As AI affects both business operations and the workforce, the skills finance professionals need are changing. Being both technologically savvy and analytical has become more essential.
In this episode of the Reshaping Finance podcast, Brad Taylor joins us. Taylor — founder of Strategically People, which partners with Advanced Workplace Associates to help organisations adopt new ways of working and of going through change — discusses how AI and automation are changing entry-level roles in finance.
Taylor has over 30 years of experience in HR, which includes working at CIMA and as HR director at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. He has also held positions at Barclays, where he worked cross-functionally with HR and wealth management.
Taylor emphasised that organisations now focus more on talent and the value people bring, with a strong focus on building a long-term people strategy. According to Taylor, a solid people strategy, which involves attracting, developing, and retaining team members, is a fundamental part of business growth and success.
Entry-level finance roles require analytical skills from day one
Finance careers have usually followed a clear path where entry-level roles started with process-oriented, repetitive tasks. New finance professionals would build foundational knowledge and gradually move into advisory roles.
Many traditional entry-level roles like bookkeeping and processing are being automated using AI, Taylor explained. What’s left are roles that demand analytical thinking from day one.
The shift in what entry-level roles require has created a challenge both for employers and for educators, who need to determine how to prepare their students to enter the workforce.
‘We’ll see a growing need for professionals to work more broadly across the business’, according to Taylor. ‘With deeper insight into the various functions … we may even see a blurring of lines between what were once distinct roles, as people develop stronger relationship-building, systems-thinking, and analytical skills — and apply them more widely throughout their careers.’
Generative AI is increasing the need for professional expertise
Knowledge and expertise within your field are essential because, whilst AI can automate routine tasks, highly skilled professionals are needed to interpret data, correct errors, and make sound recommendations.
Research from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University suggests that when people use gen AI for tasks outside their area of expertise, it often leads to self-doubt and uncertainty about their performance.
But, for those with more experience and expertise in their field, AI tools can significantly increase productivity.
Gen AI can produce massive volumes of work in short bursts. But this way of working can also lead to burnout among team members. Gen AI tools create a heavy cognitive load for finance professionals, who are constantly sprinting instead of jogging.
‘[AI] does increase the cognitive load on people because they're not working on autopilot anymore. They're having to think through every step’, Taylor said. ‘And it’s not just about doing the work — it’s about verifying it. Checking, is this information correct? I'm not just going to accept it at face value. Is what we're seeing coming through from AI correct and accurate?’
Finance professionals must be business-ready
Developing critical thinking skills early on will be vital for finance professionals.
Taylor highlighted the importance of analytical and critical thinking, noting, ‘That’s the real value of a designation like the CGMA designation.’
Because they advise leadership on key business areas and strategy, Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA®) designation holders create meaningful changes in organisations.
‘What candidates gain from earning the [CGMA] designation signals their business readiness, which is a huge assurance when considering new talent’, according to Taylor.
In May 2025, CIMA’s CGMA Professional Qualification was upgraded to match the expanding scope of modern finance. With the new syllabus and blueprints introduced for the 2026 case study exams, analysis, advising, and forecasting are now taught at the outset — not as skills reserved for the end of study.
‘That [approach] to learning provides people who are a lot more business-ready — people who can go into organisations asking questions and looking at something and thinking, “Actually, what is it that the organisation is trying to achieve here?” And therefore, how do I apply the knowledge and skills that I’ve now got to be able to make that work’, Taylor said.
Ultimately, finance professionals who bring solutions to the table — not only issues — are the ones who stand out. And uniquely human skills like curiosity, judgment, and collaboration will be what define future leaders in finance.
Listen to the full episode of the Reshaping Finance.
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