Driving CFO impact through data & AI: A Q&A with Steve Jones

Article September 22, 2025

Meet Steve:

Meet Steve:

BOTTOM LINE UPFRONT

Steve Jones is a London-based Managing Director with decades of experience in data, AI, and partnering with PE-backed CFOs. In this Q&A, he breaks down why Accordion is uniquely positioned to help CFOs rise to increasing sponsor pressure, leverage data and AI effectively, and translate strategy into measurable results.

Meet Steve Jones: the newest Managing Director to join our London office. He brings over two decades of experience in data and analytics strategy, a decade of experience partnering with PE-backed CFOs, and a wealth of AI expertise—which means he understands the challenges facing PE-backed CFOs right now. From sponsor pressure to deliver performance improvement, to the demand for AI-enabled insights, to the need to drive sustainable value creation, Steve has seen first-hand how the role of the CFO has evolved… and why Accordion is uniquely positioned to support the evolving demands of the function:

Why did you decide to join Accordion now?

I’ve been in an operating role for years. I know the demands placed on private equity-backed CFOs are accelerating and evolving faster than one could imagine. While the fundamentals (managing cash, controls, reporting) will always be important, CFOs now are expected to drive forward every initiative that shapes the P&L—and we know first hand, that’s hard.

Accordion understands the nuances of the CFO role better than any other firm in the market and are experts at bridging the gap between CFO strategy and practical application. We know the pressure that CFOs are under, and we work with them to say, “Here’s what your sponsor wants you to do—and here’s how you can actually do it.” It’s exciting to be part of an organisation that makes a real, tangible impact.

Tell us more about why the CFO role is transforming so quickly right now.

In an environment of limited multiple expansion, sponsors are pushing CFOs to focus on value-driving performance improvement in a way we haven’t ever seen—to do everything from driving digital transformation, to leveraging data and analytics for KPI visibility, to leading AI initiatives…and that’s just a small slice of their job description. Of course, sponsors have their eye on exit from Day 1, and they see CFOs as the ones responsible for guiding their team down the exit runway. The bottom line is that in today’s environment, CFOs have to execute—and they know it. But we know it can be challenging to figure out exactly how.

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Can you share more about your background and how that informs your approach to partnering with clients?

I’ve spent the last decade working with portfolio company management teams, and my biggest takeaway is that people come before data. If I’m not putting in the time with teams to understand exactly what their challenge is—e.g. architecture, growth levers, soft trading, working capital, or driving operational efficiencies—then how can I implement data, analytics, or AI solutions that add tangible value? More importantly, how can I convince the CFO that I was there to help?

When I work with CFOs, I focus my energy on outcomes over optics—understanding what actually moves the needle. I make sure I know the value creation plan, focus on analytics for decision-making, and use AI with purpose. It’s what drives real, sustainable value.

What’s AI’s role in helping CFOs meet sponsor expectations?

Everyone’s talking about AI right now, and sponsors expect their CFOs to be ahead of the curve in adopting AI for Finance. When I talk to CFOs about the AI toolkit, I break it into two buckets: Team scaling AI, for automating text-based finance processes often done manually (accounts payable, payroll, invoicing, etc.), and conventional AI (your typical ML models) that help produce leading indicators for CFOs to get a high-level handle on business performance. Usually, the most effective AI infrastructure is a blend of both.

A high-impact CFO will understand the nuances of the AI toolkit and know how to implement the right AI platform for the right business use case. And if they’re not sure where to start, Accordion knows the finance function inside and out while understanding both the potential and limitations of AI. We can be true partners to CFOs to help them figure out the smartest way forward.

What makes Accordion’s approach to data & AI different from competitors?

Our competitors are all saying ‘get ready now—do something!’. We’re actually ‘doing something’.

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Part of what differentiates Accordion is that we meet CFOs where they are. If you’re a CFO dealing with a disorganised/disparate data environment, we’ll help you clean it up. If you already have clean data infrastructure but aren’t sure how to build AI on top of it, we’ll help you do that. If you’ve already implemented AI but want to optimise it… we’ll do that too. And we’re always thinking of the “so what”; we aren’t deploying tech/AI for the sake of doing so. We’re doing it to meet your most pressing business needs, both in the short- and long-term—and helping you show sponsors that you’re meeting the moment.

For example, we’re working with a SaaS CFO to implement a new ERP. They had tens of thousands of contracts holding critical pricing data, but wanted to accelerate margin growth through an optimised pricing strategy. A new ERP would drive that growth—but not if the CFO’s working with disoragnised data. So our team is using various GenAI models to trawl through those thousands of contracts, all in different languages and layouts, to ensure accurate data goes into the new ERP. The main objective is to transition the CFO to a new ERP platform, and we’re leveraging our AI to add incremental value.

So, why London—and why now?

The market in London has been missing a partner that can bridge the gap between sponsor goals, CFO strategy, and effective implementation. Accordion is that partner. We have a proven track record in the US, combined with a unique understanding of the nuances of European PE markets. And so, we can offer CFOs across Europe a team that understands their pain points in a genuine way, works hands-on to address them (through a data and AI-powered lens), and sets their business up for sustainable value creation.

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