Broadcasting from Planful’s Perform 25 conference in Miami, CFO Thought Leader presents frontline finance insights in an on‑location special. CEO Grant Halloran rejects the narrative that generative AI replaces people; instead he calls it the only viable antidote to a looming three‑million‑professional accounting shortage and collapsing CPA pipeline. Halloran outlines a 30‑second, company‑wide forecasting experience that lifts productivity without swelling headcount. CFO Dan Fletcher echoes the team‑sport mantra, explaining how daily pipeline feeds, product‑usage telemetry, and strict ROI tests now steer capital allocation, meetings, and R&D growth. Attendee “on the spot” clips reinforce priorities: scaling FP&A influence, embedding AI securely, and freeing analysts from manual work so they can drive high‑cognition strategy at greater speed through data democratization, faster decision cycles, and collaborative technology roadmaps for modern finance.

In this episode, CFO Thought Leader is On Location in Miami, where host Jack Sweeney gathers candid insights from Planful’s leadership and FP&A practitioners. CEO Grant Halloran outlines why AI must boost productivity—not cut jobs—amid a historic finance talent crunch. CFO Dan Fletcher shares how product‑usage data and daily reforecasting sharpen capital decisions. Attendees add rapid‑fire priorities, from scaling forecasts to embedding secure AI.