AI is making finance work quicker and easier, says Ian Goodkind, CFO of Portland, Oregon-based Smarsh. But it is also raising important questions about how data is used, where it originates and how it is protected.
In a conversation with CFO Leadership, Goodkind notes that “addressing those governance questions around issues like data lineage or exposure ensures that AI-enabled insights are aligned with compliance expectations. Achieving this standard of data credibility benefits everyone, especially when it’s paired with a CFO’s disciplined evaluation and financial principles.”
Following are Goodkind’s insights into where AI is headed, how it is changing the duties of finance leaders—and how to make sure you keep your organization safe and thriving amid all the change.
AI is rapidly reshaping enterprise decision-making, including the CFO role. Where do you see AI delivering the most immediate and meaningful impact for finance leaders, and how can organizations apply it responsibly to drive sustainable growth and innovation?
AI’s influence in finance is already well and truly here—particularly in data access, analytics and risk oversight. The area in which I have seen the greatest impact is visibility and decision-making cycles. The advent, and more recently, widespread adoption of real-time dashboards, predictive models and automated audit capabilities have been a game changer.
The increasing role many finance teams, including ours here at Smarsh, play in AI product discussions has also had a positive impact. For leadership, it’s easier than ever to develop understanding of technology requirements, market opportunities, pricing drivers and margin implications to better inform the decisions more closely centered in the financial domain.
On the other hand, the growth of AI has raised important questions about how data is used, where it originates and how it is protected. Addressing those governance questions around issues like data lineage or exposure ensures that AI-enabled insights are aligned with compliance expectations. Achieving this standard of data credibility benefits everyone, especially when it’s paired with a CFO’s disciplined evaluation and financial principles.
Looking ahead two to three years, how do you expect the CFO role to evolve? What new capabilities will finance leaders need to succeed?
In the coming years, the role will continue to be a focal point at the intersection of strategy, technology and governance. AI and automation will expand the volume and complexity of financial and operational data, and CFOs will likely end up under greater scrutiny. As a result, fluency in data systems and analytics will work itself into the standard CFO skillset as organizations will expect their financial leadership to be able to interpret insights with precision and guide investment decisions effectively.
Governance capabilities around data usage, security and regulatory compliance will also remain essential. When finance operates with strong technical understanding and governance discipline, it enhances enterprise resilience, supports scalable decision-making, and drives value across functions.
You’ve led finance organizations in technology-driven, highly regulated environments in your career. How have those experiences shaped your philosophy as a CFO, and how do they inform your priorities at Smarsh today?
From my perspective, the CFO role is an integral piece of enterprise performance and resilience, especially in highly regulated environments where every decision carries more weight and scrutiny. The whole of an organization can often be split into its historical performance, current level of execution and long-term ambitions.
Financial leadership serves as a bridge between those factions, providing clarity around how past decisions influenced financial outcomes to result in the business’ current activity, and subsequently, how those activities are contributing to future goals and growth.
For this to work, the CFO must have a hand in not only reports and financial controls, but also scalable processes, data visibility and governance principles. At Smarsh, that philosophy of interconnectedness is on full display in the active engagements we see across teams.
Whether it’s understanding operational priorities, evaluating investment trade-offs with product and technology leaders, or ensuring that capital allocation supports the proactive governance playbook laid down by the compliance team, finance is an active participant every step of the way.
My approach to the role of CFO is centered on maintaining rigorous financial discipline while still enabling innovation, and that usually comes down to collaboration.
What advice would you offer to first-time CFOs navigating today’s uncertain economic and regulatory environment?
The fundamentals are everything. When you start with a solid foundation of effective financial leadership, including clear cash flow visibility, strong controls and transparent reporting, it creates an anchor point even as the environment changes.
I’d also recommend spending time understanding the organization’s broader operational priorities. CFOs benefit when they have visibility into what keeps other teams focused each day, or even up at night, because that insight will help align financial planning with the real-world demands of the business. The more closely matched those two perspectives are, the more likely it is that the business will be able to activate on its long-term goals.
The other side of this collaboration-first mindset is the need to maintain a high-level view on external forces. The CFO can’t afford to get too caught up in the minutiae at the expense of macro trends, regulatory evolution and technology shifts, as each of these factors influence risk profiles, customer expectations and strategic opportunities.
Finally, don’t neglect the data governance and analytics basics. Data has long been the lifeblood of business, but as AI continues to play a larger role in financial processes, it’s becoming even more important that CFOs and their teams have clarity into data usage and integrity.
