With the demands on FP&A teams continuously changing—shifting global economic policies and all—their readiness to pivot is becoming increasingly important.
To understand the changes FP&A teams are currently experiencing, we’ve gathered insights from three corporate performance management (CPM) experts:
- Dominic DiBernardo is a Partner & CPM Practice Lead at Citrin Cooperman, an accounting firm serving clients’ business needs.
- Chris Harman is the founder of Candura—experts in planning and reporting for finance and operations.
- Rogier Louter is a Lead Consultant at Finext, a consultancy firm that helps organizations optimize their financial functions.
Here are the seven trends they see impacting FP&A teams in 2025.
1. FP&A teams are making moves to adopt AI
Although some may worry that AI will replace FP&A jobs, most teams have clued in that its true value lies in enhancing people’s efficiency—not replacing them.
However, to fully realize AI’s potential, companies must first establish a strong technological foundation—digitizing and centralizing key processes to ensure uninterrupted workflows and maximize impact.
In his practice advising FP&A teams, DiBernardo is seeing a growing focus on identifying how they can prepare themselves to successfully bring AI into their operations. “FP&A teams will prioritize seamless integration of systems to streamline processes while simultaneously feeling pressured to figure out how to leverage AI in their business,” he says.
“The technology has been there, but the explosion of AI and its potential has exposed how far behind many companies are when it comes to the fundamental technology stack.”
2. Proactive forecasting is leading to smarter financial planning
Driven by the need for more effective navigation of volatile markets, FP&A teams are having to forecast more frequently and plan for multiple potential scenarios.
“FP&A will focus more on proactive insights through predictive analysis in 2025, identifying what drives business performance and guiding leadership on where to act next,” Harman says.
3. FP&A is becoming a key player in strengthening business-wide resilience and agility
By embedding resilience and agility into financial and operational strategies, organizations can swiftly adapt to changing circumstances, recover more effectively and capitalize on opportunities even amid disruption. This year, businesses will look to their FP&A teams to lead the charge here.
“2025 is expected to remain fast moving and unpredictable from geopolitical events and market disruptions,” says Harman. “FP&A teams will need to lead efforts to improve organizational agility—pivot quickly, allocate resources effectively and make real-time decisions driven by data.”
4. FP&A teams are becoming valued strategic business partners
Driven by the increasing need for actionable insights that go beyond traditional reporting to inform business decisions, FP&A teams are redefining their role, moving from data providers to trusted strategic advisors.
“FP&A is no longer just about budgeting and forecasting—the role has become far more strategic,” says Harman. “In 2025, expectations on FP&A teams will intensify as they are asked to provide clear, actionable insights that drive business decisions. Specifically, deeper engagement with key stakeholders, explaining what the numbers mean (not just reporting on them), and enhancing their approach with cutting-edge technologies.”
5. Businesses are prioritizing a balance of traditional and technical skills within their FP&A teams
One of the most pressing priorities for many FP&A teams this year is equipping staff with the right skills and solutions to succeed in a rapidly evolving business environment.
“We are quickly moving into an ‘up or out’ situation where companies are not only going to need to make investments in technology and talent upskilling, but they are also going to have to make some hard decisions to make sure they have the right people on the bus and that they are in the right seat,” DiBernardo says.
“Since FP&A is becoming more and more data-driven, we expect that more FP&A teams will start hiring more people with a data background to complement the more traditional controller profiles,” Louter adds.
6. FP&A teams are breaking down silos
FP&A teams are moving beyond traditional silos and working more closely with other departments to create a unified approach to business planning.
They’re helping align financial and operational strategies by leveraging integrated reporting and analytics, ensuring the whole organization is working toward the same goals.
“The office of finance of the 21st century should be seen as the hub of business intelligence and make the final transition from overhead to a strategic partner,” DiBernardo says.
7. FP&A teams are incorporating ESG data to deliver financial and strategic success
As environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors become critical to stakeholders—including investors, employees and customers—FP&A teams are taking a leading role in aligning sustainability goals with financial strategies.
Regulatory shifts are further amplifying the focus on sustainability, particularly in regions such as the European Union, where mandatory sustainability reporting is becoming the norm under initiatives including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
“Larger companies, at least in Europe, are going to focus much more on CSRD-related reporting in 2025 because they are forced to. This has an impact on their data, systems and overall focus,” says Louter.
Leading the business into the future
These seven trends highlight the evolving demands on finance teams in 2025 and a need for FP&A professionals to move beyond the traditional role of data collector, driving innovation, agility and strategic partnerships across their organizations.
Vena empowers FP&A teams to confidently navigate these changes by helping them streamline processes, unlock insights and drive smarter decision making across the business.
