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June/July 2026
NEWSLETTER
| | FEI St. Louis is where engaged financial leaders thrive | |
Why AI Alone Won’t Fix Your Finance Function’s Biggest Problem
FEI Daily | 07/20/2026 | by FEI Staff
CFOs are under pressure to close faster, prove the value of AI, and help their businesses make sharper decisions in a volatile market. But according to Alex Curran, CEO of Aptitude Software, the technology isn’t the problem. In the latest episode of the FEI Podcast, Curran tells host Heather Cole why layering AI on top of outdated finance architecture doesn’t produce transformation. It produces chaos, faster.
Curran has spent more than two decades working with CFOs across banking, insurance, telecommunications, and technology, helping them solve complex finance and accounting challenges. That vantage point has shown her a consistent pattern: finance teams are being asked to deliver real-time information, prove AI’s return on investment, and manage risk, all while running on architecture built for month-end reporting, manual reconciliations, and batch processing.
“The finance teams are running AI on data that was absolutely never designed to support it,” Curran said. “Batched, aggregated, days old.” She pointed to survey data showing 87% of CFOs consider AI critical to their finance operations, yet only 14% can point to measurable returns. The gap, she said, is not accidental. It is a byproduct of asking AI to perform on top of infrastructure that was never built for real-time, provable answers.
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St. Louis area controllers, directors, or chief financial officers are eligible to join the select ranks of the area's finest financial leaders, FEI St. Louis.
If you're a member, invite eligible financial leaders to a meeting or a tech series event so they can experience the benefits of connecting and collaborating with their financial peers in St. Louis.
Today is the day to join FEI St. Louis, where engaged financial leaders thrive! Contact George Kobitz, membership chair, at George.Kobitz@roberthalf.com to learn about all the advantages of joining St. Louis' premier group of financial leaders.
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AI Is Already on Your Payroll. Here's How Finance Leaders Are Getting Ahead of It.
The question isn't whether AI will touch your workforce. It already has. The question is who in your organization owns that, and right now, for most mid-market companies, nobody does.
That ambiguity has a cost. When AI agents run payroll previews, flag compliance risks and complete HR transactions without human initiation, the downstream effects land in finance. Accuracy, liability exposure, audit readiness and headcount costs are P&L decisions, whether they're labeled that way or not. The CFO who waits for HR to sort it out is the CFO who explains it to the board later.
isolved recently introduced Workforce Capital Management, a framework built on the premise that human and AI workers need to be governed together, on one system, with the same accountability structure. That means catching payroll errors before a run closes, tracking regulatory change across every state you operate in and knowing when a valued employee is at risk before they resign. Not faster administration. Actual ownership of outcomes.
CFOs who've seen this framing say it changes the internal conversation from "what is IT buying" to "what is finance accountable for."
| | What's Possible with AI for Finance Leaders? | | |
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of the everyday finance function—not as a replacement for finance professionals, but as a tool to help them work more efficiently and strategically. From automating routine tasks to enhancing forecasting and financial analysis, AI is changing how finance and accounting teams operate.
According to Robert Half research, 92% of finance and accounting leaders already use AI capabilities built into their existing systems. The question is no longer whether to adopt AI, but where it can deliver the greatest business value. Finance leaders are exploring applications such as:
- Streamlining month-end close and reconciliations
- Automating accounts payable and receivable workflows
- Improving financial reporting and board presentations
- Enhancing forecasting and scenario planning
- Transforming finance teams into strategic business partners
As highlighted in Robert Half's recent article, Preparing Your Finance Organization for the New Era of AI, organizations are finding the greatest success when they begin with targeted, high-impact workflows and pair technology investments with thoughtful workforce planning and change management.
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To learn how other finance organizations are approaching AI and identifying opportunities within your own finance function, contact George C. Kobitz Jr., Vice President, Client Solutions Director at Robert Half to schedule a conversation. You’ll see how finance organizations are implementing AI and explore potential use cases relevant to your business—whether you're beginning your AI journey or expanding existing initiatives.
| | OBBBA one year later: key updates and planning insights for 2026 and beyond – Webinar recording | | Explore key 2026 OBBBA tax updates and practical planning strategies in this expert-led webinar. Learn how changes to business deductions, QSBS, estate and gift planning, and new individual tax provisions could affect your financial decisions. Watch now to understand the implications for your planning, compliance, and long-term goals | | |
Ingrid Boyd is your Sikich representative. Please contact her at ingrid.boyd@sikich.com or by phone at (314) 648-6567 to learn more about how platinum sponsor Sikich can help your business.
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On-Demand Webinar | The Hidden Limits of QuickBooks: What Growing Companies Need to Know
As your organization grows, the accounting systems that once supported your business can start creating operational challenges. Manual reporting, spreadsheet-heavy workflows, and limited visibility can slow your financial operations and make it harder for your team to access timely, accurate information.
In a recent webinar hosted by Inova Payroll and i-Tech, we discussed common signs that companies may have outgrown QuickBooks or other legacy platforms, including Microsoft Dynamics GP and SL. The session explored how cloud ERP solutions like Acumatica can help you improve reporting visibility, automate workflows, reduce manual processes, and better connect your payroll, HR, and financial data.
Key topics covered include:
• Multi-entity reporting and intercompany accounting
• Workflow automation and approvals
• Financial dashboards and reporting tools
• Fixed asset management and compliance support
• CRM, inventory, and project accounting capabilities
• AI functionality within modern ERP platforms
The webinar also included a live Acumatica demonstration highlighting the platform’s reporting, automation, and operational capabilities.
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AI is reshaping finance, but how can CFOs ensure measurable value from its adoption?
Protiviti’s latest whitepaper, The Road to AI Automation in Finance: Six Actions for the CFO, offers a strategic roadmap for finance leaders navigating the complexities of AI implementation.
With 72% of finance organizations already employing AI, the potential for cost and time savings is immense. Yet, challenges like unclear ROI and slow deployment persist. This whitepaper outlines six critical actions, from aligning AI with business strategy to upskilling talent, that empower CFOs to unlock sustained value and drive innovation.
Discover how embedding AI into workflows, leveraging ecosystem partnerships, and prioritizing resilience over capabilities can transform finance operations. These actionable insights help finance leaders achieve quick wins while laying the foundation for long-term success.
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Mark Boheim is your Protiviti representative.To learn more about how Protiviti can help you get the most from AI, contact Mark Boheim at Mark.Boheim@Protiviti.com.
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July Happy Hour
- High Bar (Rooftop AC Hotel)
- 227 South Central Ave. Clayton, MO
- 5:15 - 8:00 pm
- July 28, 2026
- Register today
FEI Night at the Ball Park
- Cards v. Orioles
- 6:45 Gametime
- August 25, 2026
- Members Only Event
FEI Economic Outlook featuring Charles Gascon from the Federal Reserve
- Le Meridien
- 7730 Bonhomme Ave, St. Louis, MO
- 8:00 am - 10:00 am
- September 22, 2026
- Register today
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Upcoming Tech Sessions
Protivit presents
- AI in Finance
- Protiviti Offices
- 1401 S Brentwood Blvd, Suite 715, St. Louis, MO 63144
- August 11, 2026
- 3:30 - 5:00 PM
- Register today
USI presents
Tech Sessions are presented by our valued FEI sponsors. Each free event is curated to share valuable insights with financial executives. Check the FEI St. Louis website regularly to learn details and register for these upcoming events.
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