What Native AI Means for the Future of Finance

I recently sat down with Melissa Kullander, former EVP of Finance at companies like Hitachi, Workday, and Oracle to discuss how finance organizations are grappling with AI, modernization, and the relentless pace of change. Melissa brings over 30 years of finance, accounting, audit, and internal controls experience half of which has been in SaaS. Our conversation cut through the noise and got into what AI really means for finance leaders today.

AI vs. Native AI: What’s the Difference?

The buzz around AI is deafening but what does “native AI” actually mean?

Melissa put it plainly: “It’s the difference between a system built with AI at its core versus one where AI is bolted on afterward.” Think of it like building a house with internet hardwired into every room versus retrofitting Wi-Fi in a 100-year-old building. Native AI platforms don’t just automate as they are designed to rethink how workflows happen entirely.

Finance’s Biggest Time Sink: Data Chasing

When asked which processes are most ripe for reinvention, Melissa was clear: “In finance, half our time was spent just gathering data pulling pieces from different systems before we could even begin to analyze it.”

Whether you're in a billion-dollar enterprise or a 100-person startup, finance teams are stuck in the same loop chasing fragmented data, then racing through analysis with whatever time is left before month-end. Accounting teams? They’re even worse off barely keeping up with day-to-day transaction processing.

The Hidden Cost of Transformation

If AI-native systems are so powerful, why aren’t more teams adopting them?

Melissa didn’t hesitate: “Time and focus. Implementing a new system pulls people away from daily business. That’s the real cost, not the software license, but the disruption.”

Many CFOs aren’t avoiding AI because they don’t believe in it they’re avoiding the 12-18 months of distraction it takes to implement something new. And that’s a strategic decision.

What Happens If You Win Back 50% of Your Team’s Time?

Imagine cutting manual work in half. What could finance and accounting teams do instead?

For finance, it’s about becoming a better strategic partner: “Helping the business steer the ship, drive innovation, and stay ahead of competitors,” Melissa said. “But you can’t do that if you’re buried in spreadsheets.”

For accounting, it means partnering earlier in deal cycles by structuring smarter agreements and ensuring complex revenue recognition rules are accounted for properly, not retroactively.

What Would Change in a Year?

If AI-native tools helped your finance org automate the mundane, what would change?

Melissa was clear: “More global scale. Faster innovation. Better alignment across departments. Finance and accounting wouldn’t be stuck playing catch-up as the business moves forward.”

Today, too many strategic initiatives leave finance behind. With real-time systems, they’d move in lockstep with the rest of the business.

The Real AI Roadblock: Execution Readiness

When asked if AI can help CFOs become better strategic advisors, Melissa said it’s not just about the insight.

“Yes, real-time systems could guide strategy but if operations aren’t ready to execute on those decisions, it’s useless. You don’t get a second try if your competitor gets there first.”

Insight is one thing. Execution is everything.

Trust and Ethics: Where AI Still Needs Guardrails

The rise of hallucinated data and deep fakes has made executives more cautious.

Melissa’s advice: “The smell test still applies. Just because a system gives you an answer doesn’t mean it’s right. You’ve got to understand your business well enough to question it.”

The job of a finance leader hasn’t changed just the tools. Human judgment remains non-negotiable.

How the C-Suite Will Evolve

In the future, Melissa sees a very different C-suite dynamic: no more waiting a week to circle back after someone “pulls the numbers.”

“Real-time systems mean you walk into a meeting, ask a question, and get an answer. Decide. Execute. Move. Faster decisions. More accountability. And more cross-functional collaboration.”

The CFO won’t just talk finance they’ll have visibility across sales, HR, and ops, helping the entire exec team connect the dots in real time.

ASC 606: Why Everest Systems Stands Out

We closed the conversation on a practical note: ASC 606.

Melissa said it best: “Everest actually helps you do ASC 606. Not a spreadsheet. Not a workaround. A system that was built with these rules in mind from day one.”

Unlike other platforms that were patched in ASC 606 after the fact, Everest was built for this reality with amortizations, revenue waterfalls, contract modifications all embedded natively for the practitioner.

Final Thought

Melissa summed it up powerfully: “It's nice to finally be heard as a practitioner.”

AI isn’t about replacing finance. It’s about giving finance the time, tools, and trust to lead from the front. And in a world where speed wins, that’s not optional anymore.

The future of ERP is here, and it’s Native AI ERP.   Let’s build it together.

Cameron Ackbury, CPA

Advisor to the Office of the CFO

cameron@everest-erp.com

+1 650-223-4557