JMI 2026 CFO Roundtable: Rewriting the Role of the CFO in an AI World
CFOs from across JMI’s portfolio gathered in San Diego last week for our 2026 CFO Roundtable, a day focused on how AI is reshaping operations and the fundamental drivers of enterprise value. The conversation centered on how product, pricing, and capital allocation are converging and how finance leaders are integrated into value creation at both the product and operational level.
Greg Emerson of BCG opened the day by framing AI as a structural reset for software that has widened the band of growth outcomes for software incumbents. Companies can no longer build software to simply optimize existing workflows; they need to remove work and drive outcomes for customers. While core revenues remain durable, the ability to drive compounding growth is under pressure from AI-native challengers. He illustrated how companies that move early to redesign products and operating models around AI will separate quickly from those that do not.
CFOs shared how this shift is playing out in practice. Many have moved beyond experimentation, standing up small cross-functional teams with clear KPI ownership and the operating discipline to hold them accountable. The lesson was consistent: AI productivity is real, but it requires intentional work removal, clear leadership mandates, and a willingness to redesign how work gets done rather than layering tools on top of existing processes.
Sessions reinforced that data and operating discipline are the gating factors for impact. Companies seeing results are prioritizing high-value data, establishing clear ownership, and building repeatable operating models to scale AI initiatives. The gap between companies generating ROI and those stuck in pilot mode is widening fast.
William Blair provided a market perspective on how these shifts are already influencing valuation. Buyers are increasingly focused on durable growth, retention, and evidence of AI monetization. Companies that can demonstrate credible AI-driven revenue and a clear right to win are commanding meaningful premiums.
A recurring theme across every session was the evolving role of the CFO. Product strategy is no longer a separate conversation – it is a capital allocation decision. As software evolves from enabling work to doing the work, value is being created inside the product in ways that directly impact growth, retention, and monetization. CFOs need to be partners in shaping these decisions, not downstream from them.
The companies that win in AI won’t just build better products. They will align product, pricing, and capital allocation as one system, with finance tightly integrated into how value is created and captured.
JMI’s CFO Roundtable is the first of our 2026 series of events that bring together leaders from across our portfolio to share practical approaches to successfully navigate the AI market transformation to drive enterprise value.
This post is for informational purposes only and reflects general observations from JMI Equity’s 2026 CFO Roundtable. References to AI initiatives and third-party presenters are provided for illustrative and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as research, investment advice, or any investment recommendation. AI involves evolving opportunities and risks, including technological change, competitive dynamics, and regulatory developments. Past trends and forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future outcomes.
