#06: The Rule of 40 and AI ROI: What CFOs Need to Balance Growth and Profit with Blaine Fitzgerald

In this episode, Dan Thompson speaks with Blaine Fitzgerald, CFO at Kinaxis and former VP Finance at Shopify, about what it takes to drive sustainable, capital-efficient growth in today’s market.Blaine breaks down how he applies the Rule of 40 to balance growth and profitability, why AI is a financial lever, and how CFOs can build investor confidence through operational clarity and credible guidance. From build-buy-partner decisions to AI-enabled forecasting, this is a masterclass in modern CFO leadership.Key Takeaways:✔️ Why every CFO needs to build a high “trust battery” with investors and internal teams✔️ How to apply the Rule of 40 to prioritise sustainable, profitable growth✔️ Practical AI use cases in finance and supply chain that deliver immediate ROI✔️ The build–buy–partner framework Kinaxis uses to scale efficientlySubscribe to the Next Exit podcast.Check out Dan’s Private Equity-Grade Forecasting software, Kluster, here: https://www.kluster.com/Send podcast guest pitches to: [email protected] out Dan’s Private Equity-Grade Forecasting software, Kluster, here: https://www.kluster.com/Send podcast guest pitches to: [email protected]