Your Sponsor Is Telling You to Do AI — But That Message’s Not Landing
The Pressure Is Real
For CFOs in SMBs, the AI conversation is no longer theoretical. According to Accordion’s 2025 survey,
98% of private equity sponsors have told their CFOs to prioritise AI in the finance function.
Yet many CFOs admit they don’t know where to start — and that hesitation is creating a widening trust gap with sponsors.
This isn’t just about “digital transformation.” It’s about whether finance leaders can step up as the guardians of value creation in a volatile market.
Why CFOs Are Hesitating
Despite the urgency, adoption lags for three reasons:
- Unclear use cases: AI often feels like a tech buzzword rather than a finance lever.
- Fear of distraction: CFOs worry AI will consume bandwidth instead of solving real pain points.
- Uncertain ROI: Boards and sponsors demand hard numbers, not hype.
Meanwhile, sponsors see the opportunity cost building up: slower closes, longer DSO, weaker forecasting accuracy — all eating into EBITDA and exit multiples.
The Finance Paradox
Here’s the paradox CFOs face:
- AI alone won’t solve finance challenges — it needs structured prioritisation, governance, and ROI models.
- But without AI, you simply can’t meet sponsor expectations fast enough.
Traditional consultancy-led approaches? They burn time and budget, delivering polished slides while sponsors keep asking:
“Where’s the value?”
Our Solution: From Athena to Bia — With CFOs at the Centre
That’s why we built a faster, CFO-ready path:
- Start with Athena (Prerequisite):
In under 60 minutes, our free Athena Finance Readiness Assessment benchmarks your function’s AI maturity, identifies gaps, and produces a tailored Finance Success Map. It gives you a credible starting point for sponsor conversations. - Advance to Bia (10-Week Cohort Programme):
After Athena, CFOs can join our Bia AI Strategy Programme: a 10-week sprint that blends:- 20% finance team effort (decisions, numbers, validation),
- 20% our expertise (frameworks, risk management, credibility),
- 60% AI acceleration (data crunching, modelling, documentation).
The result is a Finance AI Pack, that could include:
- ROI models for finance use cases (close acceleration, invoice-to-cash, forecasting),
- Risk frameworks sponsors can trust,
- A board-ready strategy that shows finance is leading from the front.
Why Delay Is Riskier Than Action
Sponsors are clear: inaction isn’t conservative, it’s failure. Every quarter of delay means:
- Days lost in close cycles.
- Cash locked up in receivables.
- Forecasting errors that weaken credibility.
Starting small — with practical finance use cases — shows leadership, creates value, and builds momentum for bigger moves.
Take the First Step Today
👉 Begin with the Athena Finance Assessment — the essential first step to turn sponsor pressure into sponsor confidence.
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