As artificial intelligence assumes responsibilities, supervisors focus on interpersonal connections.

During the Coins2Day Brainstorm AI conference held in San Francisco on Tuesday, which was organized by Workday, leaders stated that the significant change is how software is eliminating tedious work and reconceptualizing effective leadership as mentorship, discernment, and emotional guidance instead of direct oversight of tasks.

Stefano Corazza, who leads AI research at Canva, stated that the company's objective is to develop AI that supports individuals, providing them with “superpowers,” rather than substituting managers' strategic choices or interpersonal abilities.

Aashna Kircher, group general manager within the Office of the CHRO at Workday, stated that numerous supervisors continue to dedicate excessive time to monotonous duties. AI agents possesses the capability to alleviate a significant portion of that load, yet organizations also need to adjust their expectations, ensure managers are answerable, and equip them with sound judgment, Kircher elaborated. She proposed that businesses ought to contemplate inquiries like: “What does it mean to be the best coach or the best team enabler? What are the skill sets that you now have to grow in your teams in an era of AI, where the expectation is judgment, decision-making, and creativity?”

Where humans must still lead

BetterUp’s chief scientist, Kate Niederhoffer, distinguished between basic, collaborative, and adaptive performance, noting that humans—and especially managers—excel at the collaborative side: alignment, championing others, and cross-team trust. “And when they over-rely on AI or agents doing that work, we see really bad outcomes, and we also see collaborative atrophy,” Niederhoffer said.

When it comes to empathy and fostering connections, humans still hold a considerable advantage over artificial intelligence. According to her, if supervisors delegate these responsibilities to representatives, it negatively impacts both productivity and how things are viewed.

Amazon AGI SF Lab cognitive scientist Danielle Perszyk contended that supervisors are presently “tethered to a screen,” by productivity instruments that diminish output. She views AI agents as “universal teammates” capable of managing digital administrative tasks—browsing applications, monitoring progress, coordinating assignments—allowing both managers and employees to engage in more innovative and strategic thought processes.

Perszyk hopes teams will spend “far less time looking at screens,” but warned that current systems only simulate understanding of emotion. Her lab is working on “digital world models” and social training—multi-agent environments that mirror workplaces—so AI can better grasp team dynamics and support, rather than replace, the human emotional labor of management.​

Toby Roberts, who holds the position of SVP of engineering and technology at Zillow, stated that as artificial intelligence takes on more routine tasks, supervisors will have greater capacity to concentrate on areas where human insight and relationships are paramount, thereby altering discussions concerning management scope, proficiencies, and organizational structure.

You can watch the complete panel session here.

SherylEstrada
[email protected]

Leaderboard

Barbara Larson has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Workiva Inc., a company utilizing AI for financial, governance, risk, compliance, and sustainability reporting. Larson is scheduled to begin her tenure with the firm on January 20, 2026. Her career spans over two decades, with her most recent role being Chief Financial Officer at SentinelOne. Prior to that, Larson dedicated ten years to financial leadership at Workday, holding the position of CFO among others. In that capacity, she oversaw all finance and accounting operations, internal audit, and investor relations, while also contributing to business strategy and product innovation. Larson also occupied significant financial positions at VMware, TIBCO Software, and Symantec. Workiva had previously disclosed that Jill Klindt, its EVP, CFO, and treasurer, would be departing, with her employment concluding on December 26, 2025. On December 3, the board selected Julie Iskow to serve as interim CFO and treasurer, commencing December 27.

Marc Winniford has been named the new Chief Financial Officer for MoneyGram, a worldwide payment system, starting in February 2026. Winniford takes over from Gary W. Ferrera. Winniford's responsibilities will include a key part in driving a current financial overhaul as part of MoneyGram's larger revitalization effort. Winniford comes to MoneyGram from Wells Fargo, where he previously held the position of CFO for corporate and investment banking. Over his 17-year tenure at Wells Fargo, Winniford occupied several significant leadership posts, such as head of corporate finance (overseeing FP&A), assistant treasurer, head of corporate development, and various roles within treasury and fixed income. Additionally, he spent more than five years in investment banking at Lazard, providing strategic and M&A advice to international financial services firms. 

Big Deal

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates on Wednesday, signifying the third successive reduction in interest rates. This reduction of a quarter of a percentage point moved the federal funds rate to an intended bracket of 3.50% to 3.75%. The choice saw disagreement among decision-makers, as two favored maintaining current rates and one advocated for a more substantial decrease, yet the majority ultimately sanctioned the adjustment.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell described the current U.S. Economy as “very unusual.” He explained that inflation remains elevated, but that most of the remaining overshoot above the Fed’s 2% target is coming from goods categories directly affected by tariffs, rather than from broad domestic economic overheating that traditional monetary policy targets. Powell also noted that inflation excluding tariff-affected goods is running in the low 2% range.

Q&A with Gregory Daco, EY chief economist

CFO Daily: Was the Fed's decision justified primarily by weakening conditions in the job market?

Daco: A moderation in the job market was a significant factor, though not the only one. The committee presented the reduction as a safeguard against potential employment downturns in a setting where inflation dangers continue to lean upwards and incoming information is limited due to the shutdown. Consequently, this action highlights the inherent conflict within the dual mandate, rather than being a response to severe job market fragility.

CFO Daily: Do you think the latest rate cut will prompt more businesses to hire in the coming year?

Daco: Not significantly. The Federal Reserve indicated that monetary policy is currently within a wide neutral band, and any future changes will hinge on more definitive signs of a slowdown. While this position promotes steadiness, it's improbable to ignite a surge in employment; the majority of businesses are concentrating on improving output and making targeted hires, aligning with The Fed's own forecasts for consistent joblessness until 2026.

CFO Daily: While this development was largely expected, do you believe the Federal Reserve's more assertive tone elevates the requirements for additional reductions?

Daco: Correct. By reintroducing language on the “extent and timing of additional adjustments,”, the Federal Reserve essentially signaled a halt to the easing trend. Given the significant disagreement among policymakers and an upcoming shift towards a more restrictive stance, further reductions will now necessitate clearer indications that job growth is slowing and that underlying inflation is moving nearer to 3% by the start of 2026.

Going deeper

Overheard

"As a whole, international students are high-spend consumers, shelling out significant sums on housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and retail. The dollars spent by international students cycle through local economies."

—Bjorn Markeson, an economist at IMPLAN, states in a Coins2Day opinion piece. Markeson writes: "This school year, American colleges and universities saw a 17% decline in new international student enrollment. If you set aside the year of the pandemic, that’s the steepest decrease in over a decade. This reduction is making waves far beyond the halls of higher-ed. Based on my recent analysis, it represents a nearly $1 billion hit to the U.S. GDP."