Laid Off to Levelled Up: How One CFO Turned AI Into Her Superpower
I don’t trust AI blindly. I use it for the first 80%, and let my experience finish the rest
When a CFO in Vienna loses her job, she doesn’t panic — she pivots. In this week’s episode, Chris and Mike talk with Anna Tiomina, founder of Blend2Balance, about how getting laid off became the best career break she never planned. From financial modelling to AI training, Anna has transformed her CFO skills into a new mission: helping finance leaders harness AI without losing their balance.
She opens up about the real side of AI in finance — what works, what fails, and why the best tools still need human judgment. The conversation ranges from AI agents and automation ethics to practical examples of using ChatGPT and Claude in CFO work. Expect sharp insights on balancing innovation with caution, why leadership must drive data readiness, and how to stop finance professionals from working through their vacations.
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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 From challenging outdated corporate thinking to rallying finance leaders around a more connected, adaptable future, the founder of GENCFO is leading a quiet revolution in how CFOs and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 Chris believes the greatest risk to the profession is clinging to outdated norms, and that mindset and adaptability outpace any technological change.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.