AI is a Teammate for Finance Leaders to Replace Fear and Drive Strategic Value with Josh Schauer

Episode notes

In this episode of Future Finance, Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper are joined by Josh Schauer to discuss how AI is being adopted in finance and why many teams are still hesitant. They explore the gap between knowing AI is important and actually using it, along with the challenges around data quality, risk, and accuracy expectations. Josh Schauer is the CFO at insightsoftware, where he leads financial strategy and operations. He previously served as SVP of Finance from 2020 to 2024 and led Financial Planning and Consolidation at Longview prior to its acquisition by insightsoftware in 2020. Josh has deep experience in FP&A, consolidation, and finance transformation, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. In this episode, you will discover: Why AI should be treated as a teammate, not a replacement How poor data limits the value of AI Practical ways AI is used in FP&A today How AI improves variance analysis and scenario planning Why finance teams need to become more proactive Josh highlights that AI is not a shortcut. It works best when built on strong data, clear processes, and a thoughtful approach.