Sponsored by BetterHelp. Start your growthjourney with a credentialed therapist and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/kingdems

What does it take to become a strategic CFO inthe AI era? Wassia Kamon explains how finance leaders earn boardroom trust, guide business strategy, build visible authority and keep humans accountablewhen technology accelerates the work.

Wassia is a CFO, finance educator and 2025 Atlanta Business Chronicle CFO of the Year. In this candid conversation with Ademola Odewade, she moves beyond technical finance to reveal the judgement, relationships, resilience and intentional visibility that shape trustedexecutive leadership.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why the modern CFO must understand marketing, HR, technology and the wider business model, not only accounting and reporting.
• How CFOs earn trust by listening first, understanding why existing processes exist and connecting finance to business priorities.
• Why visible expertise can shorten the time required to build credibility before an interview, board meeting or business conversation.
• How joining a nonprofit or professional board can reduce boardroom fear and develop executive judgement.
• Why founders should treat debt as a strategic tool while understanding its cost, risk and purpose.
• Which finance activities AI can automate and why accountability, controls, explanation and final judgement must remain human.
• Why professionals who ignore AI may face the same disadvantage as finance graduates who never learned Excel.
• How executive presence can be learned through observation, listening, composure and disciplined focus.
• Why mentorship, continuous learning and intentional personal branding accelerate career progression.
• How ambitious leaders can pursue impact without allowing achievement to consume their health, family or identity.

About Wassia Kamon

Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA, is Chief Financial Officer at Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs. She was named the 2025 Atlanta Business Chronicle CFO of the Year in the community service category and is a two-time CPA Practice Advisor 40 Under 40 honoree. She serves as Guest Faculty for the Wharton Online FP&A Certificate Program and hosts The Diary of a CFO.

Connect with Wassia

Website: https://www.wassiakamon.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wassiakamon

The Diary of a CFO: https://thediaryofacfo.com

Explore The King Dems Podcast Network

Podcast hub: https://kingdemspodcast.com

Newsletter: https://newsletter.kingdemspodcast.com

LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/19417009/

Tools behind the network: https://kingdemspodcast.com/tools

The King Dems Podcast ranks in the Global Top 2% on Listen Notes and reaches audiences in 120+ countries. Help us move towards the Global Top 1% by rating the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. We may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Sponsorship does not determine our editorial conclusions.