FEI Podcast

What happens when a CFO realizes AI could replace her job, and decides to master it instead? In this episode, host Heather Cole sits down with Kevina Purmanund, CFO of the 1826 Group, live from the FEI Financial Leaders Forum in San Antonio. Purmanund shares how a single conversation with an investor sparked her AI journey, how she now runs ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot side by side to compare resu...

What if the biggest AI challenge for CFOs is not the technology itself, but the culture and processes required to use it well? In this episode, host Heather Cole sits down with Jennifer Witts (Partner) and Kyle Vroegh (Director) of CohnReznick's Client Advisory Services Practice to unpack what separates financial leaders seeing real AI results from those spinning their wheels. They cover where CFO...

In this episode of the FEI Podcast, Tom Alexander and Scott Peck of CrossCountry Consulting discuss findings from the Evolution of the Finance Function Report by Financial Education & Research Foundation (FERF). The conversation explores how the role of finance is expanding beyond reporting to include strategy, transformation, and enterprise leadership. It also highlights key challenges, inclu...

In this special Icons edition of the FEI Podcast, Brenda Zamzow, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles , discusses how financial leaders can stay relevant in a rapidly changing world. Drawing on decades of experience across public accounting, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit leadership, Zamzow shares how to transform finance from a gatekeeping function int...

In this FEI Podcast Icons episode, Dana Bober, retired EY partner and C-suite advisor , discusses how financial leaders can bridge the gap between strategy and execution, lead through influence, and adapt to the rapid rise of AI. Drawing on decades of global experience, she explores the importance of listening, stakeholder alignment, and building future-ready finance teams. This episode is part of...

In this special Icons edition of the FEI Podcast, Teri Reinseth, Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller, and Chief Accounting Officer at 3M discusses how financial leaders can keep pace with rapid change by simplifying processes, strengthening cross-functional alignment, and enabling finance teams to move faster without sacrificing accuracy or compliance. She also shares insights on preparing...

In this special edition of the FEI Podcast leading up to Financial Executives International’s ICONS: Leaders in Finance event, Heather Cole interviews Alice Jolla, Chief Accounting Officer at Microsoft and Board Director at Rockwell Automation . Jolla reflects on her journey from counting cash for her father’s businesses as a child to leading finance at one of the world’s largest technology compan...

In this special Icons edition of the FEI Podcast, Heather Cole interviews Catherine Hoovel, former SVP, Chief Accounting Officer, and Controller of McDonald’s Corporation . Hoovel shares insights from her nearly 30-year career, including how articulating long-term aspirations reshaped her leadership trajectory, why AI is redefining entry-level finance roles, and how financial leaders must rethink...

In this special edition of the FEI Podcast, Heather Cole interviews Muneera Carr , Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer, and Controller of Wells Fargo & Co. Carr shares her journey from minimum wage jobs to senior-level financial leadership, emphasizing performance, advocacy, and building career “range.” She also offers insights into the future of finance, the integration of acco...

What does it take to become an Icon in finance? In this compelling episode, Heather Cole, Executive Coach and Business Analytics Advisor at Lodestar Solutions, interviews Judy Wright, CFO of BTM Global Consulting, LLC, FEI Board Member, and incoming 2026 President of FEI Twin Cities. Judy’s journey is anything but conventional. Early in her career, she quit her job to test her resilience—borrowing...

This episode is the second in a special FEI Podcast series spotlighting past speakers from Financial Executives International’s ICONS: Leaders in Finance event – designed to build momentum toward ICONS 2026. Heather Cole, Executive Coach and Business Analytics Advisor at Lodestar Solutions, Inc., interviews Patti Humble, former Chief Accounting Officer at UPS, Institute of Management Accounta...

Nobody becomes an icon by staying comfortable. In this special ICONS: Leaders in Finance edition of the FEI Podcast, Heather Cole – Executive Coach and Business Analytics Advisor at Lodestar Solutions – interviews Amber Kinney, Chief Financial Officer of the American College of Emergency Physicians . Amber’s career path is anything but traditional. From a background in the performing arts to execu...

Nearly half of all companies say their B2B payment processes need major improvement. Over 70% still rely on manual AP workflows, and nearly 60% of suppliers cite high acceptance costs as a top concern. In this episode, based on a recent webinar hosted by Boost Payment Solutions and Financial Executives International (FEI), we explore the current state of B2B payments and the strategic shift toward...

In this episode of the FEI Podcast, we explore key insights from a recent webinar hosted by the Financial Education & Research Foundation (FERF) and CohnReznick, focused on Financial and Accounting Outsourcing in the Age of AI. Based on new research, this conversation highlights how finance leaders are using outsourcing to overcome resource constraints, drive strategic priorities, and adapt to...

In this episode of the FEI Podcast, Sam Peterson, EY’s Global Innovation Leader for Financial Accounting Advisory Services, explores the transformative impact of generative AI on the finance function. From the evolution of AI since its breakout moment to real-world use cases in FP&A, treasury, and financial reporting, Sam shares insights on how finance leaders can harness AI to drive efficienc...

In this deep-dive conversation, Isaac Heller (CEO, Trullion) and Shlomo Agishtein (Director of AI, Trullion) share how AI is reshaping the future of finance and accounting. From their origin stories to the development of Trulli, Trullion’s domain-specific AI, they break down what AI agents can really do, and what’s just hype. You’ll learn : How Trullion evolved AI specifically for accounting workf...

Matt Waters unpacks the key insights from the 2025 Lease Accounting Outlook report, offering expert predictions on the future of compliance, technology, and regulatory change. Listen to Matt's podcast The Lease Report . Special Guest: Matt Waters.

In this episode, we’re diving into the fast-changing world of global ESG reporting and regulation. FERF’s Managing Director of research, Dillon Papenfuss, sits down with Kevin O’Connell, PwC Sustainability Assurance Services Leader, to break down the latest EU sustainability proposals—including the two-year delay to CSRD reporting—and what it all means for U.S. companies with overseas operations....

This episode explores key considerations for AI-related SEC disclosures, including how companies can avoid regulatory pitfalls, tailor risk disclosures to their specific AI applications, and enhance board oversight of AI adoption. Special Guests: Ryan Adams and Scott Lesmes.

Discover why finance professionals have been disappointed by generative AI in the past, how they are leveraging unstructured data today, why this landscape is shifting, and how to capitalize on a new paradigm. Special Guest: Kris Bennatti.

Over the past several years, the debate around the 150-hour requirement for CPA licensure has centered on the need to streamline the accounting talent pipeline. But behind that discussion lies a broader, more ideological narrative—one that has been building over the past two decades—about the role of occupational licensing in general, and the CPA license in particular. In this episode of the FEI W...

With trade and tariffs top of mind for many corporations, we thought it was the perfect time to get insight from a professional who’s spent more than two decades in the field. In this episode of the FEI Weekly Podcast, we speak with James Daly, the outgoing CEO of Allianz Trade Americas, a leader in trade credit insurance. Daly, who is retiring after a 22-year tenure with the company, shares the k...

Ayan Adam. We talk about Microsoft's role in integrating AI into finance and supply chain management, particularly through its Copilot tool. To learn more about impact of AI on financial and accounting governance and on workforce dynamics, register for FEI’s virtual conference AI in Finance and Accounting 2025: Managing Governance, Adapting the Workforce . Special Guest: Ayan Adam.

In part one of our conversation with Dr. Suzanne Morsfield, we explored the fast-changing crypto regulatory landscape. Now, in part two of this FEI Weekly Podcast series, we turn to crypto payments—a growing focus for businesses as customers demand alternatives to cash and ACH. With stablecoins, CBDCs, and blockchain-based payments gaining traction, what should CFOs and finance teams consider? Dr....

Despite their volatility and recent price decline, it’s hard to ignore the role of cryptocurrencies in today’s financial landscape. More importantly, it’s almost impossible to overlook them given the current administration’s focus on establishing a more favorable regulatory, accounting, and market framework—allowing institutional players to enter the sector with confidence. In this two-part series...