Zane Rowe is the CFO of Workday, a California-based company that develops enterprise software for managing finance, HR, and planning. Workday has been growing rapidly, and its growth-oriented culture is a central theme of the discussion we recorded between Zane and McKinsey's CFO Eric Kutcher



Listen to Eric's conversation with Palo Alto Network's CFO, Dipak Golechha: https://link.chtbl.com/SgZPqa6t

Listen to Eric's conversation with Teradata CFO Claire Bramley: https://link.chtbl.com/w3ustEBP

Join our Strategy and Corporate Finance  LinkedIn community and follow us on X at @McKStrategy. 

Related reading: 

Data, analytics, and decisions: An interview with Teradata’s CFO
Palo Alto Networks CFO on AI, cybersecurity, and the finance leader’s mandate
Gen AI: A guide for CFOs

<a href="https://www.workday.com/en-au/company/about-workday/leadership/zane-rowe.html">Zane Rowe</a> is the CFO of <a href="https://www.workday.com/en-au/homepage.html">Workday</a>, a California-based company that develops enterprise software for managing finance, HR, and planning. Workday has been growing rapidly, and its growth-oriented culture is a central theme of the discussion we recorded between Zane and McKinsey's CFO <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/eric-kutcher">Eric Kutcher</a> <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/w3ustEBP"></a>
<hr>
Listen to Eric's conversation with Palo Alto Network's CFO, Dipak Golechha: <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/SgZPqa6t">https://link.chtbl.com/SgZPqa6t</a>
Listen to Eric's conversation with Teradata CFO Claire Bramley: <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/w3ustEBP">https://link.chtbl.com/w3ustEBP</a>
Join our Strategy and Corporate Finance  <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&amp;-corporate-finance/?viewAsMember=true">LinkedIn community</a> and follow us on X at <a href="https://twitter.com/McKStrategy">@McKStrategy</a>.  Related reading:  <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/data-analytics-and-decisions-an-interview-with-teradatas-cfo"></a>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/data-analytics-and-decisions-an-interview-with-teradatas-cfo">Data, analytics, and decisions: An interview with Teradata’s CFO</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/palo-alto-networks-cfo-on-ai-cybersecurity-and-the-finance-leaders-mandate">Palo Alto Networks CFO on AI, cybersecurity, and the finance leader’s mandate</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/gen-ai-a-guide-for-cfos">Gen AI: A guide for CFOs</a></li>
</ul>

We talk with McKinsey partners and corporate executives on the challenges they face creating lasting strategies in a fast-changing world. We also examine the different ways these executives approach these challenges and the new and innovative ways they think of creating a vision for their enterprises.

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The world is moving faster, and as upheaval becomes the norm, vast business opportunities will be within the grasp of the extraordinary few.  But it takes bold people and courageous approaches to seize those opportunities and create value.

In each episode of our weekly podcast, we interview the world’s highest-performing CEOs, CFOs, innovators, and McKinsey experts and discuss how they build the courage, clarity, conviction, and cohesion that allow their businesses to win by moving faster than the world around them. 

The world is moving faster, and as upheaval becomes the norm, vast business opportunities will be within the grasp of the extraordinary few. &nbsp;But it takes bold people and courageous approaches to seize those opportunities and create value.
In each episode of our weekly podcast, we interview the world&rsquo;s highest-performing CEOs, CFOs, innovators, and McKinsey experts and discuss how they build the courage, clarity, conviction, and cohesion that allow their businesses to win by moving faster than the world around them.&nbsp;

197. Growth, AI, and the future of finance:  An interview with Workday’s CFO Zane Rowe

The traditional annual budget process is broken. It is rigid, backward-looking, and not operationally fit to keep up with today's fast-moving markets. Top-performing companies are outpacing peers by budgeting differently. Matthew Maloney, Karen McLoughlin, and Michele Tam join us to discuss their recent article on how top-performing companies are transforming the budget from a control mechanism to a dynamic road map for driving growth. They share how leading CFOs are more closely linking the budget to strategic priorities, and how harnessing AI enables a data-driven, forward-looking approach.

Related insights

Your budget is killing your strategy—here are four ways to fix it

The CFO as growth leader: A conversation with Levi’s Harmit Singh

CFOs have been concerned about geopolitical impacts for months

The traditional annual budget process is broken. It is rigid, backward-looking, and not operationally fit to keep up with today's fast-moving markets. Top-performing companies are outpacing peers by budgeting differently. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/matthew-maloney?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Matthew Maloney</a>, <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fkaren-mcloughlin%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CClare_Kitada-SYDN%40external.mckinsey.com%7Cb61f93b7bf14475997c208dee9b0efd7%7Ccc8936bc93824fff87cb6f55999549e7%7C0%7C0%7C639205143362945458%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=3rAqb2n6hN%2B0VlcY1nixe1BEI2YdUL0dTrXv7A%2FBRZk%3D&amp;reserved=0">Karen McLoughlin,</a> and <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fmichele-tam%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CClare_Kitada-SYDN%40external.mckinsey.com%7Cb61f93b7bf14475997c208dee9b0efd7%7Ccc8936bc93824fff87cb6f55999549e7%7C0%7C0%7C639205143362981329%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=9F03sdx2huHDWE5dgw5M%2BISMUEesCQsBZNFNlxOlMe8%3D&amp;reserved=0">Michele Tam</a> join us to discuss their recent <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/your-budget-is-killing-your-strategy-here-are-four-ways-to-fix-it?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">article</a> on how top-performing companies are transforming the budget from a control mechanism to a dynamic road map for driving growth. They share how leading CFOs are more closely linking the budget to strategic priorities, and how harnessing AI enables a data-driven, forward-looking approach.
Related insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/your-budget-is-killing-your-strategy-here-are-four-ways-to-fix-it?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Your budget is killing your strategy&mdash;here are four ways to fix it</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-cfo-as-growth-leader-a-conversation-with-levis-harmit-singh">The CFO as growth leader: A conversation with Levi&rsquo;s Harmit Singh</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/cfos-have-been-concerned-about-geopolitical-impacts-for-months">CFOs have been concerned about geopolitical impacts for months</a>

316. Your budget is killing your strategy: 4 imperatives for CFOs

Infrastructure is at a pivotal inflection point: its definition is expanding beyond traditional assets to digital and interconnected systems, demanding a fundamental mindset shift by governments, investors, and operators to plan, fund, and maintain integrated infrastructure that supports future growth and resilience. Alastair Green and Adrian Kwok discuss the latest findings from our 2026 Global Private Markets Report, take stock of the sector's latest trends, and reveal how private capital is responding to an evolving funding landscape

Related insights

2026 Global Private Markets Report

The Infrastructure Moment

www.mckinsey.com/pc

www.mckinsey.com/scf

Infrastructure is at a pivotal inflection point: its definition is expanding beyond traditional assets to digital and interconnected systems, demanding a fundamental mindset shift by governments, investors, and operators to plan, fund, and maintain integrated infrastructure that supports future growth and resilience.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/alastair-green?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Alastair Green</a> and <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fadriankwok%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CClare_Kitada-SYDN%40external.mckinsey.com%7C423f1fb464334d67802c08dee75f7745%7Ccc8936bc93824fff87cb6f55999549e7%7C0%7C0%7C639202594456961198%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=CWflHXjvMXFTo00GNV5A6bqdox3jRo61j9nxKi0vWlQ%3D&amp;reserved=0">Adrian Kwok</a> discuss the latest findings from our <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/private-capital/our-insights/global-private-markets-report?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">2026 Global Private Markets Report, </a>take stock of the sector's latest trends,&nbsp;and reveal how private capital is responding to an evolving funding landscape
Related insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/private-capital/our-insights/global-private-markets-report">2026 Global Private Markets Report</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/infrastructure/our-insights/the-infrastructure-moment">The Infrastructure Moment</a>
<a href="http://www.mckinsey.com/pc">www.mckinsey.com/pc</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights">www.mckinsey.com/scf</a>

315. The $106 trillion infrastructure opportunity: Private market outlook 

Competitive advantage is becoming much more fluid as market positions shift faster across industries, with advantages eroding and differentiation narrowing. Despite this increased volatility, companies often fail to actively monitor shifts in their competitive edge. Join Matt Banholzer and Laura LaBerge as they discuss their latest research on the erosion of competitive advantage and share what companies can do to maximize their edge over peers.

Related Insights  

Strategy’s biggest blind spot: Erosion of competitive advantage

How top economic performers lean into their competitive advantage to guide their strategy

Why accelerated resource allocation matters in the age of AI

Competitive advantage is becoming much more fluid as market positions shift faster across industries, with advantages eroding and differentiation narrowing. Despite this increased volatility, companies often fail to actively monitor shifts in their competitive edge. Join <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/matt-banholzer?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Matt Banholzer</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/laura-laberge?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Laura LaBerge</a>&nbsp;as they discuss their latest <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/strategys-biggest-blind-spot-erosion-of-competitive-advantage?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">research</a>&nbsp;on the erosion of competitive advantage and share what companies can do to maximize their edge over peers.
Related Insights&nbsp; 
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/strategys-biggest-blind-spot-erosion-of-competitive-advantage?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Strategy&rsquo;s biggest blind spot: Erosion of competitive advantage</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-top-economic-performers-lean-into-their-competitive-advantage-to-guide-their-strategy">How top economic performers lean into their competitive advantage to guide their strategy</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/why-accelerated-resource-allocation-matters-in-the-age-of-ai">Why accelerated resource allocation matters in the age of AI</a>

197. Growth, AI, and the future of finance: An interview with Workday’s CFO Zane Rowe

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