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Key dynamics redefining the modern CFO role
Change is the only constant, it’s said. The past five years have seen rapid shifts, from historically low interest rates to a higher rate environment to renewed recession fears. As a chief financial officer (CFO), you should know how to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, especially as your role continues to expand. While abrupt geopolitical and policy shifts can bring volatility, a clear view of your organization’s financial health can help you face any challenge head-on. How? With a focus on driving business results through collaboration and business model reinvention.
In the spotlight
Why CFOs are hitting pause on investment decisions
The current business environment is causing CFOs to be judicious about spending. Eighty-four percent of CFOs surveyed in PwC’s latest Pulse Survey say they’re delaying at least one investment decision. With economic, political and regulatory uncertainty, accurate predictions have become harder.
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[84%] of CFOs are currently delaying at least one investment decision
Source: PwC Pulse Survey, October 2024
What to focus on in 2025
Strategy and growth
Embrace your evolving role
The days of crunching numbers are long gone. Finance leaders need diverse skills — financial expertise, strategic decision-making and risk and stakeholder management — to navigate complex challenges, financial regulations and political uncertainty. Capital requirements, risk and interest rates implications continue to move higher on the list of CFO challenges.
Now, with ongoing innovation and finance transformation, leaders have a full plate. To address these CFO trends, lean on technology. Savvy finance leaders harness the power of data, predictive analytics and financial intelligence. Modern tech can identify risks, simulate scenarios and help devise mitigation strategies to protect financial health and enhance financial resilience. Collaboration with other C-suite members is equally critical. Aligning teams and enabling data-driven decisions can steer your company to success.
Additional ways to embrace your evolving role
Strategy and growth
A CFO imperative: Smart resource reallocation
New PwC research confirms that the strategic redeployment of capital can boost profit margin. The challenge for CFOs? Overcoming stubborn biases.
Strategy and growth
Three strategic leadership goals to unleash your finance function
From redefining roles to enhancing collaboration and embracing innovation for transformative outcomes, these goals can help you unleash your finance function.
Technology
Hit reset on risk and drive more effective system transformations
How CFOs can drive more value from ERP, cloud and technology initiatives through executive teaming.
[44%] of CFOs say increasing the use of tech to reduce costs is very important to fund in the next 12 months
Source: PwC Pulse Survey, June 2024
Transformation
Innovate or stagnate: the ROI of reinvention
To combat uncertainty, reinvention is key. The most innovative products and services are often born amid economic instability. In the game of relentless business reinvention, top-performing CFOs act as quarterbacks, boldly exploring new revenue streams, untapped markets and emerging technologies.
Go all in on teamwork and don’t be afraid to call an audible. Work with your CEO, CIO and transformation leader to move forward, swiftly reacting to changing circumstances. This means fearlessly driving strategic investments and embracing innovation and new technology. This can boost performance and productivity, attract top talent and improve cost-efficiency. To fund investments, allow tech to free up time and optimize expenses.
Additional ways to maximize the ROI of reinvention
Transformation
Finding opportunity in reinvention: CFO insights
In a volatile business environment, companies need to reinvent their business model — not once but continuously as conditions continue to change.
Transformation
Future of finance: How CFOs are turning tech into a competitive advantage
Learn how to transform into a leading finance function of the future in 2025. Leverage tech and data to power finance decisions that generate value.
Deals strategy and readiness
Secrets to funding transformation — before, during and after deals
Executives can fund faster transformation and create value by using these three strategic approaches for high-stakes execution through deals.
[58%] of CFOs say they're dedicating more time to business performance compared to a year ago
Source: PwC Pulse Survey, June 2024
Technology
Transform the future of finance
Data is the CFO's compass, but with global information exploding, navigating it can be daunting. Amid this surge, finance leaders and their teams can act as data stewards, using advanced analytics, AI and cloud technology to improve forecasting, cash management, organizational transformation and to inform acquisition or IPO decisions. You can also enhance cloud capabilities and implement robust cybersecurity measures to drive efficiency and safeguard your brand.
A particular area of focus is inventorying and managing the growing amount of data for ESG disclosures. Forward-looking CFOs can harness technology to streamline reporting for internal use, stakeholders and regulators.
The talent pipeline, however, remains a concern. The future of finance calls for tech-savvy professionals who can transform data into strategic recommendations. To boost analytical capabilities, upskill your workforce, rethink roles and bridge skill gaps with managed services.
Additional ways to transform the future of finance
Technology
Jumpstart your digital finance transformation by investing in your EPM platform
Unlock digital transformation by prioritizing EPM, enabling seamless integration and increasing ERP implementation value.
Generative AI
How to leverage generative AI to unlock value and reinvent your business
Discover generative AI's potential for digital transformation in company operations, workforce, cloud and data modernization and business reinvention.
Cloud and digital
How value-based cloud ERP can help drive greater business performance
Discover how cloud-based ERP solutions can improve business performance and drive ROI.
Transformation
Future of finance: How CFOs are turning tech into a competitive advantage
Learn how to transform into a leading finance function of the future in 2025. Leverage tech and data to power finance decisions that generate value.
[28%] of finance departments are already using AI in forecasting
Source: PwC Pulse Survey, October 2024
Sustainability
Take action on sustainability
New reporting requirements mean companies are under pressure to be more transparent about the business impacts from ESG issues. CFOs are focused on meeting these new requirements — and managing this data from a central, secure source.
Many are looking at how they can drive sustainability initiatives and who in the organization is suited to do the job. In turn, sustainability’s center of gravity is shifting to the finance function because it has the technical acumen to produce this reporting and — just like thwarting cyber attacks — it can align climate risk mitigation with broader strategic and capital allocation decisions to help the business build resiliency.
Your ESG controller’s strengths in compliance are crucial to meeting the requirements of regulations like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Streamlining ESG reporting through tech and AI can also reduce costs, improve data quality and reveal growth opportunities.
Additional ways to take action on sustainability
ESG reporting
ESG controller: The position you didn't know you needed
ESG leaders guide companies to understand the impacts of the SEC's ESG disclosures proposals — find out how an ESG controller can help lead the way.
Value creation
How CFOs further value creation by leading on sustainability
Find out how the role of the CFO is changing rapidly in the face of climate change, nature loss and social inequality.
Regulation and policy
CFO checklist: How to drive sustainability
How can CFOs drive sustainability? PwC’s checklist reveals how the finance function can lead on CSRD and ESG reporting, decarbonization and transformation.
Regulation and policy
How your company could increase the ROI of its sustainability strategy
Technology can help you take advantage of ESG tax incentives and credits, like the inflation reduction act, to advance the value of sustainability initiatives.
Sustainability’s {center of gravity is shifting} to the finance function.
Resilience
Foster trust, enhance resilience
CFOs play a crucial role in building resilience as they're the main point of contact for investors, analysts and other stakeholders. Effectively communicating financial performance and strategic direction — internally and externally — and consistently demonstrating accountability is key while also focusing on controls and enabling ongoing trust in the reporting process. This is especially true in an evolving landscape rife with geopolitical tensions, digital advancements, cyber breaches and ever-changing consumer and employee expectations.
Prioritize agility — and your people. A resilient culture thrives on informed risk-taking and learning from failure. CFOs should foster an environment that champions open communication, continuous learning and innovations. Promote transparency, accountability and trust by setting clear expectations, leading by example and acknowledge and reward efforts that contribute to cross-departmental collaboration and collective success.
Additional ways to foster trust, enhance resilience
Trust
PwC’s 2024 Trust Survey: How to earn customer trust in your sector
Executives continue to overestimate how much they are trusted by employees and consumers. Find out why and what you can do.
Artificial intelligence
PwC’s 2024 US Responsible AI Survey
Discover insights from PwC's Responsible AI Survey on AI and GenAI adoption, risk management and value creation — and to benchmark your AI readiness today.
Cyber and privacy transformation
Bridging the gaps to cyber resilience: The C-suite playbook
The demand for enhanced cybersecurity is intensifying — learn how leaders are addressing these issues and more.
{Only 2%} of global finance and tech leaders have implemented cyber resilience actions across their organization
Explore executive insights
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