How AI and big data are transforming modern CFO leadership

Thomas Gavaghan sits down with Natalie Derse, CFO of Gen, to discuss what modern finance leadership looks like inside a global cybersecurity company serving more than 500 million users. Natalie explains why she has never believed in leading from the “corner office,” how her experience across GE, eBay, and Gen shaped a more operational and customer-centric CFO playbook, and why real-time data has become essential to how finance leaders create clarity and drive action across the business.

Natalie also shares how Gen exceeded its integration targets following the Avast merger, delivering $330 million in cost synergies in less than 18 months. The conversation explores AI-native finance, the growing role of the CFO as a trust leader in a world of AI-driven fraud, and her belief that the best teams are built around curiosity, engagement, and a willingness to be coached.

What you need to know

Natalie Derse, CFO of Gen, explains how the CFO role is expanding beyond traditional finance into data, technology, talent, and enterprise trust. Across the conversation, she describes a leadership model grounded in customer focus, cross-functional execution, and a belief that AI and automation should make work more valuable, not just more efficient.

Finance leadership now starts with data and clarity

Natalie describes her approach as deeply data-driven, but not in a passive reporting sense. Her view is that finance should use data to understand where the business is, where it is trending, and what actions need to follow. Drawing on experience from both GE and eBay, she explains that while business models may differ, the core discipline remains the same: use information to sharpen decision-making, guide prioritization, and help operating teams focus on what matters most.

The best integrations start with alignment at the top

One of the clearest operating lessons in the episode comes from Gen’s merger with Avast. Natalie explains that exceeding the company’s original synergy targets was not just about cost cutting, it was about clarity, alignment, and disciplined execution. With strong CEO-CFO alignment, clear priorities, and transparent expectations cascading through the organization, the business was able to move quickly and exceed its original $300 million cost synergy commitment, reaching $330 million in under 18 months.

AI should elevate work, not just reduce it

Natalie frames AI as a major shift in how companies operate, from engineering and customer engagement to finance and other back-office functions. But her most interesting point is that the value of AI is not just efficiency. She sees it as a way to automate repetitive, task-based work so people can spend more time on higher-value, more engaging, and more developmental work. That requires education, intentional rollout, and human oversight, but she is clear that finance teams need to embrace the shift rather than resist it.

In a digital economy, the CFO is also a trust leader

As AI-driven fraud grows and digital risk becomes harder to contain, Natalie argues that trust is becoming a much bigger part of the CFO mandate. In the traditional sense, that includes controls, accountability, and financial stewardship. But in a company like Gen, it also extends to how consumers are protected in an increasingly complex online environment. Her argument is that the CFO is no longer just the steward of performance, but increasingly a steward of resilience and trust.

Talent still comes down to curiosity, engagement, and connection

When Natalie talks about building teams, her focus is less on polished credentials and more on mindset. The two qualities she values most are natural curiosity and high engagement. Skills can be taught, but a willingness to learn, accept coaching, and stay open to mentorship is what allows people to grow quickly. She also argues that as technology becomes more powerful, communication and human connection become even more important, especially for finance leaders who want to influence across functions.

Additional topics covered in this episode

• Why Natalie told Gen’s CEO she could not lead from the “corner office.”

• How customer-centric decision-making shapes finance, operations, and data strategy.

• Why automation should create capacity for better work, not just leaner teams.

• How Gen thinks about retention, customer behavior, and resilience across changing macro conditions.

• Natalie’s advice for aspiring CFOs on work ethic, mentorship, and career acceleration.

• How she balances executive leadership with family priorities, health, and personal discipline.