In this webinar, we’ll unpack insights from Citizens’ third annual survey of U.S. midsize company CFOs and private equity leaders, revealing how excitement for AI is building across the enterprise—from back-office teams to the C-suite. The discussion will explore the rapid rise of agentic AI as a catalyst for adoption in 2025, along with the most impactful use cases shaping finance and operations as we enter 2026.

Our panel will examine how organizations are leveraging AI for fraud prevention, cybersecurity, financial planning and analysis, and real-time transaction monitoring, while also addressing the growing importance of customer satisfaction as a primary measure of AI success. We’ll also discuss why PE firms are actively seeking AI-optimized portfolio companies and how CFOs are planning for the next phase of AI maturity.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how AI is delivering measurable value today—and how finance leaders are positioning their organizations for the future.

Key Topics & Takeaways

 Why more midsize CFOs plan to increase AI investment over the next five years

How agentic AI has emerged as a major driver of AI usage in 2025, and how that will carry into 2026

The role of AI in fraud detection, cybersecurity, and financial reporting

Why customer satisfaction has become a critical metric for AI success

How PE firms are evaluating AI readiness when building their portfolios

Speakers

Moderator

Ryan Gatti
Head of Innovation, Citizens

Panelists

Mark Lehmann
Vice Chair of Commercial Banking, Citizens

Michael Ruttledge
Chief Information Officer and Head of Enterprise Technology, Citizens