On the younger end of the spectrum, nearly nine out of 10 finance students say they already have enough experience to use AI at work. They also see finance jobs as ones with relatively easy schedules. Nearly four out of five expect to work less than 40 hours a week—while 58% of working professionals say they actually work more than 40 hours. Only 16% associate a finance career with burnout, something that 57% of finance professionals have experienced personally.

Men are using AI and technology more frequently than women across all age groups. Just over seven in 10 male finance professionals say they rely on AI at least somewhat often, while only 61% of women said the same. And nearly a third of female finance workers with less than a decade of experience say automation and AI will be the biggest challenge facing their career over the next decade.

Regardless of how different groups feel about AI and technology, these gaps need to be bridged. Hands-on training on AI tools and more education about the functions they can perform could help make all ages feel more comfortable with them. (Considering the current situation with tariffs changing seemingly on a daily basis, deploying AI tools really might be the only way to make sense of the financial picture.) Giving women more opportunities with AI could also help equalize the way that the tools are seen and used. As for the up-and-coming finance students, they may know something about AI that the rest of the profession doesn’t. When the global economy stabilizes, AI tools may actually make the average finance professional’s week less stressful and eliminate long hours.

More and more companies that are looking for new CFOs want a little something extra: A CFO who can eventually become CEO. I talked to Laura McPhail, cofounder and partner at executive search firm Hedley May about this new trend, and how CFOs can use the opportunity to get themselves positioned for growth. An excerpt from our conversation is later in this newsletter.

If you like what you read here, you can easily share it online and on your social media pages. This newsletter, and all previous editions of Forbes CFO, can be found on our website here.

Until next time.

Last week was another Federal Reserve meeting, and once again, interest rates held steady at the 4.25% to 4.5% they’ve been at since December. “The risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen,” the committee said in a statement. As tariffs continue to shake the economy, the committee said, “uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased further.” Considering the uncertain situation, very few predicted any shift in rates—CME’s Group’s FedWatch tool predicted a 98% chance of a hold, while economists at JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America all forecast no change.

The only person who seemed to think a change should come was President Donald Trump, who once again started attacking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on social media after the meeting. “‘Too Late’ Jerome Powell is a FOOL, who doesn’t have a clue,” Trump posted to his Truth Social platform Thursday morning. He added that speaking to Powell is like “talking to a wall.” Unlike Trump’s social media attacks on Powell earlier this month, these didn’t crash markets because he didn’t threaten to fire Powell, and his U.K. trade deal was announced on the same day.

Stocks soared on Monday due to the reduction and pause on Chinese tariffs. By the time the markets closed, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 2.8%, the S&P 500 saw a 3.3% boost, and the Nasdaq was up 4.4%.

But how long will the rally last? While the agreement with China is significant, it’s not permanent and subject to further negotiations—meaning things are still uncertain, especially for businesses that deal with imports from China. Consumer prices also may rise based on the former sky-high tariffs since they were in full effect for a month. And deals will only go so far. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday that the 10% baseline tariff on all imports will stay in effect no matter what.

Several companies have already lowered their outlooks or estimated steep losses in profit because of tariffs—including Toyota, which said it lost an estimated $1.25 billion in profits in March and April alone. A new report from Democratic members of Congress said that the tariffs represent a nail in the coffin for small businesses: Costs are rising, hiring is slowing and firms are already laying off workers, writes Forbes’ Brandon Kochkodin. Several small business owners told Kochkodin that their businesses have been damaged irreversibly because of tariffs, and a group of business owners have sued the Trump Administration with the nonprofit legal group New Civil Liberties Alliance, saying that the tariffs are illegal.

Nissan isn’t the only automaker that has seen large layoffs. General Motors, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz have also announced layoffs for cost-cutting amid economic uncertainty, writes Forbes senior contributor Jack Kelly. UPS said last month it was cutting 20,000 jobs, and many layoffs in the federal government—including a planned 1,500 National Park Service staffers in the run-up to summer—are adding to the year’s job cut tally. But while job cuts may be seen as a quick way for a company to free up cash, Forbes senior contributor Caroline Castrillon writes that corporate leaders often overlook some of the costs of layoffs—including severance payments, unemployment insurance tax increases and damage to employee morale and company reputation.

There are many management strategies, but one of the most effective revolves around creating value for others. Businesses that embody this model tend to grow faster, work better with employees and others, and serve as better corporate community members.