3 Key Themes for CFOs in 2025

Chief Financial Officers are currently completing our annual Leadership Perspective Survey, sharing their mission critical priorities, challenges and planned investments for the upcoming year. Complementing the survey, we engage in hundreds of discussions with CFOs across North America to validate the results with qualitative insights. 

This two-fold process is the foundation of our By CFOs, For CFOs® model, helping shape the agendas and discussion topics for our CFO community events throughout the year. Preliminary survey results indicate enterprise growth and improving operational efficiencies will be pivotal for CFOs this year, with data analytics and AI adoption serving as key enablers of these initiatives.

Here, we explore three themes that emerged from these insights, which we anticipate will be focus areas for CFOs in 2025.

1. Forecasting and the Future of Finance

In 2025, rapid advancements in AI and generative AI remain top of mind for CFOs, as they focus on forecasting and preparing their organizations for the future. Digitalization will be paramount, with a Gartner survey revealing 77% of CFOs plan to increase technology spending this year.

Beyond technology adoption, CFOs are committed to significantly reskilling finance teams to enhance digital capabilities. Dennis Gannon, Vice President of Research in the Gartner Finance Practice, notes, “CFOs expect one in two finance employees to be digital talent by 2027... Given that digital talent currently makes up less than 20% of the finance function, there’s clearly much work to be done.”
 

1. Bridging the Enterprise Data Divide

Today, CFOs are increasingly responsible for overseeing data within their organizations, and Gartner reports 76% of CFOs either own or co-own enterprise data and analytics. CFOs are uniquely positioned to ensure D&A objectives align with enterprise strategy and to facilitate cross-functional collaboration on these initiatives. 

As CFOs prepare to drive AI adoption within the finance function, they recognize the need to improve data quality to achieve optimal results. Currently, more than one-third of CFOs cite poor data quality as hindering their ability to utilize AI effectively in finance.
 

1. Crafting a Path to Efficient Growth

Driving growth consistently ranks as a top enterprise priority for CFOs, as highlighted in our CFO Leadership Perspective Survey. In the face of ongoing economic volatility, achieving efficient growth while simultaneously reducing costs remains a formidable challenge. CFOs are relying on AI advancements and enhanced digital capabilities within finance teams to successfully navigate these objectives.

As we kick off our 2025 CFO community gatherings, we look forward to connecting finance leaders on these critical themes. If you are not already a member of the CFO community, we invite you to apply to join today. Members can sign in to our app to register for upcoming community programs.