As the new year unfolds, the world of finance is entering uncharted territory. Radical transparency, fueled by AI, isn’t just a challenge—it’s an opportunity for CFOs to lead with clarity, strategy, and impact.

With talent wars heating up and innovation moving at lightning speed, 2025 will belong to those who can harness these shifts and turn them into growth. This year is your chance to set the tone, embrace the future, and redefine success in the age of transparency.

Cheers to a year of transformation!

Vanessa Carter
Editor-in-Chief
CFO Executive Insights