At the CFO Summit hosted by the MIT Sloan School of Management on Thursday (2025), Hasbro Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Gina Goetter said one of the ways she uses artificial intelligence is to help "accelerate information synthesis, because as CFOs, we have so much information in front of us."

"How many bank briefings do you receive? A lot... and they usually always arrive just five minutes before you enter the meeting," Goetter said at the summit. By leveraging AI tools such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Goetter can quickly process information, understand banks' recommendations, and the key issues she needs to focus on.

AI-first approach

Goetter's fellow panelists—FedEx CFO John Dietrich and Tapestry CFO and COO Scott Roe—also expressed optimism about the technology's application at the summit. AI was one of the top topics discussed by speakers and attendees. Roe said he similarly uses AI for internal meetings and travel planning, with these use cases emerging as CFOs, employees, and executive teams consider the best ways to apply it while trying to avoid risks.

Goetter revealed her personal use of AI during the panel discussion, noting that Hasbro is "fully embracing AI." The management team of the company, which is about to move to Boston (according to a Hasbro press release), including herself and CEO Chris Cocks, is "actively encouraging daily use of AI."

"This year we've done a good job ensuring that foundational tools... become the first choice for employees," she said, referring to AI solutions like Microsoft's Copilot and ChatGPT. "We are now more mature in using AI to support the core foundation of how the company operates."

Goetter has served as CFO and COO of this "play company" since May 2023, and the company will move from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to Boston next year. She previously served as treasurer at motorcycle giant Harley-Davidson (according to her LinkedIn profile).

Goetter said one simple yet effective application of AI in the business is demand forecasting, a process that has evolved to be "almost entirely AI-driven," whereas in the past it was done by employees using spreadsheets.

Strong partnerships

Although Hasbro has embraced AI, it is "quite clear" about where it applies: as a creative company, "anything involving art or the creative process is protected from AI," Goetter said. "But in every other aspect of how the company operates, we are striving to be AI-first."

According to related reports, the company last year faced some consumer backlash over its use of AI in the development of products for "Wizards of the Coast" or "Dungeons & Dragons." Goetter said Thursday that Hasbro's games division—including card games like "Dungeons & Dragons" and "Magic: The Gathering"—has become a growth engine for the business, as the company transforms from a toy company into a "play" company while driving growth through intellectual property licensing agreements.

This change has prompted some adjustments to the company's internal structure, including the finance organization. About two years ago, the company split its finance function into two separate groups: one focused on corporate finance (including areas like audit and tax), and the other "close to the business, helping to anticipate risks and assist... with all the major decisions that need to be made."

Hasbro has also established partnerships with major companies like Disney—extending its "Star Wars" and "Marvel" toy licenses again in April—and with Netflix, and according to an October 21 press release, the company partnered with fellow toy maker Mattel to produce merchandise for the hit film "KPop Demon Hunters."

Although the "KPop Demon Hunters" toys will not hit the market in the upcoming holiday season—Hasbro stated in October that the target release date is spring 2026—the Play-Doh Barbie, also jointly launched by Hasbro and Mattel, has already been available since this summer, Goetter said Thursday when asked about holiday consumer trends the company is watching.

"The big event we're most looking forward to is Play-Doh Barbie... it's already out," Goetter said. "As everyone knows, Barbie belongs to Mattel, so this is a very interesting collaboration, with the two toy giants joining forces to create a major holiday season product."