Why CFOs Are Under Siege: The Rising Pressures Facing Finance Leaders in 2025

Executive Summary

• CFOs in the Pressure Cooker: Today’s CFOs face unprecedented pressure from all sides with macroeconomic whiplash, rapid technological disruption, talent gaps, and soaring stakeholder expectations. The result? Record-high stress levels and even rising CFO turnover as the role becomes ever more demanding.

• Economic & Market Headwinds: Macroeconomic volatility from inflation and interest spikes to trade turmoil, has made financial planning a rollercoaster. CFOs must navigate constant external change and anticipate issues in an uncertain economy, all while keeping a keen eye on profitability and risk management.

• Technology & Data Overload: AI and digital transformation offer hope but also add pressure. Finance chiefs are inundated with data: multiple dashboards, legacy systems, fragmented reports, yet little insight. Many are accelerating adoption of AI reporting dashboards and analytics to cope, seeking to turn “numbers into narrative” and surface board-ready insights instead of drowning in spreadsheets.

• Organizational Strains: A talent shortage in finance and new skill requirements (like data science) leave CFOs shorthanded. Nearly 78% of CFOs say skill gaps significantly hinder their effectiveness. Simultaneously, boards and CEOs expect CFOs to do more than compile reports, they demand strategic guidance, KPI storytelling, and instant answers to tough questions. CFOs are being pulled from steward to strategist, expanding their role far beyond traditional finance stewardship.

• From Steward to Strategist: The modern CFO must juggle compliance and strategy, often feeling like a Chief Everything Officer. To survive and thrive, finance leaders are embracing new tactics: upskilling teams, adopting executive decision intelligence tools, and leveraging decision-support platforms (like Stratavor) that reduce reporting burdens and deliver real insight. These AI-powered solutions act as an “AI financial analyst,” freeing CFOs to focus on high-value strategic work In short, the right technology and mindset shifts can turn today’s overwhelming pressures into an opportunity for CFOs to shine as forward-looking strategists.

Economic whiplash, tech upheavals, talent headaches, activist investors, you name it, it’s on the CFO’s plate in 2025. It’s no surprise that being a CFO is often described as a pressure cooker job. CFO turnover hit ~15% at large companies last year (near record highs) and average tenures have shrunk, a clear sign that many finance chiefs are feeling the heat.

What’s driving this unprecedented pressure? Simply put, almost everything. CFOs are expected to be master jugglers, economists, technologists, strategists, and risk managers all at once, and deliver answers faster than ever. Below, we break down the key forces squeezing today’s CFOs, and how the CFO role itself is transforming under these pressures. We’ll also explore how modern solutions (like AI-driven decision intelligence platforms) are emerging to help relieve the burden, enabling CFOs to regain their strategic footing and even inject a bit of sanity (and maybe humor) back into the job.

Macroeconomic Whiplash: Navigating Volatility and Uncertainty

In recent years, CFOs have had to contend with a wild economic ride. Macroeconomic volatility has become the norm, from surging inflation and interest rate hikes to supply chain snarls and now even tariffs and trade barriers rearing their head. “Today’s economy, disrupted by deliberate policy uncertainty, confronts executives with increased risks and reduced visibility,” notes BCG. CFOs are under mounting pressure from boards and CEOs to provide clarity on the business implications of looming inflation, recession odds, currency swings, and other uncertainties.

This volatility means financial plans can go obsolete overnight. One quarter you’re adjusting prices due to inflation; the next, you’re bracing for geopolitical shocks or new tariff costs. According to a late 2025 survey, two-thirds of CFOs expect negative impacts from tariffs and trade barriers, a challenge that wasn’t even on the radar a year prior. Meanwhile, CFOs still cite profitability as a top concern with 34% of CFOs putting it among their top three priorities and for good reason. With higher input costs, interest expenses, and unpredictable demand, protecting the bottom line is a daily battle.

The macro environment basically demands that CFOs become part-time fortune tellers. They’re scenario-planning for multiple what-ifs (What if interest rates climb another 1%? What if a key supplier shuts down? What if a recession hits next year?). And they must do this while still hitting quarterly targets and managing cash flow. It’s a delicate tightrope walk between caution and opportunity. No wonder 70% of CFOs say they are very concerned about macroeconomic conditions’ impact on their business. In short, the external economic pressure cooker is always on, and the CFO sits right at the release valve, expected to regulate the pressure for the whole company.

Tactics for relief: CFOs are responding by embracing agility and data. They’re investing in dynamic forecasting and scenario analysis tools (sometimes leveraging AI) to swiftly model outcomes and contingency plans. They’re also beefing up risk management and liquidity buffers, turning volatility into a case for strategic resilience. Essentially, CFOs are learning to expect the unexpected and to have a game plan (or three) ready for whatever the world throws at them next.

Technological Disruption and Data Overload

If economic turbulence wasn’t enough, CFOs are simultaneously grappling with a technological storm. On one hand, AI and automation promise huge efficiency gains in finance. On the other, the finance tech stack has grown unwieldy with ERP systems, CRM data, BI tools, and spreadsheets all generating piles of reports. Tech stack overload is real: mid-market finance teams often juggle too many dashboards and spreadsheets, leading to version-control nightmares and dueling sources of truth. The CFO logs into a myriad of systems, drowning in charts and KPIs but getting no closer to answering the big questions being asked.

Consider a typical company: the CFO might have a dashboard for finance KPIs, another for sales metrics, perhaps a separate SaaS metrics tool. By the time they cobble together a narrative for the board, it’s often a manual slog through Excel and PowerPoint. It’s 2025, yet many CFOs still spend weeks each quarter pulling data from siloed systems and manually crafting board reports. As one Stratavor analysis put it, traditional BI dashboards bombard CFOs with charts but no narrative – they show what the numbers are, but not why they matter. The onus falls on the finance team to interpret the “why” behind the figures, which is slow and labor-intensive.

This lack of actionable insight from technology is a huge pressure point. 76% of finance decision-makers report record stress levels, and 75% say decisions have to be made faster than ever. Yet dashboards alone aren’t easing that stress because they don’t provide answers in a digestible way. In fact, nearly 40% of CFOs say they don’t completely trust their organization’s financial data, it’s scattered across so many reports that no one has a single version of the truth and as data volumes grow, this problem compounds.

Another tech pressure: Advances in AI. CFOs know AI could be a game-changer with 96% of organizations engaging with AI at some level, but implementing it is easier said than done. Many finance leaders are wary of the “dark side” of AI (e.g. biased algorithms, lack of transparency), and they face internal hurdles like poor data quality and low data literacy on their teams. Still, the momentum is unstoppable: 69% of CFOs planning tech investments anticipate spending more on AI tools in the near term, and finance AI pilots are moving from exploration to execution. The pressure is on for CFOs to modernize their reporting with AI, or risk falling behind.

The result: CFOs often feel like they need to become technologists. Keeping up with ERP upgrades, implementing AI reporting dashboards, ensuring cybersecurity (which 73% of CFOs are now involved in), these are far beyond the traditional finance curriculum. It’s exciting but daunting: one misstep (say, a failed system integration or a data breach) can have financial and reputational fallout. And with boards hearing all the AI buzz, CFOs are expected to have good answers when asked “What’s our AI strategy in finance?”

Tactics for relief: Here, automation and “decision intelligence” are emerging as lifesavers. Rather than adding more dashboards, leading CFOs are eyeing tools that turn the existing deluge of data into narrative insights automatically. Executive decision intelligence platforms can act like an “AI analyst,” connecting the dots across data sources and even generating plain-English commentary on what’s driving the numbers. For example, imagine asking for an AI-generated board report and getting back: “Q3 revenue dipped 5%, mainly due to two delayed enterprise deals in the UK (worth £500K) that slipped to Q4. Gross margin held at 62%, but hardware COGS rose 10% due to commodity prices. Recommendation: hedge raw material costs and accelerate deal reviews for key Q4 prospects.” That beats staring at a dashboard wondering why revenue is down!

By leveraging AI analytics and automation, CFOs can shift from being data janitors to insight curators. Modern tools can monitor trends, flag anomalies, and even suggest reasons (“hypotheses”) for variances. Crucially, these AI-powered reporting tools don’t replace the CFO’s judgment, they augment it. They handle the heavy lifting of data crunching, so the CFO can apply human insight where it counts. This is precisely the vision behind solutions like Stratavor: a decision intelligence platform that consolidates your ERP, CRM, and other data into narrative-rich, board-ready insights, essentially turning “data overload into strategic clarity”. By saying goodbye to purely manual spreadsheets and static charts, and hello to AI-assisted analysis, CFOs can get back hours of time and focus more on strategy (and maybe breathe a little easier during month-end close).

Related Reading: For a deeper dive on this topic, check out “The CFO’s Dashboard Dilemma: Lots of Data, Little Insight”  which explores how traditional dashboards are failing finance leaders and how AI-driven narratives are the next step.

Talent Crunch and Organizational Strains

Another major source of pressure: people (or the lack thereof). Finance talent shortages have been a headache for years, and they’re not letting up. As finance evolves, CFOs need teams with skills in data analysis, automation, and AI – but those skills are scarce. A global survey found almost 78% of CFOs say skill gaps in their finance department are a significant barrier to performing their role effectively. Put simply, many CFOs don’t have all the right people on the bus, especially when it comes to digital and analytical expertise.

Paradoxically, even as CFOs struggle to find talent, the demand for finance talent is rising because the finance function’s scope is expanding. In one 2025 survey, 65% of CFOs said they plan to increase finance headcount over the next two years (only 9% expect to shrink). The top reasons? The finance team’s growing role in the organization (cited by 63% of CFOs), greater focus on risk management (57%), and needing to support transformation projects (46%). In other words, CFOs have more on their plate and need bigger (or more skilled) teams to handle it. Yet hiring and retaining that talent is its own battle – competition for data-savvy finance professionals is fierce, and wage pressures are significant.

Meanwhile, existing finance staff are often stretched thin. Many CFOs worry about employee burnout on their teams, as finance workers are asked to “do more with less” amid lean budgets and hiring freezes. The finance close still has hard deadlines, forecasts still must be delivered, and there’s always another ad-hoc analysis request from the CEO. If staff are overextended or lack the training for new tools, errors and inefficiencies creep in – which ultimately lands back on the CFO’s desk as risk.

CFOs themselves are not immune to burnout either. As noted earlier, CFO turnover is high partly due to exhaustion. One leadership advisor observed a lot of CFOs “just exhausted from that continuous cycle of being a public company CFO... it really just takes a toll”. The mental load is heavy. You might say CFO now stands for “Chief Firefighting Officer” on some days, extinguishing crises in accounting, IT, investor relations, you name it. It takes resilience (and probably a strong coffee habit) to sustain this pace.

Board expectations compound the strain. Today’s boards and investors expect CFOs to be front-and-center in strategic discussions, not just the numbers person in the corner. In fact, CFOs perceive that boards care even more about certain priorities than they themselves do, e.g., 63% of CFOs said profitability is a top concern for their board (versus only 34% of CFOs who personally prioritized it). Similarly, boards put a big emphasis on technology transformation and data, pushing CFOs to lead those efforts. This “expectation gap” means CFOs are working hard to meet heightened demands from above.

How are CFOs managing the talent and organizational crunch? A mix of short-term hacks and longer-term strategy. In the near term, many are leaning on technology to fill the gap: 67% of finance chiefs said they plan to invest more in tech to address talent challenges, and 65% are upping the use of AI/automation to offset labor constraints. If you can’t hire an army of analysts, maybe an algorithm or a decision intelligence platform can handle some of the workload. CFOs are also investing in upskilling their existing teams, trying to turn accountants into “full-stack” finance professionals who can code a bit, analyze data, and communicate insights, not just close the books.

Culturally, CFOs are focusing on employee well-being and smarter workflows. This might mean embracing flexible work arrangements, outsourcing more routine work, or breaking down silos so that finance staff can collaborate better with IT and operations (which can alleviate some firefighting). The goal is to create a finance team that’s both nimble and rested, easier said than done, but essential for long-term success.

From Steward to Strategist: The Evolving CFO Role

Gone are the days when a CFO could succeed by just being a diligent accountant and guardian of the books. Of course, stewardship (accuracy, compliance, cost control) is still crucial, but it’s no longer sufficient. Today’s CFO is expected to be a strategic partner to the CEO and a catalyst for organizational change. As Deloitte famously frames it, the modern CFO wears four faces: Steward, Operator, Catalyst, and Strategist,. Balancing these is like a high-wire act.

Let’s unpack that transformation. The CFO as Steward is the traditional role: safeguarding assets, ensuring financial reporting integrity, managing risk. That’s still part of the job description, you can’t drop the ball on SOX compliance or cash management. But layered on top now is the CFO as Strategist: providing financial leadership in determining business direction, shaping strategy, evaluating M&A, and guiding long-term investments. This means CFOs are expected to challenge and help shape the company’s vision, not just support it. They need to ask “Where should we invest for growth?” and “What’s the financial play behind our competitive strategy?” and come up with answers backed by data.

Moreover, the CFO is increasingly the Chief Storyteller for the business’s performance. We often talk about “KPI storytelling” and indeed, translating KPIs into a compelling narrative has become a core CFO skill. It’s about explaining why the numbers are what they are and what’s being done next. For example, instead of just reporting a 5% rise in costs, a storytelling CFO frames it as: “Materials costs surged (the challenge), so we renegotiated supplier contracts and invested in process automation (our action) to protect our margins going forward.” By doing so, they turn data into a story of challenge and response, something far more likely to get buy-in from the board. This narrative ability makes the CFO a translator between the numbers and the real-world strategy.

The CFO as Catalyst means driving key initiatives beyond the finance department, whether it’s spearheading a digital transformation project, championing sustainability metrics, or improving cross-functional decision-making. Finance touches all parts of the business, and a strategist CFO uses that position to break silos and influence positive change. For instance, a CFO might lead an effort to implement an AI-driven decision intelligence system that benefits not just finance, but also sales, operations, and IT by providing a unified view of performance.

Importantly, this evolution is also coming from the top: CEOs and boards want CFOs who can wear these multiple hats. The CFO is often seen as the #2 executive, and in some cases even a CEO-in-waiting. In fact, we’ve seen CFOs move into CEO roles more frequently in recent years, precisely because of their enterprise-wide perspective. But to be in that league, CFOs must demonstrate leadership far beyond bean-counting. They need to master “the story behind the numbers,” guide data-driven strategy discussions, and ensure every major decision is backed by sound financial insight.

In practical terms, this shifting role means CFOs spend more time on forward-looking activities (strategy, forecasting, external relations) and relatively less on backward-looking reporting. Here’s the catch, the reporting still needs to get done accurately! This is why so many CFOs feel they’re doing two jobs at once: one as the traditional steward/operator (closing the books, managing controls), and one as strategist/catalyst (steering the business). It’s a tough balance that contributes to those long hours and high stress.

How to manage this transition? A big part is delegation and technology. CFOs who succeed as strategists often build strong teams and empower lieutenants to handle the accounting nuts and bolts, freeing up the CFO to focus on higher-level matters. They also lean on tools (for example, automating financial consolidation, or using an AI assistant to draft initial analysis) to buy back some capacity. It’s also about mindset and learning to be comfortable being the voice of strategic insight in the room, even on topics that traditionally weren’t “finance.” CFOs are now frequently chiming in on product strategy, go-to-market plans, and talent strategy, because they bring a data-informed perspective that others may lack.

Finally, CFOs are finding that being a strategist doesn’t mean abandoning the stewardship duties, but rather elevating them. By that I mean, instead of personally policing every ledger entry, the strategist CFO ensures the finance organization has the right controls and people in place, so they can focus on translating financial insight into strategy. It’s a higher-altitude approach to the same goal of protecting and growing the company’s value.

(For more on this topic, see our piece “Financial Storytelling: The CFO’s Hidden Skill,” which dives into how CFOs can craft compelling narratives from data to influence boards and drive action.)

Easing the Burden: How CFOs Can Cope (and Even Thrive)

Reading all of the above, one might wonder: how on earth can one person (or one office of finance) handle all this? The good news is that CFOs are not powerless in the face of these pressures. In fact, some pressure can be healthy, it’s catalyzing positive change in how finance is done. Here are a few ways CFOs are turning unprecedented pressure into an opportunity to level-up:

• Embrace Decision Intelligence: We’ve touched on this, but it bears repeating, leveraging technology like AI-driven decision intelligence platforms can be a game-changer. These tools reduce the reporting burden by automatically analyzing data and producing insights, saving countless hours of manual work. For example, a platform like Stratavor can unify data from your ERP, CRM, and beyond and produce board-ready insights with narrative explanations in minutes, not weeks. By adopting such solutions, CFOs free themselves (and their teams) from the grind of report preparation and can focus on strategic decision-making. As a bonus, these platforms often surface real insights that might be missed in manual processes, like patterns, anomalies, or forward-looking indicators that an overwhelmed team might not catch. In short, the CFO gets to spend more time thinking and less time number-crunching.

• Prioritize Ruthlessly: With limited hours in the day, CFOs under pressure have to become experts at saying no (or “not now”). That means focusing on the initiatives that truly move the needle. It could be prioritizing a cash flow improvement project during a liquidity crunch, or zeroing in on a particular KPI that’s become volatile. Modern CFOs often maintain a “CFO dashboard” of their own priorities, not just financial metrics, but key projects and risks they’re watching. By keeping this sharp focus, they can allocate their time and their team’s resources to what matters most, rather than being scattered across every fire drill.

• Empower the Team & Delegate: One person can’t do it all. High-performing CFOs build a strong finance bench: controllers, FP&A heads, analysts and give them ownership. For instance, delegate the preparation of the monthly business review to a trusted FP&A lead, with the understanding that you as CFO will step in to add the strategic commentary. Empower IT and finance folks to jointly own the implementation of that new analytics tool, rather than the CFO trying to micromanage it. By pushing decision-making down when appropriate, CFOs create leverage for themselves. Plus, it helps address talent retention – team members are happier when they have meaningful responsibility, not just rote tasks.

• Invest in Your Skills: The evolving CFO role requires new skills, so many CFOs are actively upskilling, whether it’s taking a crash course on AI in finance, or improving their storytelling and communication chops. Some CFOs are engaging executive coaches to help them transition from operator to strategist. Others are learning from peers via CFO roundtables and networks, sharing tips on handling pressures. In essence, the modern CFO must be a lifelong learner, staying ahead of trends in technology, accounting standards, and leadership techniques. It’s an extra investment of time, but it pays off when you can confidently tackle, say, an AI implementation or an ESG reporting mandate because you’ve educated yourself on it.

• Mindset: From Surviving to Thriving: Finally, there’s a mindset component. Yes, the pressure is high but the opportunity to make an impact is higher. CFOs who thrive under pressure often reframe it as “I’m in a unique position to drive positive change.” They focus on the parts of the job that are truly strategic and fulfilling (shaping the company’s direction, mentoring talent, solving complex problems) and try not to sweat the small stuff. A bit of humor and perspective goes a long way too, when the CFO cracks a joke about the latest budgeting curveball, it can actually rally the team by showing that, hey, we’ve dealt with chaos before and we’ll get through this one too.

Conclusion: A New Era of CFO Leadership

It’s clear that the CFO role in 2025 is not for the faint of heart. Economic swings, technological transformation, organizational growing pains, and stakeholder scrutiny all converge to put CFOs under more pressure than ever before. But within this challenge lies a chance for CFOs to redefine themselves as truly strategic leaders, the co-pilots of the enterprise steering through uncertainty toward growth.

The journey from being a traditional finance steward to a forward-looking strategist is not easy, but it is happening all around us. CFOs who successfully make this shift are finding they can deliver more value than ever: not just reporting on what happened, but guiding what should happen next. They are harnessing tools like executive decision intelligence platforms to supercharge their insight-generation, embracing AI reporting dashboards that provide narrative context, and honing their KPI storytelling skills to influence decisions. In doing so, they turn the deluge of data into an advantage and transform pressure into performance.

For CFOs feeling the squeeze, remember that you’re not alone and you’re not expected to do it all manually. Lean on your teams, lean on your peers, and lean on technology. Consider exploring modern solutions (for instance, booking a demo of a platform like Stratavor) to see how you can offload the grunt work and focus on what really matters. The goal is to work smarter, not just harder and to give yourself the space to be the strategic, insightful CFO that your company needs.

Q: Why are CFOs under so much pressure right now?
A: CFOs are facing a perfect storm of challenges. Rapid macroeconomic changes (inflation, interest rate swings, geopolitical events) have made planning difficult and put profitability at risk. At the same time, they’re dealing with technological disruption – managing big data, implementing AI, and protecting against cyber threats – which adds complexity to their role. There’s also a talent crunch, meaning CFOs have fewer skilled resources and must do more with less. Finally, boards and investors expect more from CFOs than ever, wanting strategic insight and instant answers. All these factors combined have created unprecedented pressure on finance chiefs to perform and adapt quickly.

Q: How has the role of the CFO shifted from “steward” to “strategist”?
A: Traditionally, CFOs were seen primarily as stewards – guardians of the company’s finances, focusing on accurate reporting, compliance, and cost control. While those duties remain, the role has expanded. Modern CFOs are also strategists and catalysts for the business, meaning they help set direction, drive key initiatives, and use financial insights to influence strategy. For instance, instead of just reporting historical numbers, a strategist-CFO interprets what the numbers mean for the future and advises the CEO/board on strategic moves. This shift requires strong business acumen, communication skills (for KPI storytelling), and a willingness to take on broader leadership beyond finance. In short, today’s CFO still minds the books, but they’re equally focused on steering the business toward its goals.

Q: What are “decision intelligence” platforms and how can they help CFOs?
A: Decision intelligence platforms are a new breed of tools that use AI and automation to turn raw data into actionable insights (i.e., to support decision-making). Instead of static charts, these platforms provide narrative explanations, identify drivers behind metrics, and even suggest possible actions. Think of it as having a junior AI analyst on your team who works 24/7. For CFOs, this is a big help: it can reduce the reporting burden by automatically generating reports or commentary that would take analysts days or weeks to produce manually. For example, a decision intelligence tool might ingest your financial and operational data and produce a concise briefing: “Sales are down 4% due to X; here’s a key trend Y; consider action Z.” This saves time and surfaces real insights that busy teams might miss. Platforms like Stratavor are designed for executive decision intelligence, meaning they focus on delivering the kind of board-ready insights and “story behind the numbers” that CFOs and CEOs need. They don’t replace the CFO’s judgment; instead, they free up the CFO and finance team to focus on strategy by handling a lot of the heavy data crunching in the background.

Q: What are some tactics CFOs can use to manage stress and prevent burnout?
A: Managing stress as a CFO starts with acknowledging that you can’t do everything personally. Effective CFOs prioritize ruthlessly – focusing on the most critical issues and delegating others. Building a strong team is crucial: trust your controllers, FP&A directors, and other lieutenants to handle their domains, so you’re not micromanaging every report. Embracing technology and automation can also alleviate stress by cutting down tedious work (for example, using AI to reconcile data or draft commentary). Peer support is important too; many CFOs join networks or roundtables to share challenges and solutions (sometimes just knowing others are in the same boat helps mentally). On a personal level, it’s important for CFOs to set boundaries where possible – whether that means carving out an hour for exercise, or unplugging on a Sunday to recharge. Finally, keeping a bit of humor and perspective can prevent burnout. Remember that not every fire is yours to fight alone, and sometimes a good laugh at the absurdity of a situation (say, when the 17th version of the board deck is still not “perfect enough”) can diffuse stress. Companies are also recognizing CFO burnout and, in some cases, providing resources like coaching or better tech tools to support their finance leaders. The bottom line: coping with CFO pressure is about working smarter, leaning on support, and taking care of your well-being just as diligently as you take care of the company’s financial health.

Q: How can CFOs keep their companies on track amid economic volatility?
A: CFOs can employ several strategies to guide their companies through choppy economic waters. One key tactic is scenario planning – essentially preparing for a range of outcomes (best case, worst case, base case) so the company isn’t caught flat-footed if conditions change suddenly. This often involves stress-testing the financials (e.g., what if revenue drops 10%? what if a major cost doubles?) and having action plans ready. Dynamic forecasting tools or rolling forecasts (updated more frequently than annual budgets) help adjust course in real time. Another strategy is maintaining a strong liquidity buffer and access to capital; this gives the company cushion to weather downturns or seize opportunities in volatile times. CFOs are also focusing on cost agility, identifying which costs are variable vs. fixed, so they know where they can trim if needed, and which investments must be protected for long-term growth. Communication is crucial too: a CFO should keep the board and management informed about emerging risks (like interest rate changes or inflation impacts) and recommend proactive moves (hedging interest rates, locking in prices with key suppliers, etc.). Lastly, many CFOs are turning to data analytics and AI to get better early warning signals. For example, AI might flag a decline in customer orders in a certain region that could presage a broader slowdown – giving the CFO a chance to respond early. In essence, keeping the company on track amid volatility comes down to visibility (knowing what’s happening as soon as possible) and flexibility (being ready and willing to pivot strategy when conditions demand). With those in hand, CFOs can guide their organizations through the storm with a steadier hand.