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Get to know your CFO: finance leaders’ 2025 priorities

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The role of CFOs and finance departments isn’t just shifting – it’s also expanding at a rapid clip. Finance chiefs are taking on fresh responsibilities in areas that would have been unfamiliar territory just a few years ago (e.g., data security and privacy as well as ESG reporting). Tax leaders will want to keep a close eye on how finance is evolving and how CFOs’ priorities are shaping up for 2025.

 

A Protiviti report (based on a survey of CFOs, finance directors and finance managers operating in a broad range of industries around the world) provides an interesting look at the finance function’s top priorities for the coming 12 months. Some of the most notable CFO urgencies include: 

  • Reinforcing data security: A decade or so ago, a focus on data protection and privacy might have raised eyebrows – “Isn’t that the CISO’s responsibility?” Not anymore. Cyber threats are increasing, and cybersecurity regulations and reporting requirements are emerging worldwide. Sixty-one percent of Protiviti’s survey rated security and privacy of data as a high priority for the finance department in 2025.
  • Supporting FP&A across the enterprise: In an era of prolonged volatility and uncertainty, financial planning and analysis has become an essential activity in nearly all parts of the organization. Finance leaders want to help their colleagues bring a greater level of control and rigor to these activities and ensure the relevance and accuracy of the data. Data-driven analytics and advanced technologies can help here. 
  • Expanding the use of AI: Around one-third of finance organizations are using generative AI, with a focus on process automation and financial forecasting. CFOs want to push beyond the use of generative AI for short-term efficiency gains and explore the potential long-term benefits.
  • Optimize costs: Finance executives want to increase resiliency and agility while simultaneously reducing costs. Fifty-seven percent say that technology enablement and cloud-based systems have helped them to achieve meaningful cost savings.
  • Driving ESG data management and reporting. Finance leaders are increasingly assuming responsibility for meeting requirements for sustainability disclosures and reporting (including those related to CSRD and CSDDD). Finance’s expertise in risk management, internal controls and cross-functional collaboration is crucial in this area.

 

If you’d like an even broader look at the CFO agenda, and a view forward as far as 2030, check out this Deloitte report. How boards and CEOs view the finance leader’s role is also expanding. This is driving the emergence of what Deloitte calls the “exponential CFO” – an executive who can lead the organization through pervasive and accelerating change by driving value creation, delivering operational excellence and shaping talent and culture. It’s informative for tax leaders, who have seen a steady growth of their own role in recent years – one that may well turn exponential in the years ahead.

Blog Author

Michael J. Bernard, Chief Tax Officer – Transaction Tax at Vertex Inc. Vertex's Chief Tax Office (CTO) provides insight regarding the impact of tax regulations, policy, enforcement, and emerging technology trends on global tax department operations.

Michael J. Bernard

Chief Tax Officer, Transaction Tax

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Michael Bernard is the Chief Tax Officer of Transaction Tax. In his role, he provides insight and thought leadership around tax department operations, U.S. indirect tax, tax risk management, and tax policy, as well as emerging tax trends. He is an executive-level tax attorney with a diverse portfolio of experience in corporate tax, administration, and finance, including a substantive knowledge of U.S. and international tax laws.

Prior to joining Vertex, Michael was in various tax leadership roles at Microsoft Corporation for 28 years, the most recent being Senior Director – Tax Counsel. Michael led teams in the following functional areas: direct and indirect tax controversy, sales and use, business license, property, tax IT, SOX, and telecommunications. He also co-led a corporate taxpayer advocacy group with the Washington Department of Revenue and was a Director on the Board of the Washington Research Council. Michael has also testified before administrative and lawmakers at both the federal and state level.

Michael earned both a J.D. and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Creighton University. He is a part-time lecturer of Law in the LLM program at the University of Washington School of Law. Michael also served on the board of directors, executive committee, and chaired committees for The Tax Executives Institute (TEI) for nearly 25 years.

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