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Above the Ledger - September 2025
From pilots to profits: Where AI pays off

Welcome back to Above the Ledger, your monthly guide to modern finance leadership.

 

This issue explores two forces reshaping how finance teams operate. First, AI in finance and how some organizations are moving beyond experiments to embed intelligent agents in workflows that actually impact cash, compliance, and productivity.

Second, we explore finance orchestration, the framework that turns fragmented systems, approvals, and spend data into a seamless, real-time flow. Together, these insights show how finance leaders can bridge the gap between strategy and execution: Leveraging technology not for ‘novelty,’ but to drive clarity, control, and measurable outcomes.

Konstantin Dzhengozov

CFO and Co-Founder, Payhawk

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AI Office of the CFO

From pilots to profits: Where AI pays off

The AI conversation is stuck on “hype” when the real story is integration.

 

Most GenAI pilots fizzle out, but a small group of companies are getting measurable ROI by weaving agentic systems into daily workflows.

 

The difference between the 5% and the 95% isn’t luck — it’s repeatable patterns.

 

Finance leaders who crack those patterns can move AI from novelty status to a real driver of the P&L.

Thought leadership corner

Finance in motion: Orchestrate, don’t chase

The night before close doesn’t have to be chaos.

 

With an intelligent finance orchestration platform, you can unify spend, payables, and approvals in one admin-busting flow — embedding policy, automating handoffs, and syncing directly with your ERP.

 

The result? Real-time visibility, fewer errors, and faster (smarter) decisions.

Top industry insights

1.

Ransomware cases fell to 450 in April 2025 the lowest since 2014 — but the threat is evolving fast. Attackers are now using AI for phishing, supply-chain disruption, and exploiting unpatched systems. The WEF says 72% of leaders see rising cyber risk, with nearly half citing AI-powered attacks as their top concern. Learn what finance leaders should prioritize next in the article

2.

Most AI pilots stall, creating what we've dubbed the “2025 AI cliff.” Only a small group of finance teams are scaling agentic systems and capturing real ROI. The majority actually remain stuck in experiments. The difference between the two? Targeting workflows where automation delivers measurable gains — like expense reporting, reconciliations, and proactive approvals. See why this is a pivotal moment for CFOs.

3.

Cambridge Judge highlights a shift from automation to autonomy as agentic AI enters finance. These systems don't just respond — they perceive, plan, and act — enabling use cases from audit and compliance to forecasting and advisory. The promise: Smarter decisions, fewer errors, and faster close cycles. The challenge: Managing governance, fairness, and risk, so adoption doesn't outpace oversight. Find out how finance leaders who strike that balance are moving from reactive firefighting to proactive control.

CFO spotlight

Accelerating travel expense management at Porsche e-Bikes

Porsche e-Bikes has transformed travel and expense management with automated receipt capture, virtual company cards, and transparent tracking from Payhawk. The result?
"We used to spend our time chasing down employee spend data. Now we have more transparency, tighter control over all the expenses, less paperwork, and more time to analyze expenses." — Gabriela Leovac, Accountant at Porsche e-Bikes.

Payhawk solutions spotlight

Fall ‘25 release: The new intelligent way of working

Cut complexity and stay in control with our new AI agents. Save hours of manual work and give your team more time for strategy. Procurement, travel, expenses, and payments all run in one seamless flow, with proactive approvals that reduce errors and speed up decisions. 👉 Explore every feature in the Fall 25 Release and sign up for the webinar to see them in action.

Upcoming events

Your invite: Experience our AI agents

Join our Fall ’25 webinar on 2nd October to see the four new AI agents in action. They handle procurement, travel, expenses, and payments so your finance team can spend less time chasing and approving and more time driving business strategy and collaboration. Register now and get a chance to win a company-wide subscription to Payhawk’s AI Office of the CFO.

Meet Payhawk at CONNECT CFO Hilton

Payhawk will be attending the CONNECT CFO Leadership Summit in Orlando from October 12–14, 2025. The invite-only event brings together senior finance executives to share insights on digital transformation, AI, and the evolving role of the CFO. Our team will be on site to discuss how Payhawk helps finance leaders gain efficiency, visibility, and control across global operations.
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