Why GENCFO Talks Aren’t Normal Webinars...They’re Answer Sessions

You know the type. Bloated buzzwords, vague promises, endless slides. You leave wondering what just happened or why you showed up.

That’s exactly what we wanted to change when we launched GENCFO Talks.

We didn’t just want to fill time on a calendar. We wanted to cut through the noise, cancel the hype and create a space where real finance leaders could talk about what’s actually happening on the ground.

And that’s what GENCFO Talks have become. Not a stage for selling, but a space for sharing answers.

So when we opened our latest session with “This is not another boring webinar,” we meant it.

Because this wasn’t theory. It wasn’t future-gazing. It was real finance leaders, sharing real results, and giving real answers to the AI questions everyone’s asking right now.

No hype. No maybe. Just what’s actually working in the world of finance and automation today.

The Topic: Busting the AI Hype

We set a clear intention from the start: let’s move past the hype and talk about what AI is really doing for finance teams.

AI headlines are everywhere. But 61% of finance teams haven’t implemented it into their workflows at all. And 36% of CFOs say they’re not seeing any ROI.

So what’s real? What’s noise? What’s worth doing?

That’s what this Talk tackled — with a panel of experts who aren’t speculating. They’re doing.

The Panel: Real Leaders. Real Results.

We brought together a group of experienced CFOs and transformation leaders who’ve rolled up their sleeves and delivered change. No future visioning. Just clear, narrow use cases.

Pauline Babel, CFO at Spendesk, shared how her team used AI to reduce invoice processing time and boost accuracy.

“The big win? My team stopped seeing AI as a threat. It became a tangible enabler.”

That’s what we’re here for — mindset shifts and measurable results.

Ngozi Ann Obi, Global Reporting Transformation Lead at Mars, reminded us AI isn’t new. It’s been part of real-world processes for over a decade.

“Ten years ago we were doing bank reconciliations with 90% accuracy using machine learning. It wasn’t called AI then, but it was.”

If you think you’re still just exploring AI, you might already be further along than you realise.

Marco Torrente, Group CFO at Bakuun Holdings, made the scaling argument crystal clear.

“When your company grows 20%, you can’t grow your team 20% with it. AI helps you absorb that growth without burning out.”

These aren’t baseless recommendations. These are working solutions.

The Format: Built for Answers

GENCFO Talks are deliberately designed for real-time insight and honest exchange — not passive listening.

This session featured live polls, community Q&A and speaker reflections that went far beyond theory.

We asked:

• Where are you on your AI journey? (Half the audience said: “Still exploring.”)
• What’s holding you back? (Top answer: lack of skills and training.)
• What’s the most valuable use case? (Forecasting and reconciliation led the way.)

We didn’t guess where the community was at. We asked. And then we responded live.

The Future: Not Flashy. Just Real.

There was no overpromising in this session. Just a clear picture of the evolving finance function.

GenAI is powerful. Agentic AI is coming.

But success starts with simple wins, in forecasting, reconciliation, commentary and process optimisation.

What stood out was the shared belief that AI isn’t a replacement. It’s an upgrade.

It’s the lever that frees your team to focus on high-value work. It helps you go from finance operator to finance strategist.

GENCFO Talks deliver answers.

Because our community deserves more than marketing.

You deserve real stories, practical strategies and peers who’ve walked the path.

So if you missed this one, catch the replay of every single one of our monthly series on our GENCFO Content Fix.

Become a Subscriber