What CFOs really learned at the Connect Leadership Summit

This week, more than 150 finance leaders gathered at Twickenham Stadium for the Connect CFO Leadership Summit – Spring 2025, hosted by Quartz Network.

With AI adoption accelerating, cost pressure rising, and employee expectations intensifying, the three-day event was designed to bring CFOs face-to-face with their peers, solution providers, and the big questions shaping finance.

As event partner, The CFO attended sessions, gathered insights, and spoke with panellists across HR, finance, and IT to surface the themes that will define finance transformation for the rest of the year. Below, we share the real takeaways — not just the headlines.

1. Technology Alone Won’t Save You

From the opening session to the final panel, the message was clear: AI and automation may streamline tasks, but they won’t fix poor processes or broken cultures.

One keynote speaker put it bluntly: “Never automate a value-less process.” Leaders must start with a vision — not a tool — and ask: what do we want to achieve for our people and business? Otherwise, bolting GenAI onto existing systems risks wasting investment and creating disillusionment.

Olga Martens, formerly of HP, framed it this way:

“Technology is everywhere — but it’s still people who set the purpose. AI should help us be more human, not less.”

2. Reimagine, Don’t Just Optimise

A standout case study came from IBM’s HR transformation team, who described how they moved beyond incremental process tweaks to bold rethinking.

Instead of layering automation over old workflows, IBM built AI assistants and digital workers from the ground up. These systems now handle 1.1 million transactions annually, support 100% of managers, and have cut HR ticket volume by 50%.

Importantly, these results didn’t come from chasing savings. As one speaker explained:

“The FT hours didn’t disappear — they shifted to more strategic work. The real ROI was in engagement, quality, and time saved.”

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3. The Workforce Is Ready — But Only If You Are

Several sessions tackled the topic of reskilling. And while the need is well-known, the nuance is often missed.

Lloyds Banking Group shared how they’re embedding learning into culture with weekly protected “Drop Everything and Learn” hours and quarterly all-hands training days. Meanwhile, others stressed the need for personalised, on-demand, and non-linear learning pathways.

Tom Groom, formerly of Lloyds, summed it up:

“It’s not just about skillsets — it’s about mindsets. You need to create a culture where it’s safe to learn, fail, and try again.”

That includes being honest with employees about what happens if they don’t reskill. As one speaker noted: “If you’re unwilling to adapt, there may not be a place for you in tomorrow’s organisation.”

4. Finance, HR, and IT Must Co-Create — Not Coexist

Another key message: cross-functional collaboration is no longer optional. Tools that work in silos won’t scale. Policies drafted by one team won’t stick. The future of finance, HR, and IT is a shared problem — and a shared opportunity.

At both Insulet and HP, major transformation projects were led by mixed teams with representatives from finance, HR, IT, operations, and real estate.

Yes, the speakers admitted, co-creation is messy. Different languages, different KPIs, and different priorities often clash. But the outcomes speak for themselves: better adoption, smarter designs, and stronger alignment.

“Involve people from day one,” one speaker advised. “Not just in feedback, but in design. That’s how you get buy-in — and real business impact.”

5. Measure What Matters — Not Just What’s Easy

Finally, there was a consensus that traditional metrics — like number of learning hours, module completions, or ticket counts — aren’t enough.

Instead, speakers called for multidimensional KPIs that reflect real business impact. Think: how quickly can we close a knowledge gap? How well are we retaining top talent? Are employees using their new skills to improve performance?

As one panellist put it:

“We used to count completions. Now we ask: did the training move the needle?”

Looking Ahead

What stood out most at Connect CFO London wasn’t the technology — it was the humility. Speaker after speaker, from IBM to Lloyds to Insulet, admitted that transformation is complex, imperfect, and deeply human.

And yet, that’s precisely where CFOs can lead. In a world of constant experimentation, finance leaders are uniquely positioned to connect strategy, operations, and investment to real-world outcomes — not just for the bottom line, but for the business model itself.

As one panellist reminded us:

“Learning agility is the superpower. But it starts with us.”

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