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

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. While there is pressure to adopt AI, the focus should be on using it in a way that improves decisions without compromising accuracy..

Follow Josh:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-schauer-51b18b115/

Website: https://insightsoftware.com/

Follow Glenn:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiii

Follow Paul:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguy

Follow QFlow.AI:

Website - https://bit.ly/4i1Ekjg

Future Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai.

Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.

In Today’s Episode:

[00:27] – Josh Schauer Background

[01:33] – AI in Finance & Accounting for Dummies

[04:13] – AI as a Teammate, Not a Threat

[05:40] – AI as a Thought Partner

[08:06] – Why Finance Teams Struggle with AI

[09:46] – Evolution of FP&A

[10:53] – RevOps & Finance Alignment

[12:32] – Practical AI Use Cases

[15:03] – Closing