New CFO Alliance Guide Turns Risk Into Action 📊

Project Greenlight Helps CFOs Quantify Gray Areas

Author

Vanessa Carter
November 20, 2025

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Hey there,

How do you actually get big 2026 plans moving when risk and AI noise keep piling up?

Project Greenlight lays out peer-tested ways for CFOs to spot stall points early and turn plans into action with clear trigger scorecards. This edition digs into people-first AI pacing and why Coursera’s interim CFO move shows how tightly finance and AI strategy are now connected.

Stick around to see how these shifts can help you execute with more confidence and a lot less chaos.

📰 Upcoming in this issue

  • 🚦 CFO Alliance’s ‘Project Greenlight’ Turns Risk Into Action

  • 🤖 How CFOs Integrate AI Without Overloading Teams

  • 📊 Coursera Picks Interim CFO Amid AI Growth Push

🚦 CFO Alliance’s ‘Project Greenlight’ Turns Risk Into Action

Project Greenlight 2026 is the CFO Alliance’s new peer-built guide that helps finance leaders move stalled plans from the planning stage to execution in 2026.

Key Takeaways:

  • 📘 Peer-Built Blueprint: More than two dozen CFOs co-create Project Greenlight, turning shared worries about stalled plans into practical, reusable playbooks.

  • ⚠️ Targets Top Execution Risks: The guide centers on four stall points, from geopolitical and regulatory shocks to AI adoption, talent gaps, and stakeholder alignment.

  • 📊 Trigger and Threshold Scorecards: Simple scorecards quantify qualitative signals, showing when metrics flip from green to red so CFOs know exactly when to act.

  • 🤖 Finance-Led AI Plan: A 90-day AI and automation roadmap focuses on controls, acceptable use policies, and segregation-of-duty checks to keep experiments safe and auditable.

🤖 How CFOs Integrate AI Without Overloading Teams

CFOs face mounting pressure to deliver AI-driven productivity, yet nonstop rollouts quietly burn out teams. The PAUSE framework shows how to pace automation so that impact compounds without exhausting people.

Key Takeaways:

  • 👥 People-First Planning: CFOs start AI initiatives with frontline input so automation relieves friction instead of adding hidden work.

  • ⚙️ Augment, Not Replace: Leaders frame AI as a helper on routine tasks so teams keep creativity, judgment, and client relationships central.

  • 📚 Upskill Before Scaling: Finance sponsors training, coaching, and AI champions so employees gain confidence and psychological safety before big rollouts.

  • 📉 Pace and Well-Being Metrics: CFOs sequence projects, track burnout, and pause or recalibrate when stress indicators rise during transformation.

📊 Coursera Picks Interim CFO Amid AI Growth Push

Coursera has tapped Alphabet alum Michael Foley as interim CFO and treasurer amid a major AI expansion and solid third-quarter results. A rich pay package, including a potential $200,000 bonus, signals how tightly the finance role is linked to Coursera’s AI growth bets.

Key Takeaways:

  • 👤 Outsider Interim CFO: Coursera appoints Alphabet alum Michael Foley as interim CFO and treasurer while the search for Ken Hahn’s permanent successor continues.

  • 💰 High-Stakes Compensation: Foley earns a $166,667 monthly salary and may receive up to $200,000 in bonus tied to key responsibilities.

  • 🤖 AI-Led Growth Focus: He steps in as Coursera doubles down on AI courses and partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic to build AI-native learning experiences.

  • 📈 Strengthening Financial Trajectory: Coursera reports 10% year-over-year revenue and gross profit growth in Q3, while narrowing its net loss to $8.6 million.

📊 Take This Edition’s Poll:

Where do you start AI without overloading teams?

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Why It Matters

Execution breaks down when leaders cannot see turning points in time, and Project Greenlight gives CFOs simple tools to catch those signals before plans slip. Pair that with people-first AI pacing and the right leadership moves, and teams get change that feels manageable instead of overwhelming.

These approaches help finance steer transformation with clarity and confidence, even when uncertainty spikes.

Wishing you continued success,

Vanessa Carter
Editor-in-Chief
CFO Executive Insights

P.S. Interested in sponsoring a future issue? Just reply to this email and I’ll send packages!

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