CFO Insights: Are you Future-ready?

With continuously shifting projections, priorities, budgets, and tax rules, nobody knows exactly what the future holds, but every finance team needs to be future-ready. Here are a few resources to help you along your way.

The CFO’s Guide: Navigating Through Business Uncertainty

CFOs have reached a pivotal moment in their evolution. They have long been moving towards more forward-looking, strategic partnerships within their organizations. However, accelerating change and uncertainty have made these evolving skills ever more important; finance heads are now taking the lead on managing risk, maximizing strategic opportunities, and helping companies face the unexpected. This guidebook aims to help by bringing together and summarizing the best of recent SAP Concur thought leadership on these key topics. It includes insights from a wide variety of finance leaders, plus data and research showing how CFOs are finding solutions to common problems. Access your CFO Guide here. (Canada guide here)

Research: Repositioning for Growth

Amid tentative signs that economic conditions in most developed markets are normalizing, CFOs are focusing on expansion strategies, with 57% saying they are investing heavily for growth this year. Why are finance heads so optimistic? Falling inflation in the US and Europe helps. Another reason is the CFO’s confidence in new tools that enable them to control costs better and plot a surer source through volatility. In this report, we explore strategies deployed by CFOs to realign both their organizations and themselves for sustainable growth. It also discusses the utilization of AI, as well as other technologies and tools, to enhance confidence in growth initiatives and drive success. Access our CFO Research report here. (Canada report here)

Solving the ROI Puzzle: How to Measure and Maximize AI Returns

It’s hard to tackle a puzzle before you have all the pieces. But that’s the challenge CFOs face when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI). As their organizations race to assess return on investment (ROI) from planned AI experiments and wider rollouts, CEOs are anxious to grab the benefits rapidly while managing risks. They need finance leaders to support them with fast, accurate measurements of value from AI investments. In this CFO Insights edition, we dive into recent research and insights from finance leaders on the challenges of defining ROI for AI investments and uncover how top-performing organizations are successfully implementing and measuring the impact of AI in their finance operations. Download our ROI ebook today.

Mind the gap: How to Attract the Next Generation of Finance Talent

Business finance functions face a startling shortage of young talent. Baby boomers are retiring, and younger accountancy professionals are increasingly ready to quit, threatening a global finance talent crunch. Many accountants are considering leaving the profession as they feel they spend too long on repetitive, low-value manual tasks. Some aspire to pursue more strategic roles, while others seek a better work-life balance. Finance leaders must act urgently to protect their organizations. In this CFO Insights edition, we dive into recent research to understand the values and behaviors of younger generations. We also get insights from top CFOs to explore their strategies for bridging the talent gap. Download our ebook here. (Canada ebook here)

Essential Upskilling Strategies for SMB Finance Professionals

In today's dynamic technology environment, assembling a finance team with deep technological expertise and strategic capabilities is crucial. However, small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) face a particularly complex challenge when building and developing their finance function. SMBs often have fewer resources compared to larger organizations, and the global talent shortage further complicates their ability to attract and retain the right talent. SMB leaders must strategically identify the essential skills gaps within their finance function and invest in targeted upskilling initiatives. In this CFO Insights series, we share three strategies that SMB leaders can apply to effectively upskill and empower their finance teams to thrive in the evolving technology landscape. Access our upskill ebook today.

A recent CFO study reveals that 90% of CFOs say the key task today is to prepare businesses for the unexpected. In this short video, the leading CFOs share how their roles have evolved and where to find their crystal ball to help businesses manage uncertainty.