Is Your Data Ready for AI? A CFO’s Perspective
On November 13, 2025, CFO Consulting Partners hosted an online seminar focused on data readiness for Artificial Intelligence (AI) implementations. Our panelists provided wide-ranging perspectives on the requirements to ensure data quality and successful AI implementation initiatives. CFOs of community banks and FinTechs will face new challenges as they evaluate AI strategies and investments. While the analytic approaches for reviewing strategic fit and return on investment are familiar processes, the considerations around data quality and AI readiness will be new to many. Several things to consider when evaluating data initiatives are as follows:
- Strategic Prioritization of AI Investments: The pressure to implement AI solutions is acute and increasing, and it’s unlikely that banks and FinTechs will be able to accomplish the entire agenda immediately. Therefore, CFOs must manage a balancing act during the investment optimization and budgeting processes:
- Fund data validation, cleansing, and normalization initiatives in support of AI Use Cases.
- Ensure projects align with strategic goals and deliver measurable value
- Support innovation but also have solid budgets and controls with audit trails and documentation.
- Use Case Development: CFOs should collaborate with project managers to define use cases that leverage the firm’s deep data and facilitate attainment of strategic priorities. Clearly defined use cases lead to project and resource plans that can be budgeted, managed, and tracked. Clear use cases will also identify internal and external data sources required.
- Data Governance: Data quality is critical to the success of an AI initiative. A robust data governance program should have the support of senior management, particularly from the Finance and Operations teams. The Data Governance program should address ownership, privacy, protection, and accuracy. Clear documentation of data flows, audit trails, and data lineage is also vital.
To learn more, watch the full discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1kpNsUROqE&feature=youtu.be
About the Authors
Eric Segal serves as a Managing Director at CFO Consulting Partners, where he leads the Financial Institutions and Insurance practice. With experience as a former CFO, Eric has been advising banks, crypto firms, and fintech companies since 2008, specializing in strategic financial planning and regulatory compliance.
Mark Zindel is a Director at CFO Consulting Partners within the Financial Institutions and Insurance practice With over 25 years of senior financial management experience in the financial and professional services sectors, Mark has been consulting since 2016.