OpenAI CFO Wants Finance Talent Fluent in Both AI and Excel

The Chief Financial Officer at OpenAI, Sarah Friar, has said that AI tools' prowess is becoming an important skill for finance professionals. She compared the importance of current AI tools to that of spreadsheet software in previous decades. At the Liquidity Summit 2026, she said OpenAI's hiring expectations are evolving alongside the rapid adoption of AI in workplaces.As per a report published by Fortune, OpenAI's CFO said, 'I would never hire a finance person who didn't know how to use Excel, and I probably wouldn't hire a finance person today that doesn't know how to use a tool like Codex.' For those unaware, Codes is OpenAI's coding agent that helps in automating software development and technical tasks via natural language prompts. As suggested

by OpenAI, knowledge workers now account for roughly 20 per cent of Codex users and are growing at more than three times the rate of other user groups.Big Tech Under Fire: UK Gives Apple And Google 3 Months To Act On Child Safety

The comments from OpenAI's CFO came at a time when firms are eagerly looking for individuals who can work effectively with AI systems. According to a recent Deloitte finance Trends 2026 survey, it was revealed that AI and automation capabilities are most looked-out for in this day and age. Friar also said that understanding AI tools may soon become a standard expectation for finance professionals, similar to other skills like proficiency in spreadsheets.She further said that OpenAI expects computing resources to remain constrained even as the company continues to invest heavily in infrastructure. Furthermore, the executive continues to invest heavily in infrastructure. All in all, it is clear with her statements that any of those in the finance field thinking that they can secure a good job with AI alone are day dreaming, and so are those who stick of traditional ways. The most successful will be the ones who have a strong core and have mastered AI as well.