1113: The Strategic Leap from Finance Partner to Business Architect: Josh Schauer, CFO, insightsoftware

When Josh Schauer joined Longview, a Toronto-based software company, he had no idea that a transformative chapter of his career was just a few years away. In 2020, Longview was acquired by insightsoftware—a turning point that brought both uncertainty and opportunity. “It’s kind of equal parts fear and optimism,” he tells us. “You wonder: Am I going to have a job coming out of this?” But his then-CFO advocated for him, making clear to the acquiring company, “they can’t lose you.” That moment, Schauer tells us, “swung the pendulum to the opportunistic side.” Rather than move on, Schauer leaned in—ultimately rising to become CFO of insightsoftware five years later. Today, he leads finance for a company that has completed 31 acquisitions and delivers AI-powered tools for CFOs—tools Schauer uses himself. Early in his career, a mentor CFO gave Schauer full ownership of budgeting, board reporting, and strategic analysis. That experience shaped his belief that finance is “a strategic operating partner.” It’s a mindset that drives his approach today, from implementing daily agile forecasting to integrating AI across functions. “We are an AI-first organization,” he explains, with AI liaisons and company-wide training supporting adoption. Though measuring ROI can be tricky, he sees clear returns in efficiency and insight. Still, he keeps people at the center: “Is the team taken care of? Do they feel engaged?” For a CFO who’s navigated acquisitions and transformation, Schauer tells us, team satisfaction remains one of his top priorities.