Finance teams are evolving from mere “cost centers” into key drivers of enterprise value. As highlighted by Emanuel Pleitez of Finix at the PYMNTS B2B Payments 2025 event, the contemporary CFO’s focus is on ROI from daily expenditures and adopting artificial intelligence (AI) as a means for value creation rather than experimentation. Companies are shifting their inquiries from “Should we try this?” to “How will this enhance cash flow and decision-making?”
While AI promises transformation, finance teams must discern effective tools from misleading ones. Strategies like accelerating reconciliation and refining SQL queries yield significant micro wins, improving cash flow visibility. Pleitez emphasizes that data must be well-structured to ensure AI effectiveness, advocating for pragmatic, incremental AI integrations rather than large-scale budgets.
As CFOs balance automation with human oversight, the future could enable near-automated month-end closes, positioning AI as central to strategic financial decisions and ultimately enhancing enterprise value.
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