Smells Like CFO Spirit at GENCFO Meet
At November's edition of GENCFO Meet, we called out an increasingly glaring problem early: finance really wants to be a strategic partner. We want to automate the grind, move up the value chain, and sit at the heart of business decisions.
But does the business actually want us there?
To explore that question, we brought together three finance leaders juggling strategy, stewardship, and serious change:
- May XU, Deputy CFO, Alltech
- Andrew McCabe, Project Director, Albida
- Vinay Handa FCCA, Projects & Automation, LV Insurance
All of this unfolded at GENCFO Meet – our Exec members' quarterly in-person third space where CFOs, FDs and future finance leaders swap insights, share what’s really happening in their teams.
The CFO seat at the strategy table is real…but it’s not guaranteed
Across both global corporates and founder-led scale-ups, finance is getting pulled into strategy.
May, who works in a large, founder-led global group, described a generational shift:
“These new CEOs, the second generation, they need more advice from finance before they make any big decision.”
Andrew, a co-founder and CFO/COO in a growing business, sees the same dynamic in a more hands-on way – he’s finance, operations, HR and delivery rolled into one. His warning is simple: if finance sticks to just reporting the past, we’ll get left behind:
“Transactional roles, if not completely replaced, will be replaced to some degree. So finance has to change to become value add rather than simply looking at the numbers.”
The seat is there today. Keeping it depends on what we actually do with it.
You don’t get to be strategic if your numbers are a mess
Ambition is great. But the panel were brutally honest: you can’t skip the basics.
May put it in classic finance terms:
“I still believe numbers need to be solid… finance functions need to be solid before you jump off anything else.”
If you can’t trust reconciliations, ledgers or close timelines, no amount of business partnering slides will land. The path forward is:
- Fix and standardise core processes
- Use tech to automate the repetitive work
- Free up time and credibility for proper partnering
Tech and AI are enablers – people are the real transformation
Yes, Workday, automation and AI were front and centre. But the loudest message wasn’t about tools, but about people.
Vinay, leading automation in a regulated corporate, framed AI as the next everyday tool, not a monster:
“AI is a change enabler… don’t be threatened by it – think about the value you can add.”
The blockers they see aren’t just legacy systems, but data fears, cyber risk, and change fatigue. The fix isn’t “buy another app”; it’s:
- Involving the people who actually do the work
- Giving them a real say in process redesign
- Upskilling them so they feel confident using new tools
In other words: technology doesn’t transform finance. Finance transforms finance, using technology.
Even if you're not a member, we'd love to give you a taste of GENCFO! Want to be part of our next in-person discussion in February?
Author
“Chris Argent isn’t here to play by finance’s old rulebook - he’s here to rewrite it.” From challenging outdated corporate thinking to rallying finance leaders around a more connected, adaptable future, the founder of GENCFO is leading a quiet revolution in how CFOs and finance leadership work, think, and influence. Chris Argent, founder of GENCFO, is a finance leader redefining the role beyond business partnering. A self-described “reluctant accountant,” he’s built a global community for progressive accounting and finance leaders who value connection over competition and action over tradition. Chris believes the greatest risk to the profession is clinging to outdated norms, and that mindset and adaptability outpace any technological change. His work champions leaders who turn new ideas into real-world change, blending people-centred strategies with new ways of working and technology. In conversations, he challenges, provokes, and inspires - proving that the future of finance belongs to those ready to lead it together.