IIC Partners member firm, B. Riley Farber, just completed a fascinating research piece on the evolving role of the CFO. Here are the top seven trends for 2025 to watch out for:

1. Strategic Focus: Companies are prioritizing CFO hires who can drive business strategy and solve complex operational challenges. The emphasis is shifting from maintenance roles to strategic positions that can significantly impact the organization’s growth and performance.

2. Talent Acquisition: CFOs are becoming more involved in talent management, partnering with HR to align financial and workforce strategies. They’re reframing talent expenses as investments and leveraging data-driven insights to tie workforce strategies to business outcomes.

3. Operational Orientation: Modern CFOs are expected to have a deep understanding of business operations, focusing on solving critical business problems rather than solely managing financial records.

4. Stakeholder Management: Effective communication skills and the capability to build sound and trusting relationships with various stakeholders, including banks, investors, and board members, has become paramount. CFOs are now responsible for providing clear, transparent, and consistent updates on financial performance and business strategy.

5. Leadership and Soft Skills: Leadership, the ability to influence, decisiveness, and other EQ-related soft skills have grown
significantly in importance for the CFO role. These skills are crucial for managing cross-functional teams and driving organizational change.

6. M&A Expertise: With continued private equity activity, and an expected pickup in mergers & acquisitions activity, CFOs are increasingly hired for their expertise in deal-management, integrations and consolidations.

7. Technology Utilization: CFOs are at the forefront of leveraging new technologies, including Business Intelligence (BI), Artificial Intelligence (AI), data analytics, and cybersecurity solutions. They’re driving digital transformation initiatives to enhance financial operations and decision-making processes.

Read the full report on www.brileyfarber.com.