In this episode we sit down with Artti Aurasmaa, CEO of Staria, to discuss how the CFO role is evolving from financial reporting to strategic leadership.
Artti has spent more than 25 years helping companies scale internationally and today leads Staria, a €60M+ business serving growth companies across 50 countries. In this conversation, he shares why the future CFO must become a business partner, data steward, and forecasting expert rather than simply the person closing the books.
We discuss why forecasting accuracy may be the most important KPI for a modern CFO, how AI is changing finance teams, why strong data foundations matter more than the latest AI tools, and what separates companies that scale successfully from those that struggle.
You will also hear Artti’s perspective on international expansion, the increasing complexity of global business, and why the best CFOs are moving from the back office to the front row.
Topics covered:
- Why the CFO role is becoming increasingly strategic
- The shift from historical reporting to future forecasting
- Why forecasting accuracy is a critical KPI
- How AI is changing the finance function
- Building the data foundation before deploying AI
- The future structure of finance teams
- International expansion and global compliance
- Why CFOs need stronger technical and data capabilities
- The rise of the “rockstar CFO”
- What growth companies need to scale successfully
Whether you’re a CFO, founder, CEO, finance leader, or SaaS operator, this episode offers a practical look at how the finance function is changing and what it takes to stay ahead.
