The AI Pilot Launchpad - for CFOs
John Michael Thomas
Chief AI Officer | AI Author & Advisor
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An excuse-free working session: Walk in stuck, walk out ready to launch
Here's what the data actually says: most CFOs haven't even started a single AI pilot.
Not because you're not paying attention. Not because you don't have the skills. Not because you don't see the value. Because you don't know which risks are real, and you just don't know where to start.
Meanwhile the CEO wants results, your team wants a green light, and your peers are posting glowing LinkedIn updates about AI transformation – while you're sitting in yet another AI strategy session wondering when any of this produces something real.
This workshop exists to get you off that fence. It's a working session, capped at 8 participants so there's time to dig into your specific situation, and built around real ideas for finance-focused AI pilots that you and your peers bring to the room.
You'll evaluate your potential pilots using a structured framework, get direct feedback from the group, and leave with a specific pilot committed – and an AI Pilot Brief™ you can bring to your executive meeting tomorrow.
Your enrollment also includes a 60-minute 1-on-1 follow-up session to help you clear your first blocker – no matter what it is, or when you hit it.
What you’ll learn
Go from uncertainty about where to even start with AI, to confidence in selecting and running AI pilots that work.
Separate the blockers that are genuinely in your way from the ones you've been using as cover
Understand your organization's real readiness gap – and whether it's an actual blocker or just a target you can't hit yet
Apply a structured selection framework to identify pilots with real scope, real data, and real success criteria
Avoid the most common first-pilot mistake: starting with something too vague to measure or too ambitious to succeed at
Run your candidates through the PACED ROI™ framework with direct instructor and peer feedback
Leave with a real pilot plan in hand, not a framework you might use someday
Receive a curated breakdown of high-value finance AI use cases with the capability requirements for each
Identify which use cases you can implement now, which to build toward – and the sequence that builds your team's capability naturally.
Build a structured one-page document during the session: scope, success criteria, launch plan, and what you'll learn regardless of outcome
Walk out with a ready-to-present plan you can show your CEO tomorrow – not notes from a workshop
Understand what running an AI pilot actually looks like week to week – as a manager, not a technician
Learn how to monitor your pilot so real blockers surface fast, and failures capture lessons that save you more than the pilot cost
Workshop agenda
Welcome & Reframe: The Real State of AI Adoption (30 min)
We'll look at the actual data on AI adoption, cut through the hype, and identify where you are and who is really behind.
Learn & Exchange: Real Blockers vs. Convenient Excuses (30 min)
There's a difference between what's genuinely in your way and what you may be using as cover. We draw that line.
Apply: Pick Your AI Pilot (10 min)
You pick the pilot idea you'll work with as your lens for everything that follows. (No ideas? You'll get our Finance AI Use Case Guide and choose from there.)
Learn: How to Pick AI Pilots that Succeed (40 min)
You'll learn how to use PACED ROI™, a practical framework for identifying which pilots have real potential and which are likely to hit a wall; includes a walkthrough of a real finance AI pilot.
Apply & Exchange: Evaluating Your AI Pilots (40 min)
You apply PACED ROI™ to your own pilot idea, then each participant shares their evaluation and receives group feedback while John facilitates.
Learn: Proven AI Use Cases in Finance (30 min)
We'll review a curated list of AI use cases with proven success in finance, and what capabilities are needed for each. If your pilot idea isn't on the list, we'll discuss why and what to do about it.
Apply: Commit and Plan Your Launch (20 min)
You pick a pilot and say it out loud. Then you map the first 30 days: who needs to approve it, what the first week looks like, what success looks like, and how you'll measure it.
Learn: Running the Pilot and Learning From the Outcome (30 min)
What running a pilot actually looks like week to week, how to capture what you learn, and why even a "failed" pilot can be worth more than a successful one nobody learned from.
Apply: Complete Your AI Pilot Brief™ (15 min)
You finish your AI Pilot Brief™ in the room: scope, success criteria, launch plan, and what you'll learn regardless of outcome. You leave with a document you can put in front of your CEO tomorrow.
Exchange: Close (20 min) & Q&A (no hard stop)
Open reflection and written evaluations. Then, unlimited Q&A: Everyone is free to leave, but John stays on the line to answer every question, for as long as it takes.
Learn directly from John
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John Michael Thomas
Chief AI Officer | Advisor - CFO AI Advisors | Author, Lead AI with Confidence
Who this workshop is for
Finance leaders unsure where to start with AI. Everyone's talking about AI, but nobody's telling you which move to make first.
CFOs unsure about AI risks and costs. You're hesitant to sign off on anything without a way to protect your organization and budget.
Finance leaders handed an AI initiative.
Someone gave you responsibility, but nobody gave you a map; you have to figure it out anyway.
What's included
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Live sessions
Learn directly from John Michael Thomas in a real-time, interactive format.
Live pilot evaluation
Your own pilot idea evaluated during the session itself, with direct instructor and peer feedback.
Certificate of completion
Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.
Lifetime access
Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.
1-on-1 follow-up session (1 hour)
A private consulting session to help you overcome any one blocker for your pilot - no matter what it is or when it hits.
PACED ROI™ AI Project Selection Framework
A step-by-step guide to evaluate AI project proposals – which can be used to evaluate AI investments across your whole organization.
Proven Finance AI Use Case Guide
A curated, prioritized list of AI use cases with value for finance teams, including team capabilities needed for success.
Your AI Project Brief™
A structured one-page document you build during the session, and can share with your executive team immediately.
Maven Guarantee
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Frequently asked questions
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Save 20%+ when 2 or more teammates enroll in the same cohort.
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Run a cohort for your org
A dedicated cohort with a custom schedule and curriculum, tailored to your team.
Book a private cohort$2,050
USD
11am–3:30pm EST