How is AI transforming corporate finance? Q&A with Hristo Borisov

This Q&A article was first published in Bulgaria's business weekly Capital on 16th April.

As finance departments balance innovation with control, Payhawk launches a new approach to AI in business finance. We [Capital] spoke with CEO Hristo Borisov about the "AI Office of the CFO" and what it means for finance teams.

Payhawk recently announced the "AI Office of the CFO." Can you explain what this means and why it matters for businesses?

"The AI Office of the CFO is a suite of specialised AI agents designed to transform finance teams' operations. Each agent tackles specific time-consuming tasks that traditionally burden finance departments, from expense management to procurement and travel bookings.

Finance leaders know AI will impact their operations, but until now, there hasn't been a clear path forward. Most solutions either lack the necessary controls or require extensive configuration. We've created a new category of purpose-built agents that autonomously complete critical tasks while integrating seamlessly with existing finance processes.

For businesses, this means finance teams can finally redirect their focus from administrative work to the strategic analysis and decision-making that drives growth. It's about eliminating the operational burden that prevents finance from being the strategic partner the business needs."

How does this approach differ from other AI implementations in finance?

"Most companies are simply adding AI features to existing products – essentially creating chatbots that can answer questions but can't truly take work off your team's plate. Others offer standalone AI tools that create new integration challenges and security concerns.

We've taken a fundamentally different approach by building AI agents that operate within your existing financial ecosystem. These agents do not just analyse data; they complete entire workflows — from chasing missing receipts to managing procurement requests and travel bookings.

What makes this different is that we've built these agents on Payhawk's existing financial infrastructure. They understand your company's policies, workflows, and permissions, allowing them to work autonomously while respecting established spend controls. This is crucial because it solves finance's biggest AI challenge: increasing productivity while maintaining control over operations."

With growing concerns about AI security, how have you addressed these challenges?

"Security and control aren't afterthoughts in our design – they're the foundation. Our AI agents integrate seamlessly into Payhawk's enterprise-grade secure infrastructure, using established permissions, workflows, and audit trails.

The agents can only impersonate a user and perform actions based on that user's permissions. For sensitive operations, we implement cross-channel workflows similar to two-factor authentication.

This security-first approach uniquely positions us to deliver AI that meets finance's fundamental need for control while still providing the benefits of automation."

What specific tasks can these AI agents handle?

"Each agent handles specific jobs that traditionally consume significant time. The Financial Controller Agent automatically collects documents, sends reminders for missing receipts, and flags unusual purchases. The Procurement Agent guides employees through their company's purchasing policies and helps compare vendor options.

The Travel Agent simplifies business travel by managing the entire process from booking policy-compliant flights to expense capture. And the Payments Agent handles employee inquiries about transactions and reimbursements.

What's powerful is that these agents don't just respond to requests – they can proactively initiate tasks like chasing missing documentation or flagging unusual spending patterns before they become problems."

How did you decide which finance functions to address first?

"We focused on areas where finance teams spend disproportionate time on operational tasks rather than strategic work. Our research showed that activities like receipt management, purchase approvals, and payment inquiries consume up to 60% of a finance team's day while delivering limited strategic value.

The Financial Controller Agent is available first because receipt management is a universal pain point across companies of all sizes. The remaining agents will roll out throughout 2025."

What results can companies expect from implementing these AI agents?

"Companies can expect three primary benefits: significant time savings, increased compliance, and more strategic contribution from finance
teams.

On time savings, early implementations show finance teams reducing hours spent on receipt follow-up by up to 70%. For compliance, we're seeing higher adherence to policies because the agents consistently apply rules without the variability of manual processing.

Most importantly, by handling these operational tasks, the agents free finance professionals to focus on analysis, forecasting, and strategic decision-making – areas where human judgment adds the most value."

How do you see AI's role in finance evolving over the next few years?

"Finance has already evolved from pure accounting to becoming a strategic partner to the business, but operational tasks still consume too much time. I believe AI will accelerate this evolution by handling routine operations while amplifying human capabilities for strategic work.

We'll see AI agents become increasingly specialised for specific finance roles, learning from the organisation's behaviour and continuously improving. The finance teams that embrace this shift will gain a significant competitive advantage through faster decisions, better compliance, and more strategic contribution.

The future isn't about AI replacing finance professionals, it's about elevating them from operational handlers to strategic advisors. That's the transformation we're enabling with the AI Office of the CFO."

Ready to see what the AI Office of the CFO could do for your finance team? Discover how specialised AI agents can automate finance admin, increase accuracy, and give your team more time for strategic work (without sacrificing any control or security).