Latest news with #BlackLine
Forbes
21 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
CFOs Require A Tech Partner, Not Just A Tech Stack
Sumit Johar is the Chief Information Officer at BlackLine. Artificial intelligence is redefining how finance teams operate, unlocking unprecedented capabilities across the Office of the CFO. From identifying anomalies in journal entries to generating variance commentary and forecasting payment risk, AI is accelerating finance transformation with speed and scale. Recent market surveys illustrate this trend—a Gartner survey found that 77% of finance leaders plan to boost spending in tech, with almost half (47%) of CFOs 'intending to increase spending by 10% or more in 2025 compared to last year.' However, as AI adoption accelerates, many organizations are experiencing a growing problem: AI sprawl. Business units independently purchase AI-enabled tools, often without IT oversight or cross-functional alignment. This decentralized approach can lead to misaligned workflows, inconsistent data, redundant technology and escalating compliance concerns. This risk is magnified in today's software-as-a-service landscape. The SaaS model, long celebrated for its accessibility and scalability, is undergoing a transformation of its own. AI is reshaping traditional SaaS in fundamental ways, from replacing dashboards with conversational interfaces to introducing agents that autonomously act. The shift is forcing organizations to rethink not only how they use SaaS, but how they govern it. In this new reality, CIOs and CTOs are stepping into expanded roles, not just as technology leaders, but as critical partners to the CFO. Together, they are helping build the secure, scalable and intelligent foundation that finance teams need to thrive in an AI-powered, data-saturated enterprise. CFOs Need Strategic Technology Partners Now More Than Ever CFOs are under increasing pressure to deliver margin expansion, maintain cost control and offer predictive insight into business performance. Meeting these expectations requires more than financial acumen. It demands a modern, integrated tech stack that functions as a single source of truth. Yet, the decentralized adoption of AI tools is creating new obstacles. Data silos are emerging across departments, making it harder to reconcile records and ensure consistent financial reporting. Security and compliance risks multiply when unvetted tools process sensitive financial data. Redundant applications are bloating budgets while delivering little return on investment. And many AI features embedded in SaaS offerings lack the audit trails and explainability required for CFOs to sign off with confidence. This is where strategic partnership becomes essential. CIOs and CTOs bring structure, governance and enterprise-scale discipline to AI adoption. Leading organizations are forming cross-functional technology councils and AI governance boards to evaluate new solutions before they are purchased or deployed. These boards validate business needs, assess integration and security readiness, and align each investment with measurable business outcomes. Such rigor is increasingly important in the AI era. For example, many SaaS tools are now analyzing unstructured data (like invoices, expenses, order forms)—sources that traditional finance systems were never designed to interpret. While this creates new opportunities for insight, it also raises governance questions. Who owns AI-generated insights derived from blended sources? How do teams prevent biased interpretations of ambiguous data? These are not abstract concerns. Without clear frameworks, AI can compromise financial integrity rather than enhance it. By bringing finance and technology leaders together, organizations are creating disciplined strategies that anchor AI in reality. Every deployment is assessed for its value, compliance posture and risk exposure. This collaborative approach ensures that AI is used to support financial accuracy, not undermine it. Building The Finance Tech Stack CFOs Can Trust As the enterprise AI landscape evolves, finance leaders are rethinking what makes a tech stack trustworthy. In an age of volatility and mounting regulatory demands, CFOs want more than tools that automate. They want systems that explain, adapt and integrate—without disrupting the integrity of their core architecture. Transparency, audit readiness and the ability to scale are now baseline requirements. Many traditional SaaS vendors are embedding AI into their platforms, but in doing so, some ask finance teams to either heavily customize their ERP systems or conform to closed ecosystems. That approach may deliver initial velocity, but it rarely supports sustainable transformation. Today's CFOs are looking for interoperable, composable, ERP-agnostic systems that meet them where they are and grow with them. AI-powered automation is beginning to challenge long-standing SaaS business models. Traditional seat-based pricing assumes human interaction. But if AI agents are performing tasks autonomously, enterprises may no longer need the same number of user licenses. The future may involve outcome-based pricing models, where companies pay for what AI accomplishes, not just for access to the platform. CIOs will be at the center of these decisions. Whether building custom AI agents in-house or leveraging AI-enhanced SaaS, they must help CFOs assess what's worth buying, what's worth building and what must be governed. Discipline, Partnership And A Future-Ready Finance Function AI is not a trend. It is a foundational capability reshaping how decisions are made, risks are managed and value is delivered. But to harness it effectively, organizations must unite around a common framework: one rooted in clarity, compliance and control. The future belongs to finance and IT leaders who see AI not as a series of features, but as a strategic asset. These leaders are driving toward shared KPIs, aligning on platforms that enable agility without compromising governance and anchoring innovation in measurable business impact. Ultimately, CFOs don't need more tools. They need a tech partner who understands that in finance, trust is currency. That trust is earned through systems that deliver transparency, insights that can be explained and controls that can scale. By fostering stronger partnerships between CIOs and CFOs, enterprises can move beyond fragmented innovation and into a future where finance is not just automated, but accountable and ready to lead. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Cision Canada
3 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
BlackLine Appoints Greg Hughes to Board of Directors, Expanding Enterprise Software and Strategic Growth Expertise
LOS ANGELES, /CNW/ -- BlackLine, Inc. (Nasdaq: BL), the future-ready financial operations platform for the Office of the CFO, today announced the appointment of Greg Hughes to its Board of Directors effective July 25, 2025. A seasoned enterprise software executive, Hughes brings decades of experience leading strategic transformation at scale. Hughes most recently served as CEO of Veritas, a global leader in data protection and other mission-critical software. Under his leadership, Veritas re-ignited ARR growth, successfully transitioned to a new subscription pricing model, and created and scaled a cloud business. The transformation of Veritas culminated in a merger of the data protection business with Cohesity, an AI-powered data security and management company. Hughes continues to serve on the board of the merged entity. In addition to his executive roles, Hughes brings significant public board experience, having served on the board of LogMeIn, a publicly traded collaboration software company, from 2011 to 2017. Hughes' appointment follows the addition of Sam Balaji, former CEO of Deloitte Consulting, to BlackLine's board in June 2025. Together, Hughes and Balaji bring decades of executive leadership across enterprise software, consulting, cybersecurity, and digital transformation—adding to an already experienced and engaged board that continues to play a vital role in guiding BlackLine's growth and innovation strategy. "We are thrilled to welcome Greg to BlackLine's Board of Directors," said Owen Ryan, Co-CEO and Chairman of the Board of BlackLine. "With Greg and Sam joining an already strong and strategic board, we are deepening our bench of expertise in enterprise technology, global operations, and transformation at scale. The collective leadership and experience of our board is a powerful asset as we continue executing our strategy and delivering long-term value to our customers and shareholders." "Greg's track record of scaling companies and leading through inflection points makes him a natural fit for BlackLine," added Therese Tucker, Co-CEO and Founder of BlackLine. "He understands what it takes to build and grow category-defining platforms, and I'm excited to welcome him as we continue to innovate for the Office of the CFO." "BlackLine has built a differentiated platform with significant opportunities ahead," said Greg Hughes. "I'm honored to join the board and look forward to working with the other board members and leadership team to help advance the company's strategy and support its continued momentum as a category leader in financial operations." About BlackLine BlackLine (Nasdaq: BL), the future-ready platform for the Office of the CFO, drives digital finance transformation by empowering organizations with accurate, efficient, and intelligent financial operations. BlackLine's comprehensive platform addresses mission-critical processes, including record-to-report and invoice-to-cash, enabling unified and accurate data, streamlined and optimized processes, and real-time insight through visibility, automation, and AI. BlackLine's proven, collaborative approach ensures continuous transformation, delivering immediate impact and sustained value. With a proven track record of innovation, industry-leading R&D investment, and world-class security practices, more than 4,400 customers across multiple industries partner with BlackLine to lead their organizations into the future. For more information, please visit Media Contact Samantha Darilek VP, Communications, [email protected] Investor Contact: Matt Humphries SVP, Investor Relations, [email protected] Safe Harbor This document contains forward-looking statements. These statements may relate to, but are not limited to, expectations of future operating results or financial performance of BlackLine, Inc. ("BlackLine" or the "Company"), the calculation of certain key financial and operating metrics, capital expenditures, introduction of new solutions or products, expansion into new markets, regulatory compliance, plans for growth and future operations, technological capabilities, and strategic relationships, as well as assumptions relating to the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "plan," anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "intend," "potential," "would," "continue," "ongoing" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved, if at all. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or management's good faith beliefs and assumptions as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward looking statements. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this presentation may not occur and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described in greater detail under the heading "Risk Factors" in the filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") from time to time, which are available on our website at and on the SEC's website at Except as required by law, BlackLine does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. In addition, statements that "we believe" and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this presentation, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements. In addition to U.S. GAAP financials, this document includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, including non-GAAP revenue, gross profit, gross margin, free cash flow, sales and marketing expense, research and development expense, general and administrative expense, loss from operations and operating margin (loss). These non-GAAP measures are in addition to, not a substitute for or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measures we use may differ from the non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Yext, SentinelOne, BlackLine, Paycom, and Teradata Shares Plummet, What You Need To Know
A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after the Trump administration announced intentions to impose a 35% tariff on many goods imported from Canada. This move is far more than a typical trade dispute; it targets the United States' largest and most deeply integrated trading partner. Canada is not merely a neighbor but a critical component of North American supply chains, particularly in sectors like automotive, energy, and critical minerals. This move has sparked concerns about potential retaliatory actions and a wider impact on the North American economy, leading to a risk-off sentiment among investors. The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq all opened lower, pulling back from recent record highs and heading for their first weekly loss in three stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks. Among others, the following stocks were impacted: Listing Management Software company Yext (NYSE:YEXT) fell 3.5%. Is now the time to buy Yext? Access our full analysis report here, it's free. Endpoint Security company SentinelOne (NYSE:S) fell 3.2%. Is now the time to buy SentinelOne? Access our full analysis report here, it's free. Tax Software company BlackLine (NASDAQ:BL) fell 3.5%. Is now the time to buy BlackLine? Access our full analysis report here, it's free. HR Software company Paycom (NYSE:PAYC) fell 3.3%. Is now the time to buy Paycom? Access our full analysis report here, it's free. Data Infrastructure company Teradata (NYSE:TDC) fell 3.1%. Is now the time to buy Teradata? Access our full analysis report here, it's free. Yext's shares are not very volatile and have only had 9 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today's move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business. Yext is up 20% since the beginning of the year, but at $7.85 per share, it is still trading 12.5% below its 52-week high of $8.97 from June 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Yext's shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $467.54. Today's young investors likely haven't read the timeless lessons in Gorilla Game: Picking Winners In High Technology because it was written more than 20 years ago when Microsoft and Apple were first establishing their supremacy. But if we apply the same principles, then enterprise software stocks leveraging their own generative AI capabilities may well be the Gorillas of the future. So, in that spirit, we are excited to present our Special Free Report on a profitable, fast-growing enterprise software stock that is already riding the automation wave and looking to catch the generative AI next. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Techday NZ
03-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Creditsafe wins 2025 ROI award after 234% boost from BlackLine
Creditsafe has been named a winner of the 2025 Nucleus Research ROI Awards for the results achieved by its deployment of BlackLine's financial operations platform. Creditsafe, a company focused on business intelligence, received this recognition following the implementation of BlackLine's Invoice-to-Cash solution, which led to a 234% return on investment and a payback period of 12.4 months. According to Nucleus Research, the annual ROI awards are presented to the top ten technology deployments worldwide that demonstrate exceptional and quantifiable return on investment. Creditsafe's acknowledgement comes as a result of its efforts to automate collections and cash allocation processes, resulting in enhanced efficiency, visibility, and scalability for its international operations. Andy Lilley, Managing Director, Global Invoice to Cash at BlackLine, commented on the result: "We're proud to see Creditsafe recognized among the top ROI-driven transformations of the year. Their results are a testament to what's possible when forward-thinking finance teams embrace automation to drive measurable impact. BlackLine is here to make that success repeatable, scalable, and achievable for every customer." As part of its technology adoption, Creditsafe utilised BlackLine's Invoice-to-Cash offerings, specifically the Collections Management and Cash Application functions. This transition led to a measurable reduction in operational costs, a faster cash lifecycle, and improvements in customer experience. Additionally, Creditsafe's finance team was able to support global growth without increasing staff numbers. BlackLine has stated that these results reflect its ongoing commitment to improving its platform. Most recently, the company introduced a modernised user interface for its Cash Application module, which is now generally available. The update forms part of BlackLine's overall goal to refine the Invoice-to-Cash process, providing customers with a system that is intended to be both intelligent and straightforward to use. Jason Braidwood, Global Head of Credit & Collections at Creditsafe, shared his experience with the platform: "BlackLine streamlined our order-to-cash processes and freed our team to focus on value-added work. I would advise any credit manager to adopt tools like BlackLine—it truly makes life easier." The recognition from Nucleus Research highlights BlackLine's position in providing artificial intelligence-enabled solutions that assist finance, accounting, and credit teams in adopting more strategic approaches to their work. The company's technology aims to accelerate business operations, support faster decision-making through unified data, and automate critical financial processes. BlackLine's unified platform is currently utilised by nearly 4,400 organisations globally. The company aims to deliver results by streamlining financial processes and enabling finance teams to operate with greater accuracy and efficiency, and has continued to invest in tools to assist organisations with meeting business performance goals and supporting expansion initiatives. Creditsafe, the world's most widely used provider of business credit reports, continues to transform how companies access and use commercial information by delivering accurate, easy-to-understand data on more than 430 million businesses globally. Follow us on: Share on:
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Creditsafe Realizes 234% ROI with BlackLine, Named Winner of 2025 Nucleus Research ROI Awards
Third-party recognition validates the measurable impact of BlackLine's AI-powered financial operations platform on global finance modernization LOS ANGELES, July 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackLine, Inc. (Nasdaq: BL), the future-ready financial operations platform for the Office of the CFO, today announced that its customer Creditsafe, a global leader in business intelligence, has been named a winner of the 2025 Nucleus Research ROI Awards. The recognition highlights the measurable business impact of Creditsafe's BlackLine deployment, which achieved a 234% return on investment and a 12.4-month payback period. Each year, Nucleus Research honors the top 10 technology deployments worldwide that achieve exceptional return on investment. Creditsafe was recognized for its success in automating collections and cash allocation processes with BlackLine, resulting in improved efficiency, increased visibility, and greater scalability across international operations. "We're proud to see Creditsafe recognized among the top ROI-driven transformations of the year," said Andy Lilley, Managing Director, Global Invoice to Cash at BlackLine. "Their results are a testament to what's possible when forward-thinking finance teams embrace automation to drive measurable impact. BlackLine is here to make that success repeatable, scalable, and achievable for every customer." Leveraging BlackLine's Invoice-to-Cash solution—including Collections Management and Cash Application—Creditsafe reduced operational costs, accelerated the cash lifecycle, and elevated their customer experience. The finance team can now support rapid global expansion without adding headcount. This milestone reflects BlackLine's continued investment in innovation. The recent launch of BlackLine's modernized Cash Application user interface, now generally available, marks a significant evolution in BlackLine's Invoice-to-Cash journey – offering customers a more intelligent, streamlined, and intuitive experience. "BlackLine streamlined our order-to-cash processes and freed our team to focus on value-added work," said Jason Braidwood, Global Head of Credit & Collections, Creditsafe. "I would advise any credit manager to adopt tools like BlackLine—it truly makes life easier." This accolade reinforces BlackLine's continued leadership in delivering AI-enabled, outcome-focused solutions that empower finance, accounting, & credit teams to operate more strategically and efficiently. From accelerating time to value to enabling smarter decisions through unified data and automation, BlackLine is helping finance leaders transform their operations with confidence. To learn more about how Creditsafe and other leading organizations are driving results with BlackLine, visit About BlackLine BlackLine (Nasdaq: BL), the future-ready platform for the Office of the CFO, drives digital finance transformation by empowering organizations with accurate, efficient, and intelligent financial operations. BlackLine's comprehensive platform addresses mission-critical processes, including record-to-report and invoice-to-cash, enabling unified and accurate data, streamlined and optimized processes, and real-time insight through visibility, automation, and AI. BlackLine's proven, collaborative approach ensures continuous transformation, delivering immediate impact and sustained value. With a proven track record of innovation, industry-leading R&D investment, and world-class security practices, more than 4,400 customers across multiple industries partner with BlackLine to lead their organizations into the future. For more information, please visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE BlackLine Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
