AI has moved from hype to practical reality. For finance leaders, the promise is clear: faster closes, sharper forecasts, stronger compliance, and more time for strategic partnership. Yet adoption in finance remains slower than expected. Most CFOs believe in AI’s potential, but many teams haven’t embedded it into their workflows.

In this session, Pauline Babel, CFO at Spendesk, shares a practical CFO-to-CFO perspective on AI adoption. She explores why progress has been cautious, where AI is already transforming finance functions, which tools and use cases are delivering results, and the five-step roadmap to build an AI-ready team. Drawing on insights from the CFO Connect community and Spendesk’s own experience, Pauline lays out how finance leaders can turn optimism into measurable impact.