The Human Edge: How CFOs and Their Teams Can Lead Strategic Value Creation Through the Power of Personality and Being Human

Florian Pecher, CFO Performance Coach at Imperative Advisory emphasises the importance of the human edge in the age of AI, drawing on his experience in cross-border M&A advisory with HSBC. He argues that what sets humans apart is not individual capability, but the ability to work effectively in teams, underpinned by compassion, presence, and emotional intelligence. Florian highlights that even at full attention, the human brain filters out over 90% of stimuli, and distraction further reduces effectiveness. As ADAPT data suggests human capability is the missing link. Despite rising adoption, 80% of finance leaders say AI ROI remains unclear, and only 6% of organisations provide mandatory AI awareness training, a major barrier to responsible, value-driven AI use. By reclaiming seven and a half to ten hours per week from low-value tasks, leaders can focus on purposeful work, enhancing both individual and team performance.

Florian outlines the transformation of the CFO…