Key Takeaways

  • Salesforce Chief Operating and Financial Officer Robin Washington said at an AI virtual roundtable that she is using artificial intelligence to accelerate the preparation for earnings calls, adapting to the pace of her new role.
  • Washington mentioned that she uses AI tools to analyze data and summarize information to help focus communication points.
  • "I use AI extensively in my preparation, not only to understand the questions that were asked of my predecessors at the company, but also to stay on top of competitive dynamics," Washington said at the August 7 news event. With AI, preparing for earnings calls has "gone from days to hours," she told reporters.

In-Depth Analysis

Salesforce announced in February that it had appointed Washington, a board member since 2013, to the newly created role of Chief Operating and Financial Officer (COFO). At the time, the company said that then-Chief Operating Officer Brian Millham planned to retire, and then-Chief Financial Officer Amy Weaver was also preparing to leave after previously announcing her departure plans.

Washington believes that combining the two roles helps the tech giant "break down silos" and improve decision-making speed. "I think it makes the COFO organization a more effective business partner, able to stand at the forefront of operations and support and drive the business forward in multiple ways," she said at the AI roundtable, which also featured PayPal Chief Financial Officer Jamie Miller.

Miller revealed that her team is using AI agents to generate internal content related to data analysis, as well as "drafts of executive-level materials that are essentially summaries of strategy." Both she and Washington said their teams have not yet used AI to generate public filings such as the 10-K forms required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Salesforce organized the event to highlight research showing that CFOs are becoming more optimistic about AI adoption. Of the 261 CFOs surveyed globally, only 4% said their AI strategy is conservative, compared to 70% in 2020.

"This rapid shift underscores the widespread recognition among finance leaders that AI is no longer just an emerging technology, but a key tool for improving efficiency, optimizing operations, and—critically—driving long-term growth," the research summary stated.

Respondents expect AI agents in particular to boost company revenue by nearly 20%. On average, CFOs reported that about 25% of their current total AI budget is already allocated to agentic technology.

Salesforce is among the large tech companies making some of the biggest bets on the future of agentic AI technology. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has said he plans to deploy one billion AI agents by the end of 2025.