2025 Top CFO Trends and Priorities

As we enter 2025, CFOs continue navigating a complex and dynamic business landscape. Economic uncertainties are ever-present, with potential recessions, inflationary pressures, seismic elections, and geopolitical tensions creating a fluctuating financial environment. Both locally and abroad, supply chain disruptions continue to pose significant hurdles, affecting inventory management, port accessibility, and warehouse costs.

Regardless of market complexity, growth is still the top priority for CFOs. According to Gartner, nearly two-thirds of CEOs (62%) and CFOs (65%) cited it among their top three priorities through 2025. Several trends are already shaping the financial landscape for the coming year, driving the need for CFOs to adapt and evolve their strategies to sustain growth and stay profitable.

Here, we summarize the top seven trends and priorities for CFOs in 2025.

CFO trend #1: Acceleration of digital transformation

The acceleration of digital transformation is reshaping how organizations operate. Sixty-nine percent of business leaders say digitalization initiatives are accelerating, and most expect digital technologies to dramatically transform their industry by 2026, according to Gartner. 

Companies are increasingly investing in digital technologies to boost efficiency and stay competitive. Integrating AI and machine learning into core business processes is becoming essential, enabling finance teams to automate routine tasks and gain deeper insights. Data-driven decision-making is becoming a priority at every level as organizations look to leverage the power of real-time analytics.

CFO trend #2: A demand for real-time financial insights

The shift to real-time financial insights fundamentally changes the traditional financial reporting cycle. Organizations are moving away from the constraints of monthly or quarterly reporting and demanding continuous, real-time financial data. This transition allows for more dynamic and agile financial planning and forecasting, giving finance leaders the tools to respond quickly to changing market conditions.

CFO trend #3: Sustainable and ethical finance

Sustainable and ethical finance is gaining prominence as ESG factors become critical components of financial strategy. There is growing pressure on organizations to ensure their sustainability practices meet increasing public and regulatory scrutiny. As a result, companies are now integrating ESG metrics into their financial reporting and decision-making processes, ensuring that both profitability and ethical responsibility go hand-in-hand. And the CFO is at the forefront of financial reporting. According to a survey by Sentieo, more than two-thirds of CFOs are now responsible for their company’s ESG compliance and reporting, and more than 200 CFOs from a selection of 8,000 companies mentioned ESG during their quarterly earnings calls.

CFO trend #4: Talent management and upskilling

The CFO reports 83% of senior leaders cite the ongoing talent shortage in accounting as a significant issue. Talent management and upskilling are crucial as the finance function becomes more digital and strategic. Attracting and retaining professionals adept with new technologies is essential for staying competitive. Moreover, organizations are investing in upskilling their existing workforce, preparing them to leverage AI and automation. This shift leads to finance teams taking on more strategic, analytical roles, moving beyond traditional number-crunching to drive business growth.

CFO trend #5: Prioritizing cybersecurity and data privacy

Cybersecurity and data privacy are front and center in today’s digital-first world. With the growing reliance on digital financial operations, protecting sensitive financial data from cyber threats has never been more important. According to Protiviti, 61% of finance leaders and professionals rate cybersecurity as a high priority for the coming year. CFOs must ensure compliance with evolving data privacy regulations while investing in robust cybersecurity measures, including training their teams to safeguard against vulnerabilities.

CFO trend #6: Sophisticated global tax planning and compliance

Global tax planning and compliance are becoming more complex as international tax regulations evolve. Organizations need more sophisticated tax strategies to navigate these changes effectively, and CFOs are under a lot of pressure to meet rising compliance standards on a wide range of topics and issues. Leveraging AI and technology for efficient tax planning, reporting, and compliance is no longer a luxury but a necessity for minimizing risk and ensuring regulatory adherence across borders.

CFO trend #7: Agile finance models

Financial flexibility and resilience are now non-negotiable amid economic uncertainties and potential disruptions. Building agile financial models that can adapt to change is critical for survival. This could mean establishing a framework of new tools and technologies, for CFOs to “reimagine their operations, processes, and products to serve customer needs better and keep up with competitors,” according to American Express. CFOs are focusing on scenario planning and risk management, ensuring their organizations are prepared for various positive and negative outcomes in an increasingly unpredictable global economy.