THE FINANCE CHIEF INTERVIEW

Workiva global customers

executive team on where AI can drive the most value, reviewing financial strategy with our head of investor relations, or partnering with our Chief Revenue Officer to keep us on the path to sustainable, durable growth.”

She notes that this year, Workiva has been guided into more than US $ 1bn in revenue. Things are picking up the pace, with AI of course coming in to assist.“ A big part of my role is making sure our data is working for us. If you’ re running AI across fragmented systems or unreliable data, that’ s not a strategy, it’ s a liability.” Barbara explains. Not even 10 years ago, but perhaps five, finance teams were telling a different story.“ The CFO role carries a dual mandate: drive meaningful AI adoption across the company while transforming the finance organisation itself” Barbara continues,“ and those two things are deeply connected. That’ s one of the areas where I’ m focused.”

It’ s safe to say that AI is embedded into workflows and products almost across the corporate board, with CFOs embracing it among successful businesses around the world. Barbara agrees, calling it the“ next revolution.”

“ AI brings a layer of automation and intelligence that has never existed before: better anomaly detection, smarter forecasting, faster close processes.” Earlier in the year, Workiva released

48 October 2026