More and more, we are seeing the line blur between technology and finance, with CFO roles being hit the hardest. The expectations of CFOs are no longer anchored to just finance but have expanded to innovation as well as digital experience and processing. I ask three experts to share their advice on how to maintain this balance, harnessing innovation whilst staying true to the heart of the CFO’s role.
Omar Choucair, CFO at Trintech
Today, CFOs face the challenging task of balancing traditional financial responsibilities with the evolving broader demands of digital transformation and technology strategy. Digital Transformation should be viewed as a strategic enabler that empowers CFOs and their teams to work smarter rather than harder. Although integrating new technologies can present significant challenges, these hurdles represent critical growth opportunities that should be actively embraced, not avoided.
Strategic business agility has emerged as an indispensable quality for modern CFOs. The role of the CFO is rapidly evolving beyond traditional financial oversight, placing greater emphasis on technology, innovation and operational focus to drive business growth and maintain competitive advantage. Being agile means readily adapting to new responsibilities, proactively welcoming change and prioritising technological advancements in strategic decision-making.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a prime example of this dynamic. Finance teams often perceive AI as challenging because the return on investment can be unclear, and the best applications aren’t always immediately evident. However, embracing AI with an open, strategic approach will position finance teams to realise substantial benefits as clear and effective use cases are identified and executed.
CFOs are aggressively balancing essential financial functions with ongoing digital initiatives. Implementing a clear, forward-thinking technology strategy enables finance leaders to optimise processes, streamline workflows and maintain a competitive edge. Ultimately, agility and a heavy focus on embracing Digital Transformation ensure that CFOs can successfully navigate their growing and strategic responsibilities while providing leadership to the entire organisation
Joel Campbell, CFO of TreviPay, and Director and Finance Committee member for The Association of Finance Professionals (AFP)
The Office of the CFO has grown into a more strategic role, or a ‘CFO Plus.’ This expanded role offers great opportunity because the CFO and finance teams generally have a strong understanding of the entire business and are in the right place to influence the growth and direction of the company, in addition to their traditional financial responsibilities. And for those in disruptive industries like technology or healthcare, the CFO role is evolving even faster.
Today, we’re seeing even more cross-company collaboration between finance, business development and general counsel who join together to guide the CEO and board on how to think about the business strategically, such as with M&A and ownership structure decisions.
Today’s CFOs balance upholding financial compliance while making technology decisions that shape the future of the business. For example, this balancing act shows up when choosing between upgrading an ERP system and funding a new AI-driven risk platform. How do we best quantify when automation saves money versus when it creates new strategic value because both are important? The answer lies in understanding the right systems deliver real-time insights so leadership can course-correct faster and more confidently.
With the growing demands of Digital Transformation and tech strategy, CFOs have ultimately become key voices in shaping business resilience. They are responsible for driving growth and managing risk in an increasingly digital economy. The CFO Plus role is also responsible to foster cross-functional collaboration. Finance has a unique view into business data that can uncover risks or reveal hidden growth drivers when shared beyond traditional silos.
Organisations that equip senior leaders with information and real-time data can better analyse what’s happening in the business. Leveraging back-office automated technology helps do this, freeing up the CFO’s time to get more involved in strategic decisions and help drive the business forward.
John Yensen, President at Revotech Networks
As owner of Revotech, I wear many hats, including the role of CFO and collaborate quite regularly with CFOs as we advise clients on technology adoption, budgeting and Digital Transformation strategies broadly.
I believe that CFOs today need to shift from viewing technology as a cost centre to recognising it as a driver of long-term value. By that, I don’t mean abandoning discipline, but better aligning investment decisions with digital goals. The best CFOs I’ve worked with understand both the risk and return of emerging technologies and know how to vet them not just on ROI, but on how well they support agility, scalability and innovation.
A practical approach that I have seen work well is incorporating finance leaders in Digital Transformation teams. I feel that if finance is looped in early enough, particularly during technology evaluations, pilot projects, and implementation planning, it shapes smarter and more sustainable outcomes.
Another key factor is data. As businesses digitise, CFOs are becoming stewards of enterprise data—not just financial metrics, but operational and customer data too. This unlocks new value but also brings accountability for data governance, security and analytics quality. Leading CFOs are investing in tools and upskilling to ensure finance can play a meaningful role in these conversations.
Broadly, I would say that CFOs who will succeed in this new era are the ones who can bridge financial acumen with digital fluency. They will lead with numbers, but think in terms of systems and scalability.
