How Finance Teams Can Succeed with AI.

The article focuses on the leadership challenges finance teams face in successfully adopting artificial intelligence (AI) rather than technological barriers. Drawing on research from the Centre for Financial Leadership and Digital Transformation at Vlerick Business School, it highlights that while AI experimentation and cross-functional collaboration both drive strategic impact, attempting both simultaneously without adequate organizational support creates friction. Key enablers for overcoming this trade-off include high employee retention, which fosters trust and institutional knowledge, and financial slack, which provides the flexibility to experiment without jeopardizing operations. The findings suggest that effective AI integration in finance requires deliberate sequencing of initiatives and strong leadership to build capacity and align resources.