Amid Oracle Layoffs, a Legal Grey Area in Algorithm-Driven Firing
Oracle is rumored to have laid off thousands of staff, possibly as many as 30,000, using an algorithm that targeted mid‑level managers with valuable stock options. The company has not confirmed the cuts or the role of AI, but former employees shared the claim on social media. Legal experts note that U.S. employment law has not fully caught up with algorithmic decision‑making, though several states are introducing AI‑disclosure requirements. The debate highlights both the efficiency and the risk of bias inherent in automated workforce reductions.
How Deepfakes and Automation Are Impacting Finance
Yuctan Hodge II, CFO of the Association of Certified Anti‑Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS), is steering the 20‑year‑old organization toward an intelligence‑focused model while tightening financial discipline after its 2022 private‑equity carve‑out. He has instituted organization‑wide AML awareness, requiring staff to...
CFOs Express Growing Alarm over Geopolitical Instability
A recent McKinsey survey of 150 CFOs shows geopolitical instability now tops their risk concerns, with 37% flagging it as a primary growth threat. Trade policy disruptions are also rising, cited by 32% of respondents, while 62% plan to closely...
Private Equity-Backed CFOs Earned Average of $604K per Year in 2025
Heidrick & Struggles reports that average cash compensation for CFOs at U.S. private‑equity‑backed firms rose 5% to $604,000 in 2025. Pay varies by sector, with financial‑services CFOs earning $973,000 versus $522,000 in health‑care and life sciences. CFOs expect equity payouts of...
Building an Intelligence System From Public Data: A CFO’s Account
Vice President of Finance Niyi Oladepo at Pike Industries built an AI‑driven pricing tool using publicly available state DOT bid data. The system draws on 146 New Hampshire and Maine projects totaling about $839 million to establish a historical baseline, then layers...
Big M&A Deals Roar Back to the Forefront
M&A activity surged in Q1 2026, with 12 mega‑deals worth $10 billion or more—a record for a first quarter and the strongest quarter since 2008. The total value of all transactions reached $438 billion, up 155% from a year earlier, while large...
For CFOs, SEC’s Semiannual Reporting Proposal May Not Change Much
The SEC has forwarded a proposal to the White House to replace the mandatory quarterly 10‑Q filing with a semiannual reporting cadence, echoing President Trump’s 2025 push to cut reporting costs. CFOs argue that any savings will be modest because...
The One Big Beautiful Bill’s Hidden Complexity: How Corporate Tax Teams Can Stay Ahead
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) restores 100% bonus depreciation, makes domestic R&D expensing immediate, and makes tax‑credit transferability permanent, unlocking sizable cash‑flow gains for firms that act quickly. Companies buying $100 million in credits can save $5‑9 million, but the...
Oak Park CFO Reflects on a Career in Public-Sector Finance
Kevin Bueso, newly appointed CFO of Oak Park, Illinois, discusses the tightening fiscal margins facing local governments and the need for smarter, technology‑driven finance. He warns that rising costs, aging infrastructure, and pension pressures are creating structural deficits across municipalities. Bueso...
AI Investment Among Top Strategic Priorities for CFOs: Survey
A Coupa‑commissioned survey of 600 CFOs across eight countries shows AI investment has vaulted to the second‑most important strategic priority for 2026, trailing only supplier relationship building. CFOs cite AI as a driver of profitability, growth, and risk mitigation, while...
4 Ways CFOs Can Strategically Manage Days Cash on Hand: Metric of the Month
Days cash on hand remains a core liquidity metric, but setting the right target now requires balancing risk, investment needs, and capital access. Benchmarking data from the American Productivity & Quality Center shows top‑performing firms hold about 100 days, the...
The Silent EBITDA Leak in the Middle Market
Middle‑market private companies often suffer a silent EBITDA erosion caused by cumulative capitalization drift, where small, conservative accounting choices compound over time and shift otherwise capitalizable costs to operating expense. The drift typically reduces EBITDA by 20‑30% of audit materiality,...
Episode Six CFO on Scaling a Fintech with Discipline
Episode Six co‑founder and CFO Chermaine Hu explains how her 14‑year Morgan Stanley M&A background shapes the fintech’s capital allocation and growth strategy. She emphasizes disciplined, goal‑driven expansion—building local reference clients before hiring en masse, especially in the U.S. market....
Bed Bath & Beyond CFO Jumps to Sally Beauty
Sally Beauty announced Adrianne Lee, former president and CFO of Bed Bath & Beyond, will become its chief financial officer on April 28. Lee brings extensive finance experience from Hertz, Best Buy and other consumer‑facing firms. The appointment comes as Sally Beauty expands into social commerce...
Pet Health Company’s Ex-COO Faces Fresh Insider Trading Charge: Trial Balance
Former PetIQ president and COO Michael Smith, who pleaded guilty to securities fraud last November, now faces a fresh SEC insider‑trading charge tied to the company’s 2024 sale to Bansk Group. The regulator alleges Smith traded on confidential acquisition information,...