# The New CFO: How AI Is Rewriting the Finance Function Figma CFO Praveer Melwani discusses shifting finance from reconciliation to strategic business building. - **Source:** [a16z Podcast](https://a16z.com/podcasts) - **Published:** 2026-11-05 - **Topic:** [Finance](https://brifing.si/c/finance) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/b7f04b55-a03e-471c-b749-0fe52cef1115 ## Finance Beyond Reconciliation Modern finance teams are shifting from historical data reconciliation to forward-looking strategic guidance. Figma CFO Praveer Melwani emphasizes that the finance function must evolve into a builder role. By automating repetitive tasks, finance professionals gain the capacity to analyze customer behavior, conduct business experiments, and actively shape long-term corporate strategy. ## AI in Corporate Development Figma utilizes artificial intelligence to enhance complex processes like mergers and acquisitions diligence. The corporate development team employs AI to prototype potential products and simulate leadership challenges against investment memos. This approach allows the company to stress-test financial assumptions and strategic decisions before committing significant capital or resources to projects. ## Scaling Internal Experiments Successful internal AI experiments require a transition from isolated tools to a centralized systems layer. Melwani warns that relying on one-off agents creates unreliable infrastructure. To ensure long-term stability, companies must integrate these tools into a unified framework that turns individual AI applications into a scalable and dependable corporate financial architecture. ## The Risk of AI Slop A critical challenge in adopting new finance technology is the emergence of AI slop, referring to low-quality or redundant automated outputs. Figma manages this risk by carefully evaluating whether to build internal solutions or purchase existing market tools. This decision-making process ensures that AI integration adds genuine value rather than administrative noise. ## Redefining Financial Leadership The profile of the ideal finance leader is changing rapidly due to automation. Melwani prioritizes candidates who possess a deep understanding of the underlying business model. Technical proficiency with AI is secondary to the ability to interrogate machine-generated outputs, communicate complex insights clearly, and maintain critical thinking without outsourcing judgment to algorithms. ## Automation Without Outsourcing Thought A core principle for the next generation of finance professionals is maintaining human oversight. While automation handles data processing and expense analysis, the human element remains essential for interpreting results. Finance leaders must use AI as a force multiplier for their analysis rather than a replacement for their own professional judgment. ## Strategic Resource Allocation By offloading manual data entry and routine reporting to AI, finance teams can dedicate more time to high-impact activities. This shift allows for deeper involvement in product strategy and customer-centric financial planning. The goal is to transform the finance department from a cost center into a proactive engine for business growth. ## Future of Finance Infrastructure The integration of AI into finance functions represents a fundamental change in how companies manage resources. As tools become more sophisticated, the distinction between finance and operations will continue to blur. Organizations that successfully build reliable AI infrastructure will gain a competitive advantage in speed, accuracy, and strategic agility in the market. ## Sources covering this story - https://a16z.simplecast.com/episodes/the-new-cfo-how-ai-is-rewriting-the-finance-function-figma-cfo-praveer-melwani-z9a_w4ym — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._