As their role continues to evolve due to advances in technology, ongoing regulatory changes, external economic factors and dynamic stakeholder expectations, being a strategic partner in all parts of the business will be one of the most important priorities for CFOs in 2025. Those who collaborate in areas where organizational efforts are most important will foster an environment where company-wide decisions are made using the same data and aligned goals — a notion CFOs of small-mid, mid-large and even some of the largest-sized growing businesses have said they have already gotten to work on.
These decisions require not only good data and technology but also quality people, culture, risk management, a strong foundation and a strategic mindset. For CFOs who are working towards a CEO position, an ongoing trend that goes beyond calendar year 2025, these elements are critical to long-term goals. To meet these requirements and efforts, here are six trends CFOs will likely navigate in 2025.
1. Technology: Internally “selling” AI and automation
The role CFOs will play in their companies’ future technology implementations, particularly within the finance function, will require focusing on small wins that develop into a mosaic of technological advancement.
As these technologies grow and develop, CFOs must “sell” the technology they want to implement to the board and fellow executives, said Glenn Hopper, head of AI research and former fractional CFO at Eventus Advisory Group, and speaker at various CFO-centric events. He says this must be done in a way that highlights not only finance efficiency but also how that efficiency can lead to better data utilization and decision-making.
“I think a lot of times in finance, we’re trying to overcome that notion that finance and accounting is a cost center,” said Hopper. “If we want to show technology’s value [within the finance function] to our organizations, it’s not going to be how quickly we can close the month. Deliverable tangibles from technology are being able to better utilize all the data in finance and accounting to make better generative decisions.”
Hopper added that communication around technology, much like the implementation process, must be done incrementally and strategically. “The first step of the sales part is overcoming the fear of generative AI,” he said. “As a finance leader, you should be picking the [technology] projects where you can show an impact and get buy-in, find those incremental wins and then get better results from your people.”
2. Labor: CFOs must change the narrative around shortages and take a multi-pronged approach
Though there has been some improvement on the talent front for companies with strong external and internal marketing practices, the shortage of talent in the accounting space remains a challenge. With a competency path proposed to supplement the 150-hour requirement for aspiring accountants, this is an effort that is one of many that is being made in the context of the idea that young people aren’t interested in finance and accounting. This needs to change, says Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital’s CFO Jessica McClain, who oversees the finance function of the largest Girl Scout Council in the country.
“I don’t like these headlines where I read that no one wants to be an accountant anymore,” McClain said. “Are there fewer? Of course. But, when I mentor, I meet young, smart people constantly who have an interest in our profession. We as CFOs need to take steps in the near future to change that narrative.”
To address the talent shortage, McClain says CFOs and governing bodies need to approach the issue from multiple angles. Changing the 150-hour requirement alone won’t help if CFOs and other finance leaders aren’t actively recruiting talent for their companies and the profession, she says.
“I think it’s really important to understand that there is no one way to solve this issue,” said McClain. “I don’t think by only paying accountants more or only changing the 150-hour requirement we as business leaders can fix the problem. We must pull all the levers we can. Whether that’s actively mentoring, changing your work environment to include finance and accounting in decision-making or making [public accounting] culture more inviting, it’s important to create change while providing flexibility in how our teams provide value to our organizations.”
3. Risk management: CFOs need to team up on cybersecurity
With the rise of deepfake-related fraud — such as fake documents, synthetic identity fraud and multimedia deepfakes — CFOs leading their companies’ digital transformations must allocate resources to proactive cybersecurity approaches. This could include expanding the business’ technology team, outsourcing data security to a third party or dedicating resources to employee cybersecurity training.
Hopper emphasized that CFOs, who have evolved from being controllers in the “ivory tower of finance” to strategic business partners, now face the next step: becoming leaders in cybersecurity.
“Most CFOs went to school for finance and accounting, and then became experts in the tech stack because it became such an important part of the job,” Hopper said. “So it was like, after all my time in school and accreditation, now I have to be a machine learning engineer and also a cybersecurity specialist?”
Hopper stressed the importance of collaboration to make this process easier for CFOs. “You can’t do it in a vacuum,” he said. “It has to encompass all of the expertise of the business. You can argue all day about who should lead the cybersecurity effort, but no one part of any company can do it on their own.”
4. Tax: Stay “brushed up”
There are a multitude of tax considerations CFOs should prioritize in 2025. While frequent tax “brush-ups” for CFOs are recommended by tax advisors, leaders should also focus on properly delegating or staying informed about key developing issues:
- Tariffs: President-elect Donald Trump has proposed at least a 60% tariff on Chinese imports, a 25% tariff on Mexican and Canadian imports and a 100% tariff on cars sold by Chinese automakers entering the U.S. from Mexico.
- Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA): A significant portion of the TCJA is set to expire at the end of 2025. If further extended, the law will cost more than $4 trillion over a decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
- Corporate tax rate: A reduction from 21% to 15% for U.S.-produced goods is proposed, with a 1% cut for companies that offshore production.
- Tipped wages: Trump plans to eliminate taxes on tipped wages.
5. M&A: Market uptick is likely
In what is expected to be a lightly regulated market in 2025, M&A is projected to soar. This could bring both buyers and sellers back to a market that has experienced years of volatility.
Deal volume skyrocketed by 92% in 2021, according to the EY-Parthenon Deal Barometer, but declined by a combined 49% in 2022 and 2023 due to Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, geopolitical uncertainty and challenges in assessing company valuations.
Private equity firms may also continue showing interest in large public accounting firms, which face rising labor costs, deteriorating partner compensation structures and initiatives to implement technology at scale.
6. Workplace issues: Return to office, DEI policies, compensation
As labor trends evolve, CFOs should address issues like identifying the benefits of return-to-office initiatives, the ethical and political implications of DEI policies and employee compensation.
CFOs must also evaluate company-wide compensation carefully. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has insisted wages are keeping up with inflation, but while Federal data supports this, consumer sentiment contradicts it. With the average 4% raise barely maintaining buying power year over year, compensation will remain a critical focus for millennial and Gen Z employees looking to start families.
