GrowCFO Show
The GrowCFO Show is the podcast produced for finance leaders by finance leaders
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In episode 279, Kevin Appleby and GrowCFO mentor Susana Serrano‑Davey explore a critical question for modern finance leaders: whether the rapid rise of AI is enhancing or eroding the strategic role of the CFO. They frame AI as both an incredibly powerful assistant and a potential threat to originality, judgment, and confidence if used uncritically. Throughout the conversation, they examine how tools like ChatGPT and other AI solutions are reshaping research, writing, preparation, and decision support for finance leaders, and what this means for the future of strategic finance careers.
The discussion moves from personal use cases, AI as a “personal assistant, sounding board, and translator”—into the realities of implementing AI within finance functions. Susana and Kevin highlight the growing interest in AI among CFOs contrasted with a lack of confidence about how to deploy it in practice. They compare AI adoption to past ERP implementations, emphasizing trial‑and‑error, learning from failure, and maintaining authenticity. The episode ultimately argues that AI should augment, not replace, a CFO’s strategic thinking: the winners will be those who use AI for speed and insight while preserving their own voice, critical judgment, and leadership presence.
Key topics covered:
- AI is becoming a personal assistant and translator for finance leaders, dramatically changing how they research, write, and prepare for meetings and communications.
- Both speakers warn that over‑reliance on AI risks diluting authenticity, with presentations and content sounding generic when leaders delegate too much to AI.
- The episode highlights how AI can undermine critical thinking and self‑confidence if finance professionals treat AI outputs as answers rather than input for their own judgment.
- Implementing AI in finance is compared to complex ERP rollouts—CFOs are interested but cautious, overwhelmed by the volume of tools and uncertainty about where to start.
- Kevin and Susana stress that AI should be used mainly for research, framing, and speed, while the CFO’s strategic value lies in interpretation, narrative, and decision‑making.
- They raise concerns that widespread AI use could homogenize thinking and propagate confident but wrong answers, making human skepticism and validation more important than ever.
Links
Timestamps:
- 0:00:00 – Kevin introduces Susana and they explore how AI is already reshaping day‑to‑day work, especially for finance leaders who use it for research and drafting.
- 0:02:46 – Susana describes AI as her “personal assistant and translator,” while Kevin explains how he uses AI extensively for reports, webinars, and thought leadership content.
- 0:07:13 – A workshop example shows how heavy dependence on ChatGPT produced a less authentic presentation, prompting a deeper discussion on storytelling, personal experience, and confidence.
- 0:12:38 – They compare AI rollouts to ERP implementations: CFOs are intrigued but hesitant, facing tool overload, uncertainty, and the need to accept mistakes and learn quickly.
- 0:25:01 – Kevin questions whether AI is eroding original thinking; Susana argues leaders must protect their own voice and avoid relying solely on AI‑generated content.
- 0:30:47 – The episode closes by examining AI’s tendency to sound certain even when wrong, and the risk of AI‑generated falsehoods becoming accepted truths without human scrutiny.
Find out more about GrowCFO
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The Next 100 Days
The Next 100 Days Podcast is a leading UK business show. Through this podcast, Kevin and Graham reveal strategies you can use to improve your business and take it to the next level. In addition to featuring their own advice, Kevin and Graham host amazing guests from across the business world. Often the guests are successful, but lesser-known business owners and entrepreneurs, enabling the show to bring fresh content and stand out from many of the US based business shows.
Graham and Kevin believe that business change comes about when a business owner focusses on just one thing that will make a real difference to his business. That might be product development, a new product launch or a marketing campaign. Focussing for less than 100 days, or focussing on too many things generally won’t deliver the results you need, Equally, its difficult to maintain effective focus for much longer than 100 days without re-assessing priorities.
The Next 100 Days Podcast is your source to learn how to move your business forward, with practical advice and guidance that you can put into action and make a difference in your own organisation within the next 100 days.
Packaging expert Jason Wong shares his background, starting as a young entrepreneur selling things online and eventually discovering his passion for packaging and manufacturing. He describes how he bought factories in China to produce packaging for various consumer brands, leveraging his marketing expertise to expand the business.
Summary of Podcast
The impact of tariffs on Jason’s business
Jason discusses the challenges his business faced when new tariffs were imposed on Chinese imports, but explains how they adapted and remained competitive by highlighting the cost savings they could still offer clients compared to domestic manufacturing.
Automation and AI in packaging
Jason talks about how his business is leveraging automation and AI technology to improve efficiency and productivity in the packaging process, including using AI agents to handle various administrative and research tasks.
Potential collaboration opportunities
Graham shares ideas for potential collaboration between his marketing services and Jason’s packaging expertise, particularly around creating unique “shock and awe” packaging experiences to promote certain products and reach high-net-worth individuals.
Packaging as a powerful marketing tool
Graham and Jason explore the importance of packaging as a branding and marketing tool, discussing how the packaging can create a perception of quality and value for products. They identify opportunities to use packaging creatively to reach and engage target audiences.
The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-Hosts
Graham Arrowsmith
Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He’s the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.
Kevin Appleby
Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He’s the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com