What CEOs, CTOs, and CFOs Are Really Saying About AI

In the last few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of sitting down with three very different C-suite leaders—a CEO, a CTO, and a CFO. Different sectors. Different sizes. But the same underlying question: How do we embrace AI in a way that makes sense for our business—fast, smart, and without wasting a cent?

At Showoff, we’ve been helping companies build and implement data driven solutions using technology such and Salesforce, Mulesoft, Data Cloud and Heroku for years—but these conversations highlighted just how urgent and real the need is in 2025. So here’s what I took away from those chats—and what it means for anyone trying to lead their business through this AI revolution.

The CEO I met had a crystal-clear ambition: “I want AI to make my team more productive and free them up for higher-value work.” He wasn’t talking about vanity projects or theoretical use cases. He was thinking practically—automating repetitive workflows, enhancing customer engagement, and giving teams tools to make better decisions, faster.

He saw AI not as a tech initiative, but a business transformation one. That’s where Agentic AI—intelligent agents that make decisions, adapt, and even interact with your data and customers—came in. When layered into Salesforce Experience Cloud and supported by a strong data foundation, the results can be game-changing.

The CTO was a realist: “I’ve been asked to implement AI somewhere in the business—but also cut my costs by 30%.”

That pressure is becoming the norm. He had a small team, aging infrastructure, and a backlog of priorities. The solution? Targeted implementation. We spoke about using Heroku and Salesforce Functions to build lightweight, modular AI tools quickly—and cost-effectively.

His other issue? A growing Data Lake with no strategy for access or insight. This is where Salesforce’s Data Cloud and Mulesoft became part of the conversation—unlocking real-time insights without building massive new systems.

“I'm all for innovation,” the CFO told me, “but it needs to increase revenue or save on costs—or preferably both.”

This is the CFO lens, and it's sharper than ever in today's economy. We discussed how AI isn’t just an IT project—it’s a financial one. Intelligent automation, predictive sales tools, and proactive customer support (all possible within the Salesforce ecosystem) offer measurable ROI. Not in years—in months.

With Agentic AI, it’s possible to create self-learning systems that drive efficiency and surface revenue opportunities from data you already have.

While I didn’t meet this CIO last week, their shadow was in every meeting. In all three conversations, someone mentioned their data lake or digital backlog—and how “IT is too stretched to get to it.”

Let’s be clear: AI won't work without good data. But the CIO can’t do it alone. That’s where our team at Showoff steps in—to support overstretched internal teams, help consolidate and connect data, and build AI applications with them, not just for them.

Across every role in the C-suite, the AI conversation is shifting from “Should we?” to “How fast can we?” But it needs to be pragmatic, cost-effective, and grounded in real business outcomes.

Whether you’re looking to:

Let’s talk.

At Showoff, we help ambitious teams harness the power of Salesforce, Agentic AI, and real-time data to drive real results. Whether you’re a CEO, CTO, CFO—or the CIO quietly holding the digital ship together—we’d love to explore how AI can move your business forward.

Drop me a message here or reach out to our team here.

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By Barry Sheehan, CCO at Showoff