Nasdaq CFO says executives need hands-on AI training
Sarah Youngwood told Fortune that leaders should train on AI themselves, starting with data quality and keeping humans in charge.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
2 min read
Nasdaq finance chief Sarah Youngwood is urging corporate leaders to learn artificial intelligence directly rather than assigning the work only to their staffs. Fortune reported that Youngwood sees AI as a core operating tool for Nasdaq, with implications for market technology, finance work and risk controls.
Youngwood, Nasdaq’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, told Fortune that AI should be treated as an embedded capability inside a company. Fortune reported that Nasdaq, long associated with its stock exchange, has expanded into software and technology services for the financial industry, a shift it said helped the company return to the Fortune 500.
Nasdaq ranked No. 470 on the 2026 Fortune 500, according to Fortune, five years after its first appearance on the list in 2021.
Data comes first
Youngwood told Fortune that companies starting work with AI should focus first on the data that feeds those systems. “AI is only as good as your data,” she said, according to Fortune.
Her advice also includes training employees and tracking how engaged they are with the technology. Youngwood said senior leaders must take part in that training themselves, telling Fortune that executives who do not use AI directly will have a harder time understanding what it can do and setting an example for their organizations.
Youngwood also described AI adoption as a process that improves through repeated testing and refinement, according to Fortune. She said companies should not stop with an initial version if they want to build tools that work well.
AI across Nasdaq’s strategy
Fortune reported that Nasdaq’s current strategy is built around three areas: designing modern markets, supporting the innovation economy and strengthening trust across the financial system. Youngwood told Fortune that AI is connected to each of those priorities.
One example is Nasdaq Verafin’s Agentic AI Workforce platform, which Fortune reported launched last year and is now used by 650 financial institutions. The platform is part of Nasdaq’s broader push to use AI in financial-market infrastructure and related services.
Inside finance departments, Youngwood said AI could be especially useful in forecasting. She told Fortune that combining macroeconomic assumptions, pipeline data and leadership actions could support faster decision-making.
Youngwood said AI’s uses in finance also extend to cash allocation and invoice processing, according to Fortune. She added that governance and human oversight remain necessary as companies put the technology to work.
Fortune also reported that Nasdaq’s finance employees can earn belts for AI proficiency, using a structure similar to martial arts rankings. Youngwood discussed that program as part of a broader explanation of how Nasdaq is training staff and investing in technology.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.