GrowCFO Show

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZGZXsiAU9uEVPsIAGbSUj

AI is now embedded in almost every corner of the finance function, powering forecasts, reports, and board-ready insights at unprecedented speed. Yet when powerful systems are plugged into weak data, broken processes, or poor governance, they don’t just make mistakes, they do it with absolute confidence and immense credibility. For CFOs, the real risk isn’t that AI is wrong; it’s that it looks so right no one stops to question it.

In this GrowCFO Show episode, Kevin Appleby speaks with Don Rogers, Managing Partner & Founder of Invictus Global Advisors, LLC, to explore how AI can mislead finance teams with highly convincing but incorrect outputs, and what CFOs must do to protect decision-making. Rogers explains that while AI has reignited interest in finance transformation, many CFOs are layering powerful AI tools onto broken operating models and poor-quality data. The result is not better insight, but faster, more polished versions of the same flawed information, sometimes delivered with total confidence, yet fundamentally wrong. He stresses that without strong governance, data enablement, and process discipline, AI will amplify dysfunction rather than cure it.

Rogers positions AI as a catalyst that forces CFOs to rethink the strategic finance operating model, not a magic fix. He introduces a 10-component model spanning strategy, talent activation, service delivery, process optimization, governance, data, digital and AI, insights and analytics, constituent experience, and benefits realization. Throughout the conversation, he illustrates how weak change management, undocumented processes, and poor culture (e.g., fear of “red” status) cause transformations to miss their promised benefits, even when the technology works. His message is clear: AI can unlock the long-promised vision of finance as a true strategic advisor, but only if CFOs fix their operating model, embed strong governance, and keep “humans in the loop” to challenge and validate AI outputs.

Key topics covered:

Don explains how AI, when layered on top of a broken finance operating model and poor data governance, will “amplify the dysfunction” and produce confidently wrong answers instead of better insight.

He shares a real client example where the same AI prompts produced two completely different board reports, underscoring the risks of hallucinations, model drift, and weak governance in AI-led reporting.

Rogers introduces his Strategic Finance Operating Model with 10 components, showing CFOs how to connect corporate strategy, talent, processes, data, AI, and benefits realization into one coherent blueprint.

The discussion highlights sobering transformation statistics (e.g., high failure and dissatisfaction rates) and links them directly to poor change management, cultural resistance, and cutting “change” from budgets first.

Don stresses the need for a new apprenticeship model in finance: young professionals must learn AI, data, and tools, while experienced leaders focus on change enablement, strategic storytelling, and constituent experience.

The conversation explores the evolution from bespoke AI to generative and agentic AI, and why CFOs must demand strong guardrails, governance, and documented processes before trusting AI in core finance tasks like journal entries.

Links

Don Rogers on LinkedIn

Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn

GrowCFO Mentoring

Timestamps: 

0:02:21 – AI, changing expectations of CFOs, and why layering AI on a broken model only “amplifies the dysfunction.”

0:04:46 – Don’s story of a CFO getting two different AI-generated board reports from the same prompts, and the risks of hallucination, drift, and bad data. 

0:06:13 – How young professionals must learn AI, data, and tools, while senior leaders become change catalysts and keep “humans in the loop.” [episode296]

0:11:39 – Why 50% of transformations never get off the ground and ~70–80% fail to deliver expected benefits; Don links this directly to change management and human behavior, not technology.

0:17:32 – The importance of tracking outcomes and benefits: business cases are created, funded, then forgotten, driving the gap between promised and realized value.

0:20:23 – Culture, governance, and the “green-to-red” effect: why everything looks green until a project suddenly turns red, and how fear and blame stop early escalation.

0:22:41 – Don outlines the Strategic Finance Operating Model components (strategy, talent activation, service delivery, process optimization, governance, data enablement, digital & AI, insights & analytics, constituent experience, outcomes & benefits).

0:23:39 – Evolution of AI in finance: from bespoke models to embedded generative AI in ERPs and point solutions, and now to agentic AI acting on goals, not just instructions. 

0:28:27 – Agentic AI and governance: Don’s epilogue on corporate and government responsibility for guardrails, and why AI is still only as good as the instructions and constraints given.

0:32:16 – Journal entry example: a client’s agentic AI project hits a 96% fail rate because underlying code-block rules weren’t built into the model.

0:33:33 – The hidden risk: critical business processes exist only in people’s heads, never documented, leaving AI with no reliable instructions to follow.

0:35:04 – Deeper dive into the 10 components and how to prioritize projects when organizations can only handle 5–7 major initiatives at a time.

0:39:59 – Don’s upcoming book: “Building the Strategic Finance Operating Model: The CFO’s Blueprint for Value Creation in the Age of AI” and its practical, conversational style.

Find out more about GrowCFO

If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.

GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here.

You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/6BAhYyRQAlmf5YteAOrCI0

As automation and algorithms take on more financial analysis, the role of the finance leader is under increasing scrutiny. Boards and founders are asking what truly requires human judgment at the top of the finance function, and what can be handed over to machines.

In this episode, Kevin Appleby talks with Rick Sanchez, Managing Principal and CEO of Robyn Consulting Group, about whether AI can replace the CFO. They explore how AI can accelerate decision-making, supercharge FP&A, streamline routine workflows, and deepen insight into unit economics, pricing, and retention, while highlighting why strategy, interpretation, and stakeholder leadership still demand an experienced finance executive.

The discussion turns this vision into practical guidance: building a robust financial operating system, using AI to lower barriers to building and scaling SaaS products, and applying data to pricing and recurring revenue models. Rick also looks ahead to how fractional CFO services will evolve, arguing that those who blend FP&A expertise with AI tools will be best placed to solve complex problems. and that AI is ultimately a force multiplier for CFOs, not a replacement.

Key topics covered:

Rick outlines his transition from corporate revenue management and FP&A into a fractional CFO role, bringing Fortune 500–style tools and frameworks to founder-led and SaaS businesses.

He explains why unit economics (price, quantity, and retention) are central levers for SaaS growth and how exercises like MRR growth ceiling analysis reveal where to focus effort.

The conversation dives into pricing strategy, including starting with lower prices to acquire customers, then using value-based increases and retention to drive long-term profitability.

Rick and Kevin explore how AI will reshape finance, from automating routine tasks to enhancing planning, analytics, and CEO decision-making, while still requiring human oversight and strategic judgment.

They discuss how AI is lowering barriers to entry in SaaS, enabling rapid prototyping and go-to-market, while highlighting that distribution, marketing, and scalable business models still determine success.

Looking ahead, Rick predicts strong growth in fractional CFO services powered by AI and bespoke FP&A tooling, and stresses clear differentiation between bookkeeping, controllership, and high-value CFO advisory work.

Links

Rick Sanchez on LinkedIn

Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn

GrowCFO Mentoring

Timestamps: 

0:00:01 – Rick’s background and journey from corporate CFO roles to founding his own fractional CFO firm, working with startups and founder-led businesses.

0:01:39 – Deep dive into his corporate career in technology, revenue management, and FP&A, and how those disciplines shape his current advisory approach.

0:04:31 – Discussion of specialization in SaaS and tech companies, including unit economics, recurring revenue, and the critical importance of retention.

0:07:52 – Practical pricing strategies for startups and established firms, covering low-entry pricing, retention dynamics, and managing paid-in-full and deferred revenue.

0:21:39 – Core segment on AI in finance and fractional CFO work, how AI can automate tasks, elevate decision quality, and fit into a layered financial operating system.

0:28:17 – How AI reduces product development friction in SaaS, plus the remaining challenges around scaling, marketing, and infrastructure for young tech CEOs.

0:36:22 – Future trends: growth in fractional CFO demand, the role of creativity plus AI in solving complex problems, and the rise of in-house FP&A tools tailored to niche markets.

0:39:52 – Closing reflections on AI’s long-term impact on finance, the necessity of clean and accurate data, and the upskilling imperative for finance professionals.

Find out more about GrowCFO

If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.

GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here.

You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Wf1pMCeUmlEym9EYVRF37

In the coming years, finance leaders will operate in an environment shaped by rapid technological disruption, new business models, and rising stakeholder expectations, where a role once focused on reporting and cost control now sits at the center of strategy, value creation, and transformation. In this context, traditional accounting and compliance expertise must be complemented by fluency in data, technology, and AI, as well as much stronger leadership, communication, and collaboration skills; capabilities that will define the next generation of high-performing, future-ready finance functions.

In this GrowCFO Show episode, host Kevin Appleby welcomes Myles Corson, EY Global Financial Accounting Advisory Services, Strategy and Markets Leader, to explore what skills will define successful CFOs by 2030. Against a backdrop of rapid technological disruption and shifting business models, the conversation anchors on EY’s long-running “DNA of the CFO” research, based on over 1,500 global CFO and senior finance leader responses. The episode underscores why today’s CFOs must move beyond traditional stewardship and reporting roles to become true enterprise value creators, strategic partners, and transformation leaders.

The discussion examines the widening gap between CFOs’ ambition to lead value creation and the current reality that only about one in four are truly doing so in practice. Corson highlights that by 2030, the most effective CFOs will blend technical excellence, strategic acumen, AI fluency, and human-centered leadership, especially communication, collaboration, and change management. The conversation emphasizes that technology, including AI, is only a catalyst; sustainable success will depend on how CFOs develop their teams, reshape enterprise value metrics, and navigate uncertainty with adaptability and curiosity.

Key topics covered:

EY’s multi‑year “DNA of the CFO” research shows a persistent gap between CFOs’ desire to lead value creation and the small minority actually doing so day-to-day.

Future-ready CFOs will be distinguished less by technical credentials and more by strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and human-centered leadership.

AI adoption in finance remains early: only around 20% of organizations consider themselves advanced, with most struggling on data, culture, skills, and scaling beyond “science experiments.”

Successful finance transformations correlate strongly with team adaptability and clear articulation of the “why” behind change, not just the technology or cost targets.

The most impactful CFOs intentionally build varied career experience (operations, strategy, international roles) and focus on mentoring, networks, and peer benchmarking.

In an AI-driven world, people remain the decisive factor: leadership, communication, and culture ultimately determine whether technology investments deliver value.

Links

Myles Corson on LinkedIn

Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn

GrowCFO Mentoring

Timestamps: 

0:00:02 – Introduction to Miles Corson, EY Global Leadership Team and framing the reality vs. perception of the CFO role.

0:02:07 – Miles’ career journey and how diverse roles across geographies, audit, management accounting, government, and advisory shaped his CFO perspective.

0:08:00 – Discussion on curiosity, varied experience, and mentorship as critical enablers of finance career progression and leadership.

0:10:52 – Key findings from the DNA of the CFO survey: CFOs’ ambition to lead value creation vs. the reality that only ~25% do so in practice; the need to rethink enterprise value metrics.

0:21:12 – Deep dive into AI in finance: low maturity of adoption, challenges with data, culture, and skills, and the importance of focusing on business outcomes rather than technology hype.

0:26:31 – Why most finance transformations underperform; the pivotal role of human factors, communication, and storytelling in driving successful change.

0:38:31 – Long-term trends in the CFO role: evolution rather than revolution, with enduring importance of strategic vision, collaboration, and the human side of leadership.

0:43:32 – Conclusion: in a world of AI and advanced technology, people, culture, and talent still determine whether CFOs and finance functions can truly transform and create value.

Find out more about GrowCFO

If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.

GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here.

You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/1UpfxeVtifPbatGQtj5bFV

Understanding why some companies run short of the one resource they simply cannot operate without, cash in the bank, even when they are hitting revenue and profit targets has become an essential leadership skill. Cash flow problems rarely appear in the headline numbers, yet they can quietly derail growth plans, strain supplier relationships, and, in the worst cases, threaten the survival of an otherwise profitable business. For founders, CEOs, and finance leaders, success depends on looking beyond the profit and loss statement to understand the timing, predictability, and movement of cash. Organisations that master cash flow are better equipped to scale with confidence, navigate uncertainty, and seize opportunities while competitors struggle to meet their obligations.

In this episode of The GrowCFO Show, host Kevin Appleby is joined by Scotty Palmer, Fractional CFO and Founder of Palmer’s Strategic Advisors, to explore one of the most common challenges facing growing businesses: why profitable companies still run out of cash. Scotty explains how tight margins, hidden costs, and rapid growth without effective cash flow planning can quickly create a liquidity crisis, even when the profit and loss statement looks healthy. Drawing on his experience advising small and mid-sized businesses in the food and beverage sector, he shares practical examples of how cash constraints can emerge despite strong financial performance.

The conversation also explores the tools and disciplines that help businesses strengthen cash flow and improve decision-making. Scotty discusses the role of financial modelling, KPI tracking, and AI-powered forecasting in creating greater visibility over future cash needs. He explains how a better understanding of unit economics, more accurate cost allocation, and challenging assumptions about seemingly profitable product lines can uncover hidden value and improve financial resilience. Throughout the discussion, he demonstrates how a fractional CFO can act as a strategic partner, helping founders balance ambitious growth with the financial discipline needed to build a sustainable business.

Key topics covered:

How a fractional CFO helps profitable businesses avoid cash crunches by improving visibility into true costs and cash conversion

Why food and beverage businesses are especially vulnerable to cash-flow problems due to thin margins and complex cost structures

A client case where disciplined financial modeling and KPI tracking helped increase business performance 10x

Practical strategies to balance passion for product with commercial viability, including pricing, cost allocation, and product mix decisions

How Scotty uses AI tools and spreadsheets to build agile financial models and improve decision-making speed for clients

Scotty’s longer-term vision of building a specialist team of food and beverage advisors to support more founders at scale

Links

Scotty Palmer on LinkedIn

Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn

GrowCFO Mentoring

Timestamps: 

0:00:01 – Scotty’s background and journey from corporate accounting at Honey Baked Hams to becoming a fractional CFO for food and beverage businesses

0:02:57 – The personal and financial challenges of leaving a stable corporate role to build a fractional CFO practice, and the central importance of predictable cash flow

0:07:14 – Why the food and beverage sector is high-risk for cash shortages despite apparent profitability, and how thin margins amplify operational missteps

0:08:39 – Case study: managing a large retailer opportunity, understanding true costs, and avoiding overextending cash to chase volume

0:22:37 – Using cost analysis, pricing strategy, and product-level profitability to turn around a struggling taproom restaurant

0:29:21 – Leveraging AI (Claude, Gemini, Google Sheets) to power financial modeling and scenario analysis without heavy financial systems

0:40:05 – Advice for corporate finance professionals considering a move into fractional CFO work, including risk, reward, and impact

Find out more about GrowCFO

If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.

GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here.

You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/38fJP7clsDYlUsNT51JxH5

In today’s finance landscape, corporate reporting is undergoing one of the most profound shifts in decades. Boards, investors, regulators, and lenders are no longer satisfied with backward‑looking financial statements alone; they expect CFOs to explain how evolving risks, regulation, and stakeholder expectations will shape business models, capital allocation, and long-term resilience. For finance leaders, this is no longer a peripheral compliance task but a core strategic responsibility that will increasingly determine market credibility and access to capital.

In this GrowCFO Show episode, host Kevin Appleby speaks with returning guest Paula Kensington, GrowCFO Mentor, about what she describes as a “once in 100‑year change” in corporate reporting and why CFOs must act now rather than treat it as a box‑ticking exercise. The conversation explores the new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) climate and sustainability standards (S1 and S2), their adoption in markets such as Australia and across Asia, and the phased implementation by entity size that is rapidly pulling mid‑market businesses into scope.

The episode reframes so‑called “climate reporting” as a strategic exercise in business resilience, not a peripheral ESG disclosure. Paula explains how climate‑related risks and opportunities will increasingly drive strategy, governance, risk management, and metrics—and why these new disclosures may, over time, become more important to investors than traditional backward‑looking financial statements. She highlights the emerging regulatory expectations, the evolving role of assurance and audit, and the personal liability implications for directors and CFOs who underinvest or delay, emphasizing that the apparent savings from aiming for “minimum compliance” today may be dwarfed by future costs once standards, regulator expectations, and market scrutiny have fully matured.

For further information, visit Authentyx and subscribe to the newsletter to receive practical resources, including downloadable checklists and a 90-day action plan designed to support confident, effective leadership and lasting success.

Key topics covered:

Paula positions the new ISSB climate standards (S1 and S2) as a once-in-a-century shift in corporate reporting that many CFOs are still underestimating.

She explains the phased roll-out by company size, showing how mid‑market organizations (Group 2 and Group 3) are quickly becoming subject to these requirements and cannot rely on being “too small” to be affected.

The discussion reframes climate reporting as forward‑looking resilience analysis, where climate scenarios and risks inform strategy and may ultimately become more critical to stakeholders than traditional P&L and balance sheet statements.

Paula distinguishes between physical risks (e.g., assets and warehouses threatened by climate events) and transition risks (e.g., changing policies, markets, and customer expectations making existing products or models obsolete).

She outlines how governance, risk registers, and board oversight must evolve so climate risks and opportunities actively drive decision‑making rather than sit as a static compliance document.

The episode stresses that aiming for minimum viable compliance is a high‑risk strategy in light of director liability, potential fines, and increasing regulator and investor focus on the quality and consistency of climate disclosures.

Links

Paula Kensington on LinkedIn

Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn

GrowCFO Mentoring

Timestamps: 

00:00–02:30 – Introduction to Paula and framing of the topic as a major, under-appreciated change in corporate reporting.

02:30–04:30 – Explanation of Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 entities and why mid‑market CFOs are now “on the hook.”

04:30–07:30 – Reframing climate reporting as business resilience rather than ESG box‑ticking; climate disclosures as potential primary statements.

09:17–11:19 – Deep dive into physical vs transition risks with practical examples (warehouses, energy, low‑cost apparel).

15:19–18:38 – How assurance and audit standards are evolving, and why investors will focus on climate‑driven risks and opportunities more than last year’s earnings.

19:47–21:25 – The four pillars of ISSB (governance, risks and opportunities, metrics and targets, strategy) and their implications for how strategy is set.

22:11–23:33 – Discussion on the risk register as a living, strategic tool rather than a periodic governance formality.

28:22–31:40 – Why only ~20% of CFOs are taking this seriously; dangers of focusing solely on AI and cyber while underplaying climate risk.

33:28–34:51 – Regulator expectations, linkage between prior risk disclosures and current climate scenarios, and potential fines and director liability.

35:09–36:54 – Global implications, including differences in US regulation and why international supply chains will still force adoption.

Find out more about GrowCFO

If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode.

GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here.

You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net