In this episode, Andrew Grill welcomes back Chris Juneau from SAP Concur to discuss the latest findings from the 2025 CFO Insights report, “Action for Growth.” The conversation explores the evolving role of CFOs, the growing impact of AI and automation in finance, and the introduction of new agentic AI capabilities within SAP Concur’s platform.
Key Topics Covered
Evolution of CFO Mindset:
The shift from “repositioning for growth” to “action for growth” reflects CFOs moving from reactive strategies to actively driving business expansion. 81% of CFOs now see themselves as primary drivers of business growth, though other C-suite leaders view this as a collaborative effort.Expanded Research Scope:
This year’s report surveyed not only 350 CFOs but also 115 HR and 150 IT leaders, providing a more holistic understanding of business pressures and cross-functional collaboration.Top Challenges for CFOs in 2025:
Geopolitical tensions cited as the top external challenge by 37% of CFOs (up from 11% last year)
Concern over worsening economic conditions has declined (from 55% to 41%)
A dramatic rise in manual processes as a pain point (from 1% to 38%), highlighting the urgency for automation
AI’s Transformational Role in Finance:
Adoption of generative AI is now mission-critical for managing data overload and driving efficiency.
AI is being used for forecasting, closing the books, fraud monitoring (28% to 45% increase), and creating new pricing models (5% to 22% increase).
SAP Concur’s “Verify” tool now automatically audits 100% of expense reports, with 97% requiring no human intervention.
Agentic AI & SAP Joule:
Introduction of “Joule,” SAP’s generative AI copilot, embedded across SAP applications.
Joule automates mundane tasks, pre-audits expense reports, and provides real-time policy compliance checks.
Joule acts as an agentic AI, orchestrating decisions and actions across multiple business processes, not just within finance.
Integration and Real-Time Data:
SAP Concur now integrates with payment providers like MasterCard and American Express to capture real-time authorisation data, streamlining expense reporting and improving categorisation.
Data Privacy & Security:
All financial data processed by Joule is contained within the customer’s environment and is not exposed to external AI sources.
Data is anonymised when used for model training, ensuring compliance with strict privacy standards.
Customisation & Future-Proofing:
SAP’s Business Data Cloud enables organisations to unify and govern all SAP and third-party data, supporting custom AI queries across previously siloed data sets.
Advice for Finance Leaders
Embrace Collaboration:
Work closely with other business functions to unlock growth and foster shared ownership of initiatives.Leverage AI for Strategic Advantage:
AI is already improving decision-making (94% of finance leaders agree) and reducing costs and risks (73% report positive impact).Prioritise Transparency & Security:
Always ask vendors about data privacy, security, and when AI is being used in decision-making processes.
Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in Finance
Expect AI to become ubiquitous in all financial processes, moving towards exception-based reporting rather than traditional expense claims.
Continued focus on automating manual processes, breaking down data silos, and enhancing cross-functional collaboration.
CFOs will increasingly lead cross-departmental initiatives, leveraging data and AI to navigate geopolitical and economic uncertainties.
Resources & Further Reading
Upcoming Events
Catch Andrew Grill and Chris Juneau on stage at Fusion Exchange in London on June 12.
