Accenture CFO Research Global PDF

FROM
BOTTOM LINE
TO FRONT LINE
CFOs have stepped out from the confines
of their role. Exploiting data and creating
value, they can now serve as innovator
and disruptor in their business.
#CFOReimagined
#CFOReimagined
Contents
Leading voices 3
Executive summary 6
Introduction 8
A close-up view of the evolved CFO 10
Challenges, gaps and opportunities 20
How CFOs can seize the moment 27
Developing future finance talent 36
Conclusion 43
About this research 45
2 The CFO Reimagined: from driving value to building the digital enterprise
#CFOReimagined
Leading voices
This research brings together the very latest primary research, rich insights from
our leaders across Accenture, a wealth of information from Accenture Research
and our practitioners working with clients around the world every day.
Steve Culp Dr. Christian Campagna Cherene Powell
Senior Managing Director, Senior Managing Director, Managing Director,
Accenture CFO & Enterprise Accenture Strategy, Accenture Strategy,
Value, Finance & Risk. CFO & Enterprise Value. CFO & Enterprise Value.
He works with clients to help advance With more than 25 years of experience Partners with global CFOs to
their business performance through in the development of advanced architect the next generation
innovative strategies, processes and strategies for finance and other of finance capability focusing on
change. He contributes to a regular general and administrative functions, digitialization, new operating models,
Forbes blog and has authored he now focuses on the CFO agenda, and innovation in service delivery
extensively on the changing role the finance function and its and employee experience.
of the CFO, and the digitalization digitalization, digital economics
of finance and risk. and enterprise operating models.
Leading voices #CFOReimagined
David Axson Eric Noren on supply chain, digital and finance

Senior Strategy Executive Principal, Managing Director, transformation, he has delivered
Accenture CFO Strategies and Accenture Communications, complex transformation programs
CFO & Enterprise Value, UKI. Media and Technology CFO across Asia encompassing China,
& Enterprise Value Global Lead. Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia,
With more than 30 years of advising
the Philippines and Singapore.
large global companies on strategy, With over 20 years of consulting and
finance, organization design and risk industry experience in finance and
management, he is the author of Best accounting, he has focused his career Ambrose Shannon
Practices in Planning & Performance on selling and delivering complex Managing Director, Accenture
Management (Wiley 2003) and The solutions that assist multinational CFO & Enterprise Value,
Management Mythbuster (Wiley 2010). companies with their finance function Financial Services.
strategy, enterprise performance
He has supported global clients
management and re-engineering
Peggy Krendl across banking, capital markets and
finance organizations and processes.
Managing Director, Accenture insurance specializing in finance
CFO & Enterprise Value, Resources. transformation. He has extensive
Based in Houston, she has extensive Paul Prendergast experience in operating model
Managing Director, Accenture design, finance vision and strategy,
experience in finance transformation,
CFO & Enterprise Value, Products. business case development and
global business services, finance
the use of ZBx approaches.
strategy, ERP implementation, With extensive experience in consumer
process optimization and business goods and services, life science and
solution delivery. industrial business segments focusing
Leading voices #CFOReimagined
Athena Reilly Paul Nunes Haralds Robeznieks

Managing Director, Global Managing Director Senior Principal,
Accenture Enterprise Data of Thought Leadership, Accenture Research.
& Analytics Strategy. Accenture Research. With more than 20 years of research
Focusing on changing business He is a highly regarded thinker, author experience, he focuses on finance,
models, competitive agility and digital and speaker on the topic of business operations, competitiveness and
disruption, she helps clients streamline strategy. His research and writing risk management, as well as
non-value-add activities, drive their focuses primarily on IT-led change inclusiveness issues.
enterprises to create and capture in business and marketing strategy.
more value through data and analytics,
and define exciting next-generation
operating models.
With thanks to our
research partners, Longitude
Research, especially lead
researchers Piers Tomlinson,
Rosie Sutton and Laura
Henriquez-Alvarez.
#CFOReimagined
Executive summary
Finance executives are uniquely well equipped
to thrive in this era of unprecedented disruption.
Their knowledge and expertise So, what’s the nexus of opportunity Simply put, the CFO’s role
are increasingly sought after across for companies and how are CFOs is increasingly fast-paced,
business functions, while CEOs and the wider finance function
far-reaching and much
are making them their most reinventing themselves to maximize
trusted advisors. business performance and create
broader in impact across
sustainable growth? the whole organization.
After years of moving beyond their
traditional “back office” duties, CFOs Accenture’s research dives
are positioned to be powerful digital deeply into the transforming—
guardians who use data to drive value, and transformational—role of the
improve efficiency and enable strategy. CFO to uncover trends, obstacles
and best practices for organizations
Many of them, however, must ready to pivot to the New.
overcome significant challenges in
order to seize these new opportunities
and effectively play a broader role.
Executive summary #CFOReimagined
Key findings:
CFOs and their teams continue to make What’s more, this pivotal moment in the evolution of the
a conscious and radical repositioning finance function is characterized by three main themes:
of their role, the work they do and • Digitizing finance and harnessing the power of data: CFOs continue to
how they do it. automate routine accounting, control and compliance tasks. They are increasing
their focus on value creation as digital technology empowers them to shape
The evolution of the CFO’s role is strategy. As a result, they can increasingly be relied upon for higher-level thinking,
being driven by five forces: answering new questions in new ways and bringing the C-suite together to act
on insights gleaned from data analysis.
• I ncreased expectations: boards, CEOs and
enterprises overall expect and need more from CFOs. • Leading digitalization efforts: CFOs play a critical role in the digitalization of
their enterprises, with most starting in their own departments. In a virtuous circle,
• Pace of change keeps accelerating. the data capabilities CFOs develop can help them make decisions about investing
• Pressure to show growth and profits is constant. in digital and technology across the enterprise based on economic value, which
in turn empowers them to generate and combine even more useful data.
• Power of data: there is a data-volume explosion,
requiring both focus and new capabilities. • Developing future finance talent: CFOs need to shift their hiring and talent
development criteria so the next generation of finance leaders—who will more
• Expanded control and compliance expectations:
than likely follow different career paths than previous generations—can flourish
driven by regulation and consumer expectations.
in this expanded role. Knowing how to collaborate and innovate are requisite traits
of the new CFO. Meanwhile, current CFO and senior-level finance professionals
are gaining expertise at a faster rate than the overall function, creating a skills
gap that must be addressed.
#CFOReimagined
INTRODUCTION
The new findings are driven from:
741 202
online surveys completed
by CFOs and senior
online surveys completed by
junior finance professionals for
48
in-depth discussions with CFOs,
senior finance executives, CEOs
finance executives. our “talent of the future” survey. and chief data officers, as well as
Accenture’s own thought leaders.
Introduction #CFOReimagined
Some of the most exciting work within companies

is happening in the finance function.
CFOs have long been responsible for The role of finance executives has “In virtually every company we look
producing the numbers and managing greatly evolved in the last 60 years. at, the CFO is becoming the second
technology investments. Yet today, From the 1950s to the 1980s, CFOs most important C-suite executive,
they are increasingly harnessing the were essentially accountants. Then, sitting at the right hand of the CEO
power of data to enhance their own from the 1990s to the 2010s, they and articulating a story about the
departments. They are also looking ascended to the level of business financial results they expect to
well beyond the borders of the finance partner. By 2020, CFOs will increasingly realize,” says David Axson, Senior
function, proposing and shaping be the strategic enablers, going beyond Strategy Executive Principal, Accenture
business models across the enterprise, a supportive role to a proactive one. CFO Strategies and CFO & Enterprise
and, ideally, leading the charge in Value, UKI. “An effective leadership
mapping out the investments required CFOs who have embraced the team depends on the CEO and
to embrace digital and guide their opportunities that have come with CFO being a great double act.”
organization into the next evolution. their unique bird’s-eye view of their
They are creating new revenue streams organization are collaborating with Yet not all CFOs are filling the dynamic
and managing down total costs. CEOs to drive strategy. The power roles available to them, and those
and depth of insight that comes with who are face many challenges.
data is not only expanding the role of Our study reveals how CFOs can
the CFO—it is offering companies the leverage technologies, skills and
chance to remake themselves and relationships to position themselves
thrive in the new economy. and their companies for growth.
#CFOReimagined
A close-up view
of the evolved CFO
FINANCE IS
REINVENTING
ITSELF
A close-up view of the evolved CFO #CFOReimagined
Continuing to automate
The standard to-do list of the finance department
is shifting dramatically as automation continues
to sweep in to reduce costs, improve productivity
and allow employees to use critical thinking and
creativity to drive value and profits.
Christopher Weber, EVP and CFO of With automation as a foundational Our research shows just how
the oilfield services group Halliburton, objective, CFOs are getting their own much the CFO has evolved from
for instance, has a roadmap to push houses in order to free up the time
accountant to analyzer to strategic
transactional activities into his company’s they need to branch out and take on
business service centers and increasingly entirely new tasks with broader impact.
advisor. We drilled down to find out
automate them. “This will free up time In fact, more than eight in ten of all how CFOs are spending their days
for our people to be more focused on CFOs (81 percent) see identifying and and which projects and long-term
higher value work such as analysis targeting areas of new value across goals they are prioritizing.
and trendspotting,” he says. the business as one of their main
responsibilities. Over three quarters
(77 percent) believe it is within their
purview to drive business-wide
operational transformation.
Today Tomorrow
Plan
Strategic planning, target setting, financial planning, forecasting, tax/treasury planning.
Transact
Supplier payments, employee payments, customer receipts, cash management.
Account
Transaction accounting, asset accounting, tax accounting.
Control
Account close/consolidation, account reconciliation, error processing, internal audit.
Comply
Statutory reporting, tax filing, statutory compliance, policy compliance.
Report
Enterprise performance reporting, financial reporting, management reporting.
Analyze
Portfolio analysis, performance analysis, investment analysis.
Advise
Business advisor, strategy execution support, M&A support, board of directors engagement.
Focus of professional staff time Largely digitalized (>80%)
Using data to drive value

The ability to capture, structure and make better use of
data in order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness
of their own department and across the organization
is the CFO’s greatest area of potential strength.
What’s more, finance functions are a better understanding of the What is new is how the “one truth”
already using a variety of emerging regional impact on future sales in concept is being realized across
tools for better interpretation and a given area following a weather all industries and geographies.
impact of the base data—from event, for example. We are making
predictive analytics (74 percent) to more connections and learning Efficient compilation and extraction
artificial intelligence (AI) (61 percent). all the time.” of financial data is essential, says
Steven Young, Executive Vice President
Rubens Batista, CFO of the Brazilian The catch? You must get your data in and CFO at Duke Energy in the US.
supermarkets group Martins, is one order first, though, to use it effectively. “We have put together a financial
finance leader keen to seize the Seventy six percent of CFOs agree hub that provides one version
analytics initiative. “It’s early days that without “one version of the truth” of truth,” he says. “Which has cut
for us, but we are using predictive across business units, their organization down on people getting different
analytics to better understand our will struggle to meet its objectives. answers from the data because they
cash flows,” he says. “This gives us extracted it from different sources.”
FIGURE 1
Fielding
Proportions of finance functions that are receiving
growing requests for insight and analytics in key areas.
requests for data

Market data
(price and trade
52%
related-data) 74%
Social media data 51%

A CFO’s ability to synthesize rich and complex
(sentiment analysis) 74%
data sets, and develop rigorous analysis of potential Marketing (including
investments while managing risk, lets them assess web traffic) and
47%
74%
plans and strategies objectively. CRM data
These capabilities are making CFOs where Bob McGee, CFO and Head Financial data
54%
even more popular as the best source of Operations says, analytics tools 72%
for data and insights. As Figure 1 are enabling finance to support the
indicates, business requests for data business at large in many different Risk and 49%
and analytics, beyond finance data, ways. “We’re giving the business a compliance data 72%
are snowballing. Functions across the better understanding of how to solve
enterprise know that finance can give liquidity issues,” he explains. “We’re
Operational data
45%
them the fundamental insights they helping them understand where there 69%
need to create fresh business models. are greater productivity opportunities
and how we can leverage them so 42%
Consider the Canadian financial Macroeconomic data
teams with weaker productivity 66%
services group ATB Financial, can actually improve their results.”
Rest of sample High-growth firms
Taking charge
of digitalization
While CFOs are engineering ways to carry out their own tasks faster and better
through automation, they are also increasingly ushering in the “digitalization”
of their broader organizations—the diffusion of technologies to change
business models and unlock new revenue streams.
CFOs are advancing the enterprise- “Finance is taking the lead in my “In finance, we are downstream “Finance is
wide digital agenda, with 77 percent business,” says the CFO of a major of everything; we are always looking taking the lead
heading up efforts to improve efficiency manufacturer based in Bangladesh. backward at what caused the
in my business.”
through adoption of digital technology, “Who else but finance should problem, and we know the rules so
Kaushek Daas, CFO of RAK
and 77 percent also exploring how be evaluating and prioritizing we know how things are supposed to Ceramics in Bangladesh.
disruptive new technologies could investments in digital technologies? turn out. We love the deep detail and
benefit the organization and the Who else understands the systems we often reach back to the beginning
business ecosystem. end-to-end?” of a process to fix the issue,” says
Daniel Gentili, General Manager Finance
at INPEX Australia.
Guarding the enterprise

Finance aptitude with forecasting, investment
evaluation, risk management and data stewardship
qualifies them for meeting the significant new
challenges around cyber-security, data aggregation
and technology investment evaluation.
Dr. Christian Campagna, Managing “Today, as transformation initiatives leaders and the “talent of the future”
Director, Accenture Strategy, CFO like analytics, big data, new business (the group of younger finance
& Enterprise Value, says there has and new operating models grow in professionals we surveyed), was
been greater pressure on the CFO to importance, it’s time for CFOs to step identifying and managing control of the
become the “economic guardian” of up and take even more responsibility.” enterprise’s most critical data and the
the business since the global financial insights they yield. Our survey suggests
crisis. “The CFO and the CEO are Asked where the finance function that the finance function is already
the only board members who have should play a leading role in data expanding its governance activities,
sight of, and responsibility for, governance, the most common which is crucial to anticipating the
the whole enterprise,” he says. response from both finance regulatory risks attached to data.
EMPOWERING
COLLEAGUES
Many CFOs think better collaboration,
new technologies and changed working
practices will facilitate an even more drastic
change: the empowerment of other functions
through the transfer of responsibility for
routine finance tasks to them.
Two-thirds (67 percent) of finance leaders believe they can
and should train executives in non-finance functions to take on
finance activities such as reporting, planning, budgeting and
forecasting. Seventy eight percent believe that digitalization
will facilitate a rise in self-service.
By providing governance tools, controls and At a multinational chemicals business CFOs have the
expert support, finance can help others serve headquarters in Europe, the financial controller
themselves, which in turn reduces cycle times, says non-finance people are extracting and
opportunity and
provides more personalized service and frees analyzing reports to make better decisions. responsibility to do
up finance professionals for strategic planning. “We’re convincing them that it’s beneficial to even more to harness
“What finance is doing more of, is sitting side self-report, so finance people can spend their their unique position
by side with the folks running the business time enhancing other areas of the business,” and help to ensure the
as they face their different challenges, truly he says. “In the beginning, they resist it,
continued success
understanding the tactical and strategic but when you have the support from their
things they are working on and advising manager, it’s only a matter of time
of their companies.
them on what will help them better achieve until they’re fully engaged.”
their short-term and long-term objectives,”
says ATB Financial’s Bob McGee. By bringing Vangelis Baltas, CFO of transport business Fraport
together complementary skills and working Greece, agrees. “I would like other functions
collaboratively with others, finance to be able to understand the finance aspects.
adds real value. Not the fine detail, but a basic knowledge.
Otherwise, it’s very hard to make decisions.”
Focusing on growth
FIGURE 2
Finance’s non-traditional strengths
and their value to the business.
(Figures do not add up to 100% due to rounding)
These bolder and broader initiatives that CFOs are Guiding on the successful adoption of
undertaking are all in service of one aim: growth. emerging and evolving technologies
CFOs are focused on strategies that drive profitable
6% 14% 78%
growth—top-line growth, bottom-line growth and
growth in shareholder value. Managing cyber-related risk
As Figure 2 shows, CFOs are largely CEOs report in turn that they are happy 7% 16% 76%
confident that they are driving greater with a broad range of non-traditional
value throughout their enterprises. activities carried out by their CFOs, Forecasting the long-term value and/
or lifespan of a specific technology
Three-quarters of them are satisfied such as leading organizational
with what they have achieved so far. transformation, monetizing digital
7% 12% 80%
technology strategies and making
customer and pricing decisions. Combining different data sets
And yet, 81 percent of all firms 7% 14% 77%

report that they are preparing for an
increasingly volatile future. CFOs have Effectively balancing investments in
the opportunity and responsibility technology between core and new business
to do even more to harness their
4% 17% 78%
unique position and help to ensure the
continued success of their companies.
Finance is worse than Neutral Finance is better than
other functions at this other functions at this
#CFOReimagined
Challenges, gaps
and opportunities
REQUIRING
A NEW ROLE
Challenges, gaps and opportunities #CFOReimagined
As CFOs feel the

The three hats of the modern CFO.
ground moving
beneath them, they are Accountant Business partner Strategic enabler
grappling with several Transform finance
common challenges.
Account-centric Business-centric
productivity
Retool and
Descriptive Predictive
retain talent
Generally speaking, they have to find ways to free up time
through automation and leverage analytics to gain more Become a data
Backward looking Forward looking
insights. And they must also integrate and connect with driven organization
other business units, moving at pace with them to offer
Financial/ Applied digital
the most value. Weathering this shift is possible if they Financial data
Operational technology
can develop new skills and practice new ways of working.
In fact, there are key areas of opportunity for CFOs who Adopt an agile
Accounting skills Analytic skills
operating model
are still occupying a more traditional and narrower role.
Functionally siloed Business aligned
Past Present Future
A struggle
to automate
Not all CFOs are enacting (or are empowered to enact)
necessary changes. Consider automation.
Today, only 34 percent of finance tasks “Low value-added activities
are automated. It is a low percentage, which can be done by technology
since the goal of technology enabling have to be done by technology,”
a “lights-out” back office is achievable. says Larry Reinhold, President and
In fact, Accenture estimates that CEO of Systemax. “There is relentless
60 to 80 percent of backward-looking pressure to reduce cost and do things
accounting activity can be automated in the most productive manner.”
with limited to no human intervention.
But, even by 2021, CFOs anticipate that CFOs have the added task of
less than 50 percent of all finance tasks making the internal case for
will be performed by machines. automation, as 38 percent worry
about employee resistance to
working with non-human colleagues.
MASTERING
DATA
“One of the biggest challenges is locating the right data,”
says Rubens Batista of Martins. “That’s what keeps me awake
at night. We can collect data more easily now, partly due
to the rise of social media. I think this is important and
we are integrating this into business.”
More than half (53 percent) of CFOs worry that the But our research suggests that the potential for deriving
finance function is reactive or that data and information- untapped value from financial data alone is significant,
sharing processes are not streamlined. In two years’ even before this information has been combined
time, 46 percent expect to still feel this way. A notable with other enterprise data sets. Yet less than half the
proportion of them also do not rate the finance functions finance leaders we surveyed are capturing six key
they lead as strongly as they could on their data potential outcomes of data analysis: value creation,
and analytics capabilities. increased connectivity with other areas of the business,
identification of future risks and opportunities, improved
Part of the issue stems from concern about information compliance, wider adoption of technology throughout
security, according to our survey respondents. After all, the business, and additional valuable insights.
if you automate an inefficient process you just get
bad data faster.
53%
Such concerns go beyond just financial data as
organizations look to combine internal and external,
structured and unstructured data to unlock the most of CFOs worry that the finance
insightful reading of any given situation. In fact, almost function is reactive or that
three in ten CFOs see the need to combine financial data and information-sharing
data with other sources of information as a challenge. processes are not streamlined.
Looking ahead
and branching out
CFOs are accustomed to historical analysis, but looking
backwards is not sufficient for seamlessly bringing
value to the rest of the enterprise.
Predictive analytics tools allow finance Meanwhile, not everyone in finance driving enterprise-wide efficiency
to exploit data and understand how the is convinced that empowering their by adopting digital technologies.
business climate will play out across colleagues in other departments is Perhaps the finance function is not
each area. The ability to provide worthwhile. A third of CFOs believe automating at the right pace, or does
roadmaps for responding to such either that finance activities should not have confidence in its data, or is
insights is an invaluable skill for CFOs be split 50:50 with other functions encountering employee resistance.
to possess. Yet our survey respondents or that finance should continue These factors create the sensation
report a 50:50 split between the to carry out all such work. of moving at the wrong speed
proportion of their activities that for the business.
focus on reporting the past and those Most CFOs (64 percent) are concerned
focused on the future. The balance about being out of sync with the rest
needs to tip forward. of their company when it comes to
51%
of young finance professionals are eager
to embrace new digital skills that will be
critical for keeping up and succeeding
in the years to come.
While we believe digitalization is to come, an additional 44 percent say “If we believe that
essential, it appears that CFOs need they are willing to embrace new digital
more reassurance that they are on the skills if they are given the right training.
80 percent of the
right long-term track. Less than half of The onus, then, is on CFOs to seize finance function could
those surveyed say their investments upon their employees’ enthusiasm be digitalized in some
in digitalization are matching or with effective upskilling programs. way, CFOs have to ask
exceeding anticipated returns.
In broad terms, CFOs have to think about
the question, ‘what’s
While some say attractive business
cases are emerging, others note the life after automation. “If we believe that left?’ They have to
difficulty of defining returns or say 80 percent of the finance function reinvent themselves.”
they are not seeing any at all. could be digitalized in some way, Athena Reilly, Managing Director,
CFOs have to ask the question, Accenture Enterprise Data &
Analytics Strategy.
While 51 percent of up-and-coming ‘what’s left?’” says Athena Reilly,
young finance professionals from our Managing Director, Accenture Enterprise
“talent of the future” survey are eager Data & Analytics Strategy. “They have
to embrace new digital skills that will to reinvent themselves.”
be critical for succeeding in the years
#CFOReimagined
How CFOs can

seize the moment
ACCELERATE
DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION
How CFOs can seize the moment #CFOReimagined
Finance leaders are

concentrating on the
risk of digital failure
and are preoccupied
with the challenges
of transformation.
There are concrete steps

CFOs can take to move
beyond these concerns.
Their primary concerns are:
Employees across The emergence of new, The technology Combining different Investments not being
functions struggling cyber-related risks that becoming outdated data sets proving to be suitably balanced
to adopt emerging make the investment before the return on very time-consuming. between core and
and evolving redundant. investment is realized. new business.
technologies.
Digital transformation is now a competitive

necessity for most organizations.
The pace of digital Look across the enterprise to prioritize digital Focus on how to innovate and scale
disruption is such investments. Test cases with rapid paybacks at speed. Deploy agile methods and
can help self-fund the transformation. outcome-based design principles.
that CFOs are
looking for ways Find common ground with other business Build stewardship and governance
to accelerate it. units on the scope of digitalization for structures to measure performance
The following finance and the pace at which to pursue it. and ensure accountability for outcomes.
recommendations
can help: Clearly connect the investments being made Constantly evaluate the portfolio of
with the commercial returns the business digital investments to ensure continued
expects to realize. This allows for immediate relevance and value.
re-prioritization and increased confidence
in the return on investment. Encourage teams to pursue innovation
and support them so they are not afraid
Seek out the financial value that digital of taking risks.
investments in the rest of the business can
deliver. For example, can sensors on equipment Recognize that success is not linear
serve as an input to capital planning and and that change requires patience.
maintenance budgeting by providing predictive
information on asset performance?
Step up
How, then, can CFOs overcome challenges, fill in skills
gaps and combat attitudes that are holding them and
their functions back from becoming strategic enablers?
76%
During analysis of our survey data, they are implementing real-time
we isolated a leader group of 349 or near-real-time monitoring of
“high-growth” firms—organizations business performance.
that greatly exceeded their targets
Pushing through the difficult parts
for revenue growth last year. It is
of disruption is the best—and really
of CFOs agree that without
worth noting that in these firms,
CFOs are more likely to be driving the only—option. We believe the “one version of the truth”
transformation, planning disruption CFO is the right person in the C-suite across business units, their
and targeting value, suggesting a to oversee the ecosystem of data organization will struggle
possible correlation between business and analytics that other functions to meet its objectives.
performance and the expansion of are feeding. The CFO is poised to
the CFO’s remit. They are also more own enterprise data and analytics
likely to say their data and analytics alongside the CEO.
capabilities are strong, and that
Take the reins If CFOs commit to change
with data and

and withstand transition,
they will eventually see the
benefits of both mobilizing
digitalization
data and of large-scale
digitalization.
Consider how when finance leverages
digital automation investments being
It is critical for the CFO made in other parts of the organization,
to help its organization it can provide real value. Or when
achieve growth objectives a company implements automated
performance monitoring of its capital
through smart, rapid equipment, finance can use the
investment in digital same data to provide more accurate
technologies. estimates of planned and unplanned
maintenance, rather than relying
on generic replacement cycles.
In another example, at a Greek telecom through smart, rapid investment in Technology itself won’t lead to
company, the CFO says the move to digital technologies. As such, digital improvement, of course. Managing the
rapid reporting is enhancing agility. value stewardship is essential, to ensure proliferation of digital programs across
“Ten years ago, it took 30 days for me accountability. The CFO is the person the business forces CFOs to craft clear
to get the month-end results, now it’s who can understand and measure end goals, which in turn ensures that
more like four or five days,” he says. digital interventions, what they mean new technologies are fully exploited.
“It means I can make decisions faster for the organization and whether they CFOs need to connect the dots between
if something needs to change.” are having an impact. CFOs understand various pilot programs and technologies
the economic rationale for technology to avoid duplication and redundancy,
A senior finance executive at one of the investments and can sequence activities. and ensure investments are productive.
world’s most successful e-commerce
brands says her focus is also on “If you have a seat at the table As Daniel Gentili at INPEX Australia
real-time analytics. “Our promotions on technology investments, you says, “Finance should be all
are short-term, based on traffic have to be able to contribute in a over anything tied to enterprise
flows and managed in real time,” meaningful way,” adds Alan Foster, technology—right from the design
she explains. “So, finance has to CFO of National Grid UK. “Not just phase. Any technology in the back
be able to provide its feedback in in working out what to say yes to, office needs to interface with
real time too, to make sure those but also in understanding what finance efficiently. Otherwise
promotions pass our criteria.” needs to be done to ensure those your data and outputs are a mess.”
investments are successful. These
It is critical for the CFO to help the are areas that require engagement
organization achieve growth objectives and involvement from the CFO.”
BUILDBRIDGES Making the most of the CFO’s

unique position is more about
human connection than
technology or process.
Effectively communicating the benefits
of automation is one vital skill for CFOs who
wish to shepherd much-needed disruption.
Automation technologies, after all, can
increase finance professionals’ levels of
fulfillment by eliminating dull and repetitive
work. In countries where demographic trends
are impacting the availability of key skills,
automation can also alleviate the pressure
and struggle for organizations to recruit
people for manual processing.
CFOs will likely be welcomed by their partners and other leaders another list of problems that “Finance leaders
in other functions if they are open-minded they have to solve, or you take a more proactive
and collaborative. “People are realizing that stance and try to solve the problems. The most
who understand that
they can’t do things alone, and that finance successful CFOs will provide the solutions.” people are really
isn’t there just to stop them from spending at the core of this
money,” says Martin Fritsch, CFO CSI at DHL. “Think of this as finance moving to the edges,” change will have the
says Steve Culp, Senior Managing Director,
“But it depends on the character of the
Accenture CFO & Enterprise Value, Finance
greatest success.”
finance person: if you act like a cost controller, Athena Reilly, Managing Director,
then the doors aren’t going to open for you.” & Risk. “The function will be involved at
Accenture Enterprise Data &
the beginning, working with the rest of the Analytics Strategy.
CFOs can no longer be the obstructors they business to set those objectives, as well as
once were. They must be “yes” men and women. at the end, to provide a verdict on whether
Alan Foster of National Grid UK says CFOs need the targets were met. This is where the
to ensure that the business delivers on what the finance function of the future will really
CEO is promising. “The role used to be about add value, rather than in the middle.”
stewardship and saying no to frivolous ideas,
but that’s a given now,” he says. “You don’t get Consider the wider organizational culture, how
any merit for that anymore. You can either finance has worked with other functions in the
choose to point out problems and give the CEO past and what needs to change for the future.
#CFOReimagined
Developing future
finance talent
REQUIRING
A DIFFERENT
TALENT PROFILE
Developing future finance talent #CFOReimagined
The CFO’s role has been evolving

for decades and is now in the midst
of an even more radical change.
As finance’s responsibilities continue is limiting the pace and outcomes “It feels like there are two camps
to stretch, so too must the skills and of transformation programs within for what people look for in a CFO,”
knowledge of CFOs themselves and finance—it is the human talent challenge explains Christopher Weber of
of prospective talent. In the past, young of finding people with all the right skills. Halliburton. “The control or accounting
people who simply showed a reliable background versus a more strategic
and detail-oriented nature might have “As the DNA of finance talent pools finance role who partners with the
sufficed, but now CFOs need employees evolves at pace, many CFOs are CEO. Over time, I think the shift has
with a wide range of capabilities, from establishing hubs of deep expertise, been towards this second role, even
data visualization to flexible thinking. in markets where there is competency if that means the candidate isn’t
at scale,” says Ambrose Shannon, an accountant by training.”
Typically, the CFO and very senior Managing Director, Accenture CFO
finance executives have advanced these & Enterprise Value, Financial Services. Organizations need to be able to pivot
newly required skills at a much greater between looking backward and looking
rate than the department at large has, CFOs recognize the need for change forward, and be strategic and focused on
creating a gap in knowledge between and accept that traditional roles may getting the books closed while ensuring
the top and bottom of the organization. soon become obsolete. More than all the proper controls have rigor. It takes
Whatever their attendant challenges three-quarters (78 percent) say the talented leaders to strike this balance.
are, it is not technology or data that change must be rapid and drastic.
Value
Professional Intelligent
skills finance
Expanded responsibility
Finance and Business

accounting insight
Finance
Transact Use of digital technology Analyze
C.V. must-haves
Which skills are critical for future financial executives
to continue leading and transforming organizations?
Consider the ability to innovate and “The CFO still needs to be somebody “It needs to be outward-facing,” “We are looking
analyze, and how important they that you can trust implicitly to cut he says. “In tune with the marketplace,
are to enabling strategy. through all the bias and be the visiting customers with sales
for people who
honest broker in decision-making people, and building relationships are inquisitive.”
“What you’re looking for is people and running financial analysis. and bridges to other functions.” Daniel Gentili,
who are adaptable and resilient,” None of that is particularly new,” adds
INPEX Australia.
says INPEX Australia’s Daniel Gentili. Larry Reinhold of Systemax. “What is The biggest challenge is recruiting
“We are looking for people who different today is that process and or training the talent necessary to
are inquisitive. They need to ask: automation across the board is understand how to collect data
‘Is there a better way to do this? completely different, even in financial and gain insight from data. Finance
Can I get this information differently? areas, so you also have to be IT savvy.” professionals need the right skillset
How did that information come out to communicate with the rest of the
once I pushed that?’ They must be The former managing director of a enterprise, working with other functions
prepared to bounce if they fail global consumer goods business based to drive the right conclusions and
and go back and look again.” in Europe believes that finance needs to actions out of the insights.
understand the drivers of the business.
A new
CFO culture
For all their great qualities, some CFOs need
to commit to self-transformation and champion
conditions for workplace cultural change.
“It’s not easy making progress toward As finance takes on more strategic
providing predictive reporting responsibilities across the enterprise,
because people in finance are much it needs to become better at supporting
more concrete,” says Rubens Batista fresh thinking, collaborative working
of Martins. “Talking about the future and strategic insight. CFOs agree with
takes a little bit of imagination and a this analysis, emphasizing that their
certain degree of dreaming as well. own mindsets need to adapt and
Having your feet on the ground evolve, and that their expectations of
while dreaming of the future is new recruits are set to change. Eight in
the main challenge.” ten (81 percent) confirm, for instance,
that data storytelling is an essential
skill for today’s finance professionals.
At a global e-commerce business, how I interact with the organization,

the senior finance executive we spoke and the openness, candor and
to is using a different (and increasingly perspective I provide.”
popular) job title to reflect the CFO’s
new role. “We call ourselves Nonetheless, tomorrow’s CFOs are very
business finance partners rather optimistic about finance’s prospects,
than advisors or controllers,” she with more than 80 percent of future
explains. “Things change with that finance executives agreeing that
word: we have to build relationships the work will be meaningful and that
78%
and work as part of the group employees will be encouraged to
around the table.” develop their own skills and will have
a clear route to career progression.
The cultural shift must start at the
CFO level, says Christopher Weber, In light of the increased responsibilities
given to finance and the availability
of more junior EVP and CFO of the oilfield services
of data, tools and technologies,
group Halliburton. He says changing
finance practitioners the mindset takes time and constant 78 percent of more junior finance
say that there has attention. “The culture starts with my practitioners say that there has never
never been a more leadership team, my direct reports been a more exciting time to be
exciting time to be a and myself all leading by example,” a finance professional.
finance professional. he says. “It’s how I conduct myself,
Voices from
the future Our survey of tomorrow’s CFOs reveals that:
92% 78%
Forward-looking finance leaders are energized
by the potential of digital transformation.
Automation of dull and mundane tasks, richer and more timely datasets,
access to sophisticated analytic models and deployment of advanced say that if they were say the future finance
visualization tools can all combine to make finance one of the most CFO, they would spend a function, led by the CFO,
significant amount of time will champion a new way
exciting and most value-adding places to work in the enterprise. In fact,
on value creation across the of operating across
young people looking to drive change through digital innovation should wider business ecosystem. the business.
77% 66%
consider finance over IT or research and development units.
In an environment where the boundaries between finance and the rest

of the organization are blurred, and where collaborative working is the
norm, there will be plenty of chances for finance employees to grow
and build new competencies. And as finance becomes known as believe the finance function believe that finance
a function that is actively enabling the future, it will likely be a place should be proactive and should empower other
in which many more talented young professionals aspire to work. connected in its operations functions to take on
alongside business partners all finance activities.
across the wider business
ecosystem.
#CFOReimagined
Conclusion
The findings of this report mark the most dramatic
shift we have seen in almost 20 years of research
into high-performing finance teams.
The evidence is clear: CFOs are now strategy For this research, we set out to ask select The CFO will create more
players who are expected to use their knowledge clients about their ambitions, priorities meaningful and impactful
of data, analytics and finance to forge new and challenges as CFOs. As hypothesized,
strategies across their organizations while we discovered that the CFO has an expanded
roles for finance professionals,
influencing and guiding existing business units. remit to be more efficient and effective, such as leading digitalization
improve risk and compliance, increase transformations, ensuring
As accounting and other routine tasks are enterprise value and steward the their organizations pivot
automated, the CFO will create more meaningful
and impactful roles for finance professionals,
digitalization of the entire enterprise. wisely in this radically
such as leading digitalization transformations, At the same time, we also found that many different marketplace.
ensuring their organizations pivot wisely in CFOs have yet to drive insight through data
this radically different marketplace. and talent, and automate or spread out the
traditional finance function to make room for
Ultimately, CFOs will embed finance into all new ways of achieving value. An enormous
other areas of the business, further eliminating opportunity exists, then, for CFOs and
their own traditional functions so they can aspiring CFOs.
develop ever more sophisticated ways of
mining data for growth-driving insights.
Conclusion #CFOReimagined
The CFO of today—and of the high-performing Finance must build on its strengths in order to move
digital business of the future—is, above all: business at the right speed for the whole organization.
• Focused on securing critical business outcomes This could include:
and economics by enabling strategy. • Building and clearly communicating the economic case
• Partnering with the CEO to deliver those outcomes, for change, with data and analytics tools that calculate
helping lead the way for functions throughout the enterprise. ROI through facts, figures, and examples.
• Embracing new technologies and evaluating • Leading by example, proving the case for investment
enterprise-wide investment to support the velocity with a more effective finance function than ever before.
required for tomorrow’s business. • Building a broader range of skills within finance to
• Owning the data agenda and wielding the power of data, support the rest of its function in its expanding role.
not least by controlling the one version of the truth. • Acting in concert with other functions, rather than
• Building new talent with the agility, skills and experience as a gatekeeper or approver.
needed to deliver in the New. • Working across the business to create new structures
and processes for better cross-functional working.
• Articulating the vision to a broad range of stakeholders,
including investors and analysts.
The CFO is in an elevated position, serving as an innovator and a

disruptor who can harness data to unleash new value. Never has the
CFO been better positioned to be the CEO’s chief business partner.
Now is the time for CFOs to wield the power of digital and secure
their organization’s growth objectives.
#CFOReimagined
Country
About this research United States 27%

Our research is based on online surveys with
more than 700 finance leaders from around the United Kingdom 17%
globe and more than 200 up-and-coming finance
professionals (the “talent of the future”). Japan 11%
We also conducted almost 50 qualitative interviews with CFOs, senior finance Germany 9%
executives, CEOs and chief data officers. We selected interviewees on the
basis that they worked for global, billion-dollar enterprises that reflected
Italy 8%
a good mix of sectors and geographies worldwide.
France 7%
Respondent company size
8% Australia 7%
$1bn to $4.99bn Brazil 5%

$5bn to $9.99bn
$10bn to $19.99bn 59% 29%
Spain 5%
$20bn +
Singapore 5%
4%
About this research #CFOReimagined
Industry Respondent job title

18%
20% Banking
Chief financial officer
14% Consumer goods Finance director
16%
13% Insurance
49% 7%
Head of finance
Finance controller
Director of treasury
11% Retail 5% Head of treasury
5%
9% Oil and gas
8% Metals and mining

About the high-growth firms
8% Utilities During analysis of the data, we isolated a leader group of 349
high-growth firms—organizations that greatly exceeded their
8% High-tech targets for revenue growth last year. The finance function in
these firms is routinely more mature and advanced in its role
8% Comms and media as a strategic enabler for the enterprise as a whole.
(Note: Figures do not add up to 100% due to rounding)
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad
range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and
operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more
than 40 industries and all business functions—underpinned by the world’s largest
delivery network—Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology
to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their
stakeholders. With 449,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries,
Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives.
Visit us at www.accenture.com
www.accenture.com/CFOReimagined
Copyright © 2018 Accenture. This document makes descriptive reference to trademarks that may be owned by others.
All rights reserved.
The use of such trademarks herein is not an assertion of ownership of such trademarks
Accenture, its logo, and High performance. by Accenture and is not intended to represent or imply the existence of an association
Delivered. are trademarks of Accenture. between Accenture and the lawful owners of such trademarks.

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What is the purpose of the research?

What is the purpose of the research?

What industries are represented in the research?

What industries are represented in the research?

FROM

David Axson Eric Noren on supply chain, digital and finance

Athena Reilly Paul Nunes Haralds Robeznieks

Some of the most exciting work within companies

Focus of professional staff time Largely digitalized (>80%)

Using data to drive value

requests for data

Social media data 51%

Guarding the enterprise

And yet, 81 percent of all firms 7% 14% 77%

As CFOs feel the

Past Present Future

How CFOs can

Finance leaders are

There are concrete steps

Their primary concerns are:

Digital transformation is now a competitive

Take the reins If CFOs commit to change

with data and

BUILDBRIDGES Making the most of the CFO’s

The CFO’s role has been evolving

Finance and Business

Transact Use of digital technology Analyze

At a global e-commerce business, how I interact with the organization,

finance professional. he says. “It’s how I conduct myself,

In an environment where the boundaries between finance and the rest

The CFO is in an elevated position, serving as an innovator and a

About this research United States 27%

$1bn to $4.99bn Brazil 5%

Industry Respondent job title

8% Metals and mining

(Note: Figures do not add up to 100% due to rounding)

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