Corporate Finance Strategy Trends

Today we’re launching our 2026 Future Ready CFO Report, grounded in a global survey of 1,672 senior finance leaders across more than 20 markets. AI is now the biggest force reshaping finance. 47% of finance leaders rank AI adoption as the most impactful global trend, ahead of interest rate volatility and regulatory complexity.   This isn’t about automation at the edges. Nearly half of leaders say AI will be the biggest influence on their organization over the next 12 months, shaping how finance plans, forecasts, and allocates capital. The focus has shifted from modernization to outcomes. Better decisions, faster execution, real business impact.   That shift is expanding the CFO role. 87% of finance leaders say expectations of the CFO are growing as AI becomes embedded in enterprise decision making, and 85% believe AI will reshape their role within the next year. Looking ahead, 62% expect AI and advanced analytics to drive transformational change in capital allocation over the next three years.   The report brings together global insight on where finance leaders are investing, where gaps remain, and what it takes to scale AI responsibly. If you work with finance, data, or transformation teams, this is a must-read.   Explore the report – link in comments below.    #FinanceLeadership #EnterprisePerformance #AI #DigitalTransformation #FutureReady

Finance is still rewarded for explaining the past. It should be rewarded for shaping the future. Here's how... Most finance teams are further from that shift than they think. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲: 1. 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 -> 𝗺𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: Cost control is a tool, not a strategy. The finance function that only cuts never builds anything worth measuring.     2. 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 -> 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Variance analysis answers what happened. The strategic question is what we do differently next quarter. One looks backwards, the other earns a seat at the table.     3. 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 -> 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀: Zero risk is zero growth. The CFO who treats all risk as threat rather than trade-off will consistently under-invest in the business at exactly the wrong moment.     4. 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 -> 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Dashboards describe reality. Recommendations shape it. Finance teams that stop at the data are leaving the most valuable part of their job on the table.     5. 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 -> 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀: This is the hardest shift. It requires finance to define success by the impact it has on the business, not the quality of its own deliverables. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: most finance functions have not made these shifts because the incentives still reward the old behaviour. Closing the books accurately is visible. Influencing a commercial decision is not. The question stops being what should finance do differently. It becomes: what does your organisation actually reward? Which of these five shifts is hardest to make in practice?

FP&A in 2025 👉🏻 What Got You Here Won’t Get You There! FP&A has evolved. Yet, many finance teams are still operating with outdated skill sets, relying on static models and Excel-heavy processes that fail to match today’s business complexity. The problem? Only 18% of finance professionals believe they have the digital skills needed for the future. (Source: PwC’s Future of Finance Report 2024) ✔ Automation Isn’t Just a Tool—It’s a Mindset Shift. Being proficient in Power BI, Anaplan, or Adaptive Insights is table stakes. What’s missing? The ability to interpret, challenge, and act on insights—fast. ✔ Static Forecasts Are Dead. Dynamic Thinking Wins. If your team still relies on annual budgeting cycles without real-time scenario modeling, you’re already behind. Driver-based planning and rolling forecasts aren’t trends; they are the new standard. ✔ Data Storytelling is the Differentiator. The best FP&A teams don’t just deliver reports—they influence decisions. A well-crafted dashboard means nothing if your team can’t connect financial outcomes to business strategy in a compelling way. What Finance Leaders Need to Do—Now! 🚀 Rethink Hiring and Development. The future FP&A leader isn’t just a finance expert; they are a business partner with analytical, technology, and communication skills. 🚀 Invest in Practical Upskilling. Generic training programs won’t cut it. Upskill in areas like scenario planning, advanced analytics, and financial modeling automation. 🚀 Embed a Culture of Strategic Thinking. Encourage teams to challenge assumptions and look beyond the numbers. The real value of FP&A lies in asking the right business questions, not just financial ones. The CFOs and FP&A leaders who invest in these capabilities now will be the ones shaping the future of finance. Are you upskilling your FP&A team for the decade ahead? If not, when? #FP&A #FinanceTransformation #CFO #StrategicFinance #DigitalUpskilling #FutureOfFinance ✨ ▪ Follow me 🚶♂️🚶♀️ for more insights ✨ ▪ Click the 🔔 to get notified of new posts (top right of my profile) ✨ ▪ Subscribe 🖊 to my monthly newsletter, Insights from an FP&A Head, to stay updated with the latest thinking in the FP&A space!

Companies are losing their best Corporate Finance talent to competitors, and it's not about salary. The most skilled Corporate Finance professionals are leaving organizations that still rely on manual data processes for roles that offer automated systems and strategic work. A former colleague and friend  told me last week she's leaving her current company after 18 months. Her reason? "I spend 60% of my time copying and pasting data between systems instead of doing actual analysis." Meanwhile, her new role promises automated data pipelines, real-time dashboards, and strategic modeling work. This is happening across the industry. The best Corporate Finance professionals want to work on business strategy, scenario planning, and driving decision-making. They don't want to be glorified data entry specialists. Companies still running manual FP&A processes are losing talent to competitors who've invested in modern data infrastructure. Top performers are choosing roles where they can focus on insights instead of spreadsheet maintenance. The talent exodus isn't just about individual preferences. It's about career growth. Corporate Finance professionals working with automated systems develop skills that make them more valuable. Those stuck in manual processes fall behind. Smart companies understand this competitive reality. They're investing in data automation not just for efficiency, but for talent retention. They know that offering data-driven Corporate Finance roles attracts better candidates and keeps top performers engaged. If your best Corporate Finance professionals are leaving for roles with better data infrastructure, it's time to align and consolidate your data foundation.

I talk to a TON of finance leaders every week CFOs, Heads of FP&A, Controllers - at companies ranging from seed to $100m+. Here are the top 5 trends I'm seeing in FP&A: 1. AI Went from “I Don’t Know…” to “Show Me Now” Six months ago, many finance people were skeptical of AI. Now? It’s the first question in every demo. “How does your platform use AI?” Not because it’s trendy, but because they’re drowning in complexity. Manual scenarios. Disconnected tools. Clunky logic. But finance doesn’t want another black box. It wants leverage. 2. FP&A isn’t just “finance” anymore The best teams are connecting ops data (units shipped, leads generated, churned users) directly into their forecasts. We saw one robotics company base their forecast on robot deployments across campuses. That’s driver-based planning in action. FP&A is evolving into “business performance planning” - where every function gets a say and a signal in the model. 3. Strategic Planning is back Budgeting is reactive. Strategy is proactive. The most forward-thinking companies are connecting their top-down strategic goals with their bottom-up budgets. They’re using tools that let them model initiatives, link them to KPIs and ROI, and re-forecast monthly. The old world: finance tracks spend. The new world: finance tracks strategy. 4. Finance wants clarity, not complexity There’s a new wave of platforms that boast powerful features—but end up adding more noise than value. The winning tools are the ones that just work. That make it stupidly easy to connect systems, create forecasts, and spin up scenarios. If your team needs a 6-month ramp up just to start planning, it’s not a win—it’s a warning sign. 5. Scenario planning isn’t a “nice-to-have” It’s become table stakes. Everyone’s dealing with macro uncertainty, tariffs, hiring freezes, market pivots. The most sophisticated teams are planning for edge cases every single month. What if we lose this client? What if we scale faster than expected? What if a bank API breaks again? (Yes, that last one is real.) FP&A isn't just evolving, It's getting rebuilt in real time. And the best teams are the ones leading the charge. What are you seeing?

CFOs used to monitor financial trends. Now?  They have to track data trends, too. That means your ability to lead is tied to forecasting and cash flow as well as how well you understand data infrastructure, governance, and AI readiness. Ignore the trends, and you risk making strategic decisions based on outdated assumptions, blind spots, or bad data. That’s how finance gets sidelined instead of seated at the strategy table. Here are 10 trends I’m watching this year: 1. Rise of live, source-connected data 2. AI adoption for forecasting and scenario planning 3. Cost of replacing digital talent skyrocketing 4. Centralized vs. decentralized data ownership debates 5. Surge in ESG data compliance requirements 6. CFOs taking on CTO-adjacent responsibilities 7. Low adoption of formal data governance frameworks 8. Shift from data lakes to real-time pipelines 9. Growing gap between data availability and usability 10. Precision in reporting becoming a brand trust issue These are both tech trends and strategic imperatives. If you want to lead with clarity, confidence, and speed, start with data. Everything else follows. 👋 I'm Lisa David. Follow me for the latest CFO insights!

Finance isn’t a back-office function anymore. It’s becoming the nervous system of the business, fed by unified data and powered by AI. What’s making this possible? Not another system A semantic layer For decades, finance operated in fragmented workflows: + ERP for costs + CRM for revenue + HR tools for headcount + spreadsheets for everything else Each system with its own logic, definitions, and timing That meant finance teams spent more time validating data than guiding decisions More explaining the past than shaping the future But today’s architecture changes that By layering governed, synchronized data across systems, finance now has a foundation built for scale, speed, and confidence AI can operate within the business, not outside it: spotting variances, simulating outcomes, forecasting in real time It’s not just automation It’s intelligence orchestration Questions like: - “What’s causing the dip in gross margin in Europe?” - “How would a 3% pricing shift affect EBITDA across regions?” These no longer require two weeks and five spreadsheets They require a click This isn’t about faster reporting It’s about embedding finance into the real-time decision fabric of the business When that happens, finance doesn’t just support the strategy It drives it

Most finance leaders plan around products. The best finance leaders plan around customers. If your finance team thinks strategy starts with budgets. It doesn't. It starts with customers. Very few finance leaders allocate capital based on customer economics. And that’s where strategy breaks. If finance isn't aligned to customers, growth becomes expensive and unpredictable. When I help clients realign finance around customers, these are the 5 metrics that matter. 1. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) Formula: Avg Revenue per Customer × Retention × Margin Target: Minimum 3× CAC. Finance Strategy Use: Capital should follow your highest-value customers. Not your loudest product requests. Not your newest initiatives. High-CLV segments deserve disproportionate investment, especially in retention and onboarding. That’s where compounding happens. 2. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Formula: Sales & Marketing Spend ÷ New Customers Finance Strategy Use: Most finance teams track CAC. Few use it to make capital decisions. Channels that produce high-retention customers deserve more budget, even if the upfront CAC is higher. Cheap customers often become expensive customers. 3. Retention Rate Formula: (Start Customers – Lost Customers) ÷ Start Customers Finance Strategy Use: Retention belongs inside the financial model, not just the CS dashboard. A small improvement in retention often has a bigger impact than a large increase in acquisition. Yet finance teams rarely plan for retention improvement. They plan for more sales instead. 4. Churn MRR Formula: Monthly Recurring Revenue Lost to Attrition Finance Strategy Use: Churn is a financial event, not just a customer success problem. Finance should monitor churn signals early, before they show up in revenue. By the time churn hits the P&L, the damage is already done. 5. Customer Effort Score Formula: Post-interaction ease rating (1–7 scale) Finance Strategy Use: High-effort customer experiences quietly destroy LTV. Finance rarely measures these, but they show up later as churn and margin pressure. Does your financial plan change when customer behavior changes? For most companies, the answer is no. ------- Please share your thoughts in the comments. ♻️ If this is helpful, Like and Repost to help others. Follow Beverly Davis for strategic finance insights.

Tech transformation is taking center stage in 2026 for CFOs, according to Deloitte’s latest CFO Signals survey.   In this article ➡️ [https://lnkd.in/gBDDP9ap] my colleague’s Steve Gallucci, John Goff, and Mary Collins, break down the survey findings into six key trends, highlighting what CFOs are prioritizing to build a finance function that’s faster, smarter, and ready for what’s next. Three themes stood out to me:   ✅ 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲: Digital transformation remains the top priority as CFOs look to build faster, smarter finance functions.   📊𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄: Integrating AI agents in finance is climbing as a top transformation priority to improve data quality, access, and usability.   💰𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀: With nearly half of CFOs citing cost management as their top internal concern, leaders are redeploying talent while preserving critical capabilities.   For private companies, one signal is especially important: Deal momentum is building. CFO interest in M&A increased from 55% to 63% this year, aligning with Deloitte Private’s Private Company Outlook Market Readiness Survey, which found that 57% of leaders anticipate a company transaction in the next 1-3 years. [https://lnkd.in/g6HGGCJf]   If a transaction is even a possibility, the bar for finance transformation rises. It’s not just about efficiency – it’s about decision-grade data and financial readiness that holds up under diligence.   Check out the full CFO Signals report and sign up to receive it in your inbox➡️ https://lnkd.in/gkeFFUCj

Financial Planning & Analysis Is Becoming AI-Native FP&A is no longer just about budgeting and variance reports. It’s becoming predictive, collaborative, and real-time. Across platforms like Anaplan, Pigment, Workday Adaptive Planning, Jedox, Datarails, and Vena Solutions, AI is transforming how finance teams plan and decide. We’re seeing: • Predictive forecasting powered by machine learning • Automated variance analysis that explains the “why” behind numbers • Generative scenario engines building what-if models instantly • AI-driven anomaly detection across budgets and submissions • Real-time integration across ERP, CRM, HR, and operational systems This isn’t just better reporting. It’s connected, driver-based planning that unifies finance with the rest of the business. Instead of broken spreadsheets and manual consolidation, modern FP&A teams are working with live models - pivoting scenarios in minutes, not weeks. The shift is clear: From static budgets → to dynamic forecasting. From backward-looking reports → to forward-looking intelligence. From finance-only planning → to enterprise-wide collaboration. AI in FP&A isn’t about replacing analysts. It’s about giving them clarity, speed, and strategic leverage. The real question is no longer how fast you can close the books. It’s how intelligently you can plan the future. Credit to original #FPandA #FinancialPlanning #AIinFinance #CorporatePerformance #DigitalFinance #StrategicFinance