AI & Finance Training
Hands-on training led by Devon Coombs (CPA, MBA, ex-Google Cloud). Whether you need 1-on-1 coaching, a team workshop, or a company-wide program, every engagement is built around your real workflows and goals.
Your Trainer
Background and Credentials
Devon Coombs
Professor, Santa Clara University • CPA, MBA • Ex-Google Cloud
Devon is a Teaching Professor of Finance and Real Estate Faculty Director at Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business. He supported $100B+ in deals as a Technical Accounting SME at Google Cloud and served as the accounting expert for the AI Deals Desk. He has taught 30+ university courses (previously at SJSU and Ohlone College), trained Fortune 500 teams on AI adoption, and published in the Financial Executives Journal on how enterprise finance is changing.
Want to see how he teaches? Explore the free Devon Coombs Academy, four complete university-grade courses in finance and applied AI, open to everyone.
Executive Session Results
KAIST MBA Executive Session Evaluations
I delivered a Gen AI Workshop to the KAIST MBA cohort as an executive education session hosted by Santa Clara University. 25 participants filed evaluations.
Participants described a hands-on session: working directly in agentic AI tools, which they named as Claude Code and Cowork, building in their words a website, and applying a rule for when to reach for AI at all, namely whether the task is deterministic or non-deterministic, with the call staying yours. Bases differ by question because not everyone answered each one.
25 of 25
Could understand the speaker clearly
Everyone who answered agreed. No neutral responses, none disagreed.
22 of 24
Said the speaker kept their attention
About 92% agreed, 2 were neutral, and none disagreed.
22 of 24
Said the speaker was an expert on the topic
About 92% agreed, 2 were neutral, and none disagreed.
23 of 25
Rated the content high value to their daily role or industry
92% rated it high value, 2 said some value, and none rated it low.
20 of 21
Would recommend the session to a peer or colleague
About 95% said yes, one said no, and four people skipped the question.
“I really loved this session, and Devon delivered the lecture clearly and in a compact way. I think this is the best session I have ever had in an SCU course.”
“The best practice in using AI starts from understanding whether it is a deterministic or a non-deterministic task, and the judgment should be your own.”
“Very practical and helpful. I loved the hands-on exercise.”
What They Said Was Missing
Six people answered the question about what they wished had been covered. Five asked for more: a longer session, more of my own worked examples, more tactics for revising prompts, more time to refine the output, and more advanced use cases.
The sixth disagreed about fit, finding the hands-on agentic tooling pitched at senior leaders rather than at their own field of study:
“I did not expect this class to be just ‘Try Claude Code or Cowork.’ In my opinion, it is work for C-level, not for a DI-related major student.”
One of the 21 people who answered the recommendation question said they would not recommend the session. If your audience sits closer to the analyst bench than the executive suite, say so while we scope the engagement, so the material lands where your people work.
Quotes are copyedited for grammar only; meaning and sentiment are the respondents'.
From a Recent Corporate Onsite
“Devon brought incredible clarity and energy to our San Francisco team onsite. He delivered an outstanding corporate AI workshop that demystified practical AI use cases across multiple key functions, including SEC Reporting, Internal Audit, Tax, Treasury, Payroll, Stock Admin, and Operations. Focusing on Claude and workflow automation, Devon’s hands-on approach made complex AI tools feel accessible and immediately actionable. If you are looking for an expert AI speaker or enterprise trainer who can clearly bridge the gap between AI capabilities and practical cross-functional business execution, I highly recommend working with Devon!”
What Students Say
Course Evaluation Ratings and Comments
In a sample academic year of official SJSU course evaluations (SOTE), students rated my overall teaching effectiveness 4.8/5 on average across five Fundamentals of Finance sections (120 responses), above the finance department average in every section. Public reviews tell the same story, with 4.9/5 across 38 ratings on RateMyProfessors (97.5% would take again).
“Went above and beyond in equipping the class with all they needed, something I had never seen from a professor before. It truly shows that he wants students to succeed. This was probably one of the best college courses I have taken yet.”
“This is one of the best instructors I’ve had. He explains complex topics in a very clear and engaging way, making difficult material much easier to understand. His teaching style is organized, thoughtful, and keeps students involved. He also creates a positive and supportive learning environment that makes it comfortable to ask questions.”
“I genuinely believe Mr. Coombs is wholeheartedly one of the best professors at SJSU. The way he cares for his students is honestly one of his biggest strengths. He is understanding, fair, helpful, and inspiring.”
Training Formats
Coaching, Group Training, and Company Programs
Every engagement is custom. Pricing is based on scope, audience size, and duration. Reach out and I will put together a proposal that fits.
1-on-1 Coaching
For individual leaders
Personalized sessions designed for CFOs, controllers, and senior leaders who want to build AI fluency fast. We work through your specific workflows, tools, and strategic questions.
- Custom curriculum based on your role and goals
- Hands-on tool walkthroughs (Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini)
- AI strategy for your department or function
- Flexible scheduling, virtual or in-person
Group Training
For teams of 5-30
Interactive workshops for cross-functional teams: finance, accounting, FP&A, and operations. Your team learns together with exercises built around your real workflows.
- Live sessions tailored to your team's tech stack
- Real-world case studies and hands-on demos
- Q&A and use case evaluation
- Session recordings and follow-up materials
Company-Wide Programs
For organizations scaling AI
Multi-session programs designed to roll AI adoption across departments. Includes executive briefings, hands-on workshops, and a roadmap your leadership can present to the board.
- Executive kickoff + department-level sessions
- Custom playbook for your organization
- Measurable ROI tracking and reporting
- Scaled to audiences of 10 to 1,000+
Bring Me to Your Event
Keynotes, executive briefings, and custom workshops tailored to your organization's specific challenges. Topics range from AI strategy and finance transformation to leadership in the age of automation. Virtual or in-person.
- Keynotes, panels, and executive briefings
- Custom content for your team, event, or conference
- Topics: AI strategy, finance transformation, leadership
- Audiences from 10 to 1,000+
- Virtual or in-person delivery
- Professional-grade slides & follow-up materials
Custom Pricing
Every engagement is tailored. Tell me what your team needs and I will put together a proposal.
Track Record
30+ university courses • 8 years teaching
Enterprise programs scaled to 2,000+ stakeholders
AI COE programs for Fortune 500 teams
Published in Financial Executives Journal
What I Cover
Training Topics
AI Strategy for Finance
Build an AI roadmap CFOs and boards can trust.
Risk & Governance
AI controls, SOX implications, and audit-ready frameworks.
Revenue & Deal Structuring
ASC 606, AI deal economics, and complex transaction support.
Workflow Automation
Identify, map, and automate high-impact finance workflows.
Team Enablement
Training designed to move your team from AI-curious to AI-fluent in weeks rather than years.
Technical Accounting & AI
Navigate the accounting risks and opportunities of the AI economy.
See Me in Action
Published & Featured
Watch me teach AI & finance live
I Asked 150 Finance Students What They Want From AI. They Rejected All of It.
A look at what the next generation of finance leaders actually thinks about AI adoption, and why their skepticism should shape your strategy.
Who This Is For
Finance & Accounting
CFOs, controllers, analysts, and CPAs modernizing how work gets done
Operations & Strategy
Leaders and ICs driving process improvement and AI adoption
Founders & Consultants
Building AI into your practice, product, or client work
Career Builders
Professionals at any level who want to keep their skills current
Not sure where your team stands?
The free AI readiness assessment scores your organization across five weighted dimensions in roughly 10 to 15 minutes. The summary score is free with no sign-up, and a work email unlocks the full per-dimension readout.
Let's Talk
Whether you need 1-on-1 coaching, a team workshop, a company-wide program, or a keynote, drop me a note and I will get back to you within 24 hours.
Free Guide: AI Skill Packs for Financial Practitioners
A hands-on practitioner's guide to Claude Cowork Skill Packs for finance, covering real workflows, tool setup, and how to start using AI in your day-to-day work today.
Read the Free Guide