FINANCIAL STRATEGY
MERGERS
AND ACQUISITIONS come with tedious piles of paperwork. Dealing with fragmented operations systems proves to be a constant headache. In the UK, a striking 79 % of finance respondents report that teams frequently disagree over whose numbers are correct, while 91 % admit to spending significant time translating data between disconnected systems. During high-stakes merger and acquisition( M & A) integrations, these fractured information flows severely hinder agility, forcing finance professionals to act as manual bridges rather than strategic advisors. The question on every professional’ s mind: is AI the answer? Far from replacing human insight, AI serves as an intelligent partner – automating complex reconciliations, highlighting anomalies and surfacing variances in real time. Crucially, algorithms cannot assume accountability or evaluate strategic risk; human gatekeepers remain indispensable for high-stakes decision-making. To truly unlock value and accelerate post-merger integrations, CFOs must prioritise building a secure, connected data foundation first.
NAME: TIM WAKEFORD JOB TITLE: VP OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT COMPANY: WORKDAY INDUSTRY: SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LOCATION: LONDON, UK
Tim Wakeford is VP of Product Management( EMEA & APJ) at Workday. A former UK CFO at Cushman & Wakefield and CIPFA Fellow, he leverages deep executive experience to guide modern finance strategy.
64 September 2026