Will AI Take Finance Jobs? Stephen Moir on the Future of CFOs, Careers and Financial Control
AI is changing finance and accounting, but Stephen Moir's view is clear: finance jobs are not disappearing. They are changing. In this episode of The Practical CFO, Lisa Callaghan speaks with Stephen about the future of finance careers, what business owners now expect from finance leaders, why financial rigour matters in fast-growing companies, and why relationships still matter in an AI-shaped job market.
Key takeaways
- AI will change finance work, but curiosity matters more than panic.
- Finance leaders are moving from back-office roles to CEO right-hand roles.
- Fast-growing businesses need financial rigour at the centre.
- AI-written CVs make real networking more important.
- Strong finance careers still depend on judgement, trust and leadership.
Will AI replace accountants?
No. Stephen Moir’s answer is that AI is the latest wave of change in finance and accounting, like outsourcing and cloud systems before it, not the end of the profession. The work will change, but the people who do well will be the ones who stay curious and keep learning where the work is going, not the ones who panic.
AI is the latest shift, not the end of finance
Stephen has spent decades recruiting finance and accounting professionals, and he has watched the sector move through outsourcing, cloud systems, and shifting expectations from CEOs and boards. AI is another major shift, but it is not the first. His advice is simple: stay curious. The strongest finance people will be the ones who understand where AI helps, where it creates risk, and where human judgement still matters.
Finance is no longer the “numbers in the background” role
One of the biggest changes Stephen has seen is how finance is viewed inside a business. Finance leaders are now often the CEO’s right hand: commercial, visible, and central to decisions. Many mid to senior finance roles now carry responsibility well beyond traditional finance. The role has become broader and more influential, which creates opportunity but also raises the bar on commercial judgement and communication.
Business owners need financial rigour, not just revenue growth
For growing businesses, Stephen highlighted a common pattern: leadership focuses hard on revenue, and finance rigour gets left behind. Without it at the centre, problems appear from nowhere and leaders lose confidence in their decisions. Growth can hide weak foundations for a while, but it does not remove them. Strong finance capability gives a business stability, discipline, and confidence in its decisions.
AI-written CVs make networking more important
AI is making every CV look polished, which makes it harder to stand out in a pile of applications. Stephen’s advice for finance professionals is to spend more time building a real network and less time relying only on online applications. Applications put you in the queue. Relationships put you in the room.
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