Shannon Power started in a bunny suit doing semiconductor manufacturing at Motorola and Intel. An industrial engineer turned finance executive, today she's a fractional CFO and COO who gets called in at inflection points — when companies are changing business models, scaling after a big raise, or preparing for an exit.

In this fireside chat with Mala Ramakrishnan, Shannon breaks down why CFO turnover has doubled in the last year, why finance and operations roles are merging at companies like Salesforce, and how she actually evaluates AI tools — including her honest take on why most companies are getting AI investment wrong.

Spoiler: cutting headcount to fund AI infrastructure isn't growth. It's something else entirely.

If you're a founder selling into finance teams, an operator thinking about how AI is reshaping the C-suite, or anyone curious about what real business turnarounds look like, this one's worth your time.

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Timestamps

00:00 Meet Shannon — from semiconductor engineer to fractional CFO

01:07 Getting tapped for strategy and finance projects at Intel

02:08 The MBA pivot and finding her niche in operational finance

03:11 Why finance is the story of the business, not just the books

04:56 Why the engineer-to-CFO jump isn't as drastic as it sounds

06:29 What it takes to be a CFO today

07:32 Why CFO turnover has doubled in the past year

09:24 Measuring CFO performance beyond the numbers

10:48 The CFO as risk owner in the age of AI

12:27 How AI is reshaping the CFO role globally

14:09 Balancing guardrails without killing innovation

15:24 The AI tools Shannon is actually using

17:05 Advice for founders pitching enterprise CFOs

18:48 The real reason companies are cutting headcount for AI

20:42 Is the CFO role industry-specific?

23:28 Why CFO and COO roles are merging

25:38 Where governance, data, and AI fit in the org chart

27:31 When a company actually needs a CFO — full-time vs fractional

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🔗 Connect with Shannon Power → https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonlynnpower/

🔗 Connect with Mala Ramakrishnan → https://www.linkedin.com/in/malaramakrishnan

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Apple Podcast: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/talking-to-the-leaders-of-ai-the-ceo-series-with-mala/22ad2bae-502b-4eb1-aa74-53bc79754db7

Visit our Website: https://malaramakrishnan.com | https://founderscreative.org

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