Private Equity AI ROI in the Office of the CFO

Episode Description Jeff Berry, CFO at BluWave, joins Sean Mooney, Lloyd Metz, and Doug McCormick to explain how AI is creating practical ROI inside the office of the CFO. He breaks down the foundations that matter most—clean data, mapped processes, clear policies, prompting discipline, and AI-enabled tools that can reduce manual work without sacrificing control. The conversation covers real use cases across AP, AR, FP&A, reporting, forecasting, process documentation, and executive decision-making. This is a tactical look at how private equity-backed companies can turn AI from experimentation into operating leverage—hit play. Episode Highlights - 1:13 - Moving past AI exhaustion toward practical ROI and real adoption - 4:38 - Jeff Berry’s five-part framework for AI in finance and accounting - 7:42 - Why structured CRM and ERP data creates better business insight - 17:17 - Mapping finance processes before using AI to improve them - 20:32 - Cutting 40–50 monthly hours from AP workflows with AI-enabled tools - 26:05 - Using Claude Code to build FP&A models and debt schedules faster - 38:14 - Shifting finance from producing data to acting on better insights For more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today. Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/ Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/ For information on Oridian Capital Partners, go to https://oridiancapital.com/ For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.com For information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net