https://www.workiva.com/What does leadership look like when volatility becomes the norm?

Workiva CEO Julie Iskow joins Steve Soder and Alyssa Zucker to unpack what 2025 taught executives and how to prepare for 2026. This conversation goes beyond headlines to explore how leaders can stay grounded while moving faster, make data a strategic asset, and meet rising board expectations with confidence.

In this episode:

Redefining resilience: Why stability and agility must coexist

Data integrity as strategy: Turning trusted data into a competitive advantage

AI readiness: Why governed, audit-ready data is the foundation for safe AI adoption

The evolving boardroom: How expectations are shifting toward deeper, more frequent engagement

Chapters
0:00 Defining resilience for 2026
3:15 Stability vs. agility in volatile markets
7:40 Data integrity: From compliance to strategy
11:20 When bad data becomes AI risk
15:00 The new expectations of the boardroom
18:30 Julie's word for 2026: Clarity

Enjoy this episode? Explore more conversations at the intersection of finance, risk, and sustainability at workiva.com/pre-read-podcast.

Steve and Alyssa are taking a well-earned break, but the challenges facing the office of the CFO are not slowing down. In this short episode, producer Mike Gravagno looks back on a year where AI moved from pilot programs to expectation and sustainability became more than a side conversation. Looking ahead to 2026, The Pre-Read will return with sharper conversations on data trust, AI governance, reporting rigor, and how leading teams turn systems into true productivity multipliers. Subscribe now and be ready for what's next.

Semiannual Reporting: Will doing "less" actually create more work?

Finance and accounting leaders are split on whether moving from quarterly to semiannual SEC reporting will simplify processes or compound risk. In this episode, industry expert Tom Schneiders joins to unpack what a reduced cadence would really mean for teams, investors, and market stability.

We cover:

• The hidden risk of doubling the data window—from three months to six
• Why most finance teams aren't asking to report less frequently
• How quarterly reporting strengthens risk management and operational discipline
• What's fueling the new momentum in the IPO pipeline
• Why generative AI is moving from experiment to essential for the C-suite

If you want to understand how reporting cadence shapes trust, transparency, and executive decision-making, this conversation is for you.