AI for CFOs and Finance Leaders: Close Faster, Forecast Smarter, Advise Better

Let AI draft the variance commentary, forecasts and board summaries, while every number stays under your control

Intermediate · 20 lessons · $197

Variance commentary still gets written line by line late in the close. Every new forecast or 13-week cash flow means another round of formula checks. And you are not sure who on your team is already pasting company data into a free chatbot. Left as it is, the same first-draft work takes the same days every month, and AI use stays outside your controls. This course shows you exactly where AI can take the first draft off your plate, where it must never be trusted, and how to put controls around it so the numbers you sign off stay right. You leave with tested prompts, worked finance examples on illustrative data, an AI policy template and a 90-day rollout plan for your own finance function.

What you will be able to do

• Decide which finance tasks are safe to give AI, which need tight review, and which must stay fully human
• Set up AI use that protects confidential data, using business-grade plans, anonymization and an audit trail
• Write structured finance prompts that produce accurate variance commentary, flux analysis and management pack narratives
• Use AI to support reconciliations, close checklists and journal support without handing it control of the ledger
• Build and stress-test driver-based budgets, rolling forecasts, 13-week cash flows and sensitivity tables with AI help, then check every formula
• Turn financial results into clear board summaries, investor updates and plain-English explanations for non-finance colleagues
• Score and prioritize finance AI use cases, measure ROI honestly and roll out a written AI policy and controls framework
• Run a 90-day AI adoption plan for your finance team, including training, champions and review routines

Who it is for

• CFOs and finance directors who want a practical, controlled way to bring AI into their function
• Financial controllers who own the month-end close and want faster commentary and cleaner reconciliations
• FP&A leads building budgets, rolling forecasts, 13-week cash flows and scenario models
• Fractional CFOs who need to produce board-quality output for several clients without cutting corners
• Senior accountants and finance managers preparing to lead AI adoption in their team
• Finance leaders who tried a chatbot once, got a confident wrong answer, and want a better method

Not ready to enroll? Start with the free CFO AI Prompt Pack: 7 prompts for finance leaders.

Curriculum

Module 1: The AI-Enabled Finance Function: Value, Limits and Governance

1. Where AI Helps Finance and Where It Must Not Be Trusted (14 min)
2. Data Privacy, Confidentiality and Choosing the Right AI Plan (15 min)
3. The CFO Prompt Framework: Gold In, Gold Out (14 min)
4. Human Review That Catches Errors: The AI Output Checklist (13 min)

Module 2: Month-End Close and Reporting with AI

1. Reconciliation Support: Faster Matching, Same Controls (16 min)
2. Flux Analysis and Variance Commentary on Sample Data (18 min)
3. Management Pack Narratives That Executives Actually Read (14 min)
4. Close Checklists, Accrual Support and Journal Documentation (13 min)

Module 3: FP&A with AI: Budgets, Forecasts, Cash and Scenarios

1. Driver-Based Budgets Built with AI Help (16 min)
2. Rolling Forecasts and the 13-Week Cash Flow (17 min)
3. Scenario and Sensitivity Analysis That Informs Decisions (15 min)
4. How to Check AI-Built Formulas and Models (15 min)

Module 4: Board and Stakeholder Communication

1. Board Pack Summaries That Lead with the Decision (15 min)
2. Investor Updates That Build Trust (13 min)
3. KPI Dashboards: Choosing, Defining and Explaining Metrics (14 min)
4. Explaining Numbers to Non-Finance People (13 min)

Module 5: Building an AI Roadmap for Your Finance Team

1. Prioritizing Finance AI Use Cases with a Scoring Matrix (15 min)
2. A Controls Framework and AI Policy for Finance (15 min)
3. Measuring the ROI of AI in Finance Honestly (13 min)
4. Leading the Change: A 90-Day AI Rollout Plan (14 min)

What you get

• 20 video-ready lessons across 5 modules, each with worked examples on illustrative finance data
• 60+ copy-ready finance prompts inside the lessons and workbook
• Downloadable PDF workbook: AI finance policy template, use-case scoring matrix, AI output review checklist, 13-week cash flow layout, ROI tracker, 90-day rollout plan and a library of 32 finance prompts, with mobile-friendly templates
• 5 module quizzes and a 15-question final exam built on realistic finance scenarios, with an explanation for every answer
• Certificate of Completion when you pass the final exam
• Lifetime access to the course, including future updates to the lessons

Bonuses

• CFO Prompt Vault: 60 Finance-Grade Prompts Beyond the Close ($47 value). Sixty finance-grade prompts that extend the course library into payables, receivables, treasury, audit, tax support, contracts, pricing, spreadsheets, investment appraisal and team leadership. Every prompt carries a Checks line, so the AI shows its working and flags gaps instead of filling them with fiction.
• Board Pack and Variance Commentary Templates ($47 value). A complete set of fill-in templates for the board pack, CFO letter, decision paper, variance commentary, investor update and KPI definitions, each paired with an AI prompt that drafts it from your data. Includes a commentary phrase bank with weak versus strong examples on illustrative numbers.
• The AI-Ready Close and Governance Checklist Pack ($37 value). A working close calendar that marks exactly where AI can prepare a first draft and where a human must review, plus governance checklists for vetting AI vendors, keeping audit evidence and handling an AI error. It turns the course controls framework into lists your team can tick every month.

Your instructor

Shihan Sheriff, FCMA, CGMA, CPA (Australia), MBA (General), MBA (Data Science & AI), UAECA, CAAB, CAIS, is VP of Finance at Nomod (Y Combinator-backed), CFO at Esanjo and a four-time Amazon bestselling author. He shares practical, plain-English ways to use AI in finance, business and life.

14-day money-back guarantee on all one-time digital products. If it is not right for you, email within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. Implementation and Done-For-You services are not refundable. Subscriptions are covered by the subscription terms. Read the refund policy

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be technical or know how to code?

No. Everything in the course works in a chat-based AI assistant and a spreadsheet. If you are comfortable with Excel or Google Sheets and month-end reporting, you have the skills you need.

Who is this course NOT for?

It is not for complete beginners who have never prepared a management pack or a budget, because the lessons assume you know the finance work and teach you how to do it faster with AI. It is not a coding or data-engineering course, it does not teach accounting standards or tax rules, and it is not for anyone looking for a way to let AI post journals or approve payments without a human. If you want a broader starting point, take AI for Business Owners first.

Which AI tool do I need?

The methods work in any capable assistant such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot. For confidential company data you should use a business or enterprise plan that your company has approved, and the course shows you what to check before you do.

Is this financial, tax, legal or audit advice?

No. The course teaches workflows and prompts for using AI as a drafting and analysis assistant. All numbers in the examples are illustrative. Every AI output used in real reporting, forecasting or decisions must be reviewed and approved by a qualified person who is accountable for it.

Will AI replace my finance team?

The course does not promise that, and it does not teach it. It focuses on removing first-draft and repetitive work so your people spend more time on judgment, review and business partnering. Results depend on your data, processes and how well you apply the controls.

Can I use this if my company has not approved AI tools yet?

Yes. Module 1 and Module 5 help you build the business case, policy and controls you need to get approval. Until then, you can practice every lesson using the illustrative data provided, without touching real company information.

How long do I have access and is there a certificate?

You get lifetime access to the lessons and workbook. Pass the final exam with 70% or more and you receive a Certificate of Completion.

How much time does it take each week?

Each lesson takes 13 to 18 minutes, and each action step is designed to take under 20 minutes using your own work or the illustrative data. Most finance leaders finish one module a week, which means you can complete the course in about five weeks alongside a normal close. Your first useful result, a sorted list of the tasks where AI is safe to start, comes in Lesson 1.

What if my AI tool gives different answers from the examples?

That is expected. AI tools vary from run to run and between vendors. The course teaches you to judge the output against the source data, not against a screenshot. Every worked example has numbers you can check by hand, so you always know what the right answer is, whichever tool you use.

Can I see a lesson before I buy?

Yes. Lesson 1, Where AI Helps Finance and Where It Must Not Be Trusted, is a free preview on this page. It includes the traffic light sort of your team's monthly tasks.

How do I get access after I pay?

Checkout is hosted by Whop. Straight after payment we email you a button to set your password or sign in, and the course appears in My Learning, where you can start Lesson 1 straight away.

What if the course is not right for me?

14-day money-back guarantee on all one-time digital products. If it is not right for you, email within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. Implementation and Done-For-You services are not refundable. Subscriptions are covered by the subscription terms.