In our annual CFO Leadership Perspective Survey, over 100 financial leaders from the world's largest enterprises shared their top priorities, challenges, and planned investments for 2025. These insights, along with discussions with CFO community members, form the backbone of our By CFOs, For CFOs® model, enabling us to identify key trends and create agendas for our community gatherings that address their immediate needs.
In 2025, CFOs are concentrating on driving enterprise growth with a strong focus on finance transformation. They are also ramping up investments in AI tools and data and analytics, to remain competitive in the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) business environment.
Here are the key findings from the survey:
Operating Budgets Are Steady
Nearly half of CFOs (44%) report that their operating budgets will remain unchanged from 2024. Meanwhile, 38% have seen an increase in their budget, and 19% have experienced a decrease.
Planned Technology Spending is Increasing or Remaining Steady
Despite the majority of their operating budgets remaining the same, 44% of CFOs report an increase in their planned technology and services spending compared to last year. Forty-three percent report unchanged spending on technology and services in 2025, and only 14% report a decrease this year.
CFOs Plan to Invest in AI, Data & Analytics
AI tools and automation, along with data and analytics, are tied as the top spending areas for CFOs in 2025, with 54% planning to invest in each. Approximately half of CFOs (48%) plan to invest in budgeting and FP&A, 35% in business intelligence, and 27% in financial reporting.
Finance Transformation is CFOs’ Top Priority
In 2025, executing finance transformation remains the top priority for CFOs. Enterprise growth strategy follows closely in second place, surging fifteen places since the 2024 survey. Leading through change ranks third, followed by planning, budgeting and forecasting and AI and automation.
Topics of Interest
In addition to their priorities, CFOs identified the topics they most want to discuss with sponsors and peers at upcoming community events. Here are the top five:
- Generative AI in Finance
- CFO Role Evolution
- Leading through Organizational Change
- Innovating for the Future
- Economic Projections and Trends
To learn more about sponsoring Gartner C-level Communities and how our proprietary data can enhance your message to resonate with C-level decision-makers,contact us today.
Based on 100+ CFO responses from Gartner C-level Communities’ proprietary Leadership Perspective Survey, May 2025.
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