Wolters Kluwer Survey Shows How the CFO Role Is Expanding Beyond Finance

Platforms such as CCH Tagetik help finance teams integrate planning, reporting, and performance data across the enterprise. These platforms connect planning and consolidation processes with financial and operational data generated across SAP environments to support forecasting, capital allocation, and regulatory reporting.

It is a set of capabilities expanding to meet new expectations placed on CFO leadership. According to the 2026 Future Ready CFO Report from Wolters Kluwer, CFOs are taking on broader roles in enterprise planning, technology initiatives, and investment decisions. The report also highlights a shift in the skill sets enterprises value most.

Core leadership skills are changing. Data analytics, digital fluency, and cross-functional collaboration are becoming essential as finance teams operate in environments shaped by AI adoption, regulatory pressure, and economic volatility.

The CFO Role Expands Beyond Traditional Finance Responsibilities

The report finds that finance leaders are assuming broader responsibilities. In the survey, 53% of respondents say the CFO role includes ownership of digital and process transformation, while 42% cite responsibility for capital allocation and investment decisions. Another 40% report that CFOs now oversee risk management activities.

These responsibilities build on, rather than replace, traditional finance functions such as budgeting, financial reporting, and performance management. Instead, finance leaders are expected to combine operational oversight with strategic decision support.

As a result, the CFO increasingly participates in enterprise initiatives that extend beyond finance. Transformation programs, technology adoption, and investment planning are areas where finance leadership plays a coordinating role alongside other executives.

The report suggests this broader mandate reflects the growing influence of financial data and analytics in shaping enterprise decisions, pulling CFOs closer to the center of strategic planning and operational coordination.

Digital Fluency and AI Literacy Become Core CFO Leadership Skills

The report highlights a shift in the capabilities required for finance leadership. More than half of respondents identify data analytics and digital fluency as critical skills for finance leaders, reflecting the growing influence of technology in financial planning and analysis.

AI literacy is also becoming part of that skill set. In the survey, 46% of finance leaders say automation and AI-related capabilities will be essential for the next generation of finance leadership as organizations incorporating advanced analytics into forecasting, scenario modeling, and performance management.

Technology leadership is also emerging as a defining expectation for CFOs. About 35% of respondents say the ability to guide digital transformation initiatives will play a central role in defining successful finance leadership over the next five years.

These in-demand skills place finance leaders at the intersection of financial planning, technology adoption, and enterprise strategy. CFOs are increasingly expected to translate financial and operational information into guidance that supports business objectives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration Becomes a Core CFO Responsibility

The report shows how the CFO role is becoming more integrated with other executive functions. Finance leaders increasingly work alongside technology, operations, and risk teams as organizations coordinate investment decisions and strategic planning.

In the survey, 87% of respondents say stronger collaboration between CFOs, CIOs, and chief strategy officers would improve cross-functional decision-making and help align risk management with investment priorities.

Finance leaders also see broader collaboration across business functions as a key factor in responding to disruption. About 84% of respondents say closer coordination between finance and operational teams would help organizations identify opportunities while managing volatility and regulatory change.

These findings suggest that finance leadership is evolving toward a more connective role within the enterprise. CFOs increasingly link financial data, operational insight, and strategic planning to help guide organizational decisions.

Planning Platforms Support the CFO’s Expanding Leadership Role

The report’s leadership outlook emphasizes that finance leaders are increasingly expected to guide organizations through complex and rapidly changing conditions. This shift places greater emphasis on tools that analyze financial and operational data together.

CCH Tagetik supporta this expanded leadership role by connecting planning, financial consolidation, performance analysis, and regulatory reporting on a shared data foundation. As CFO responsibilities extend beyond traditional reporting, integrated planning tools help finance teams evaluate strategic decisions.

These capabilities also support the growing emphasis on digital fluency and AI-enabled analysis described in the report. Predictive forecasting, anomaly detection, and scenario modeling allow finance leaders to interpret large volumes of financial and operational data and translate those insights into planning assumptions and investment guidance.

At the same time, shared planning environments make it easier for finance teams to collaborate with other functions. By linking financial forecasts with operational drivers, these systems support the cross-functional coordination between the finance, technology, and operations leaders that the report identifies as central to the CFO role.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

• CFO leadership is evolving into an integration discipline. Finance leaders increasingly sit at the intersection of operational data, technology investment, and enterprise strategy. Alongside traditional financial oversight, the role increasingly includes aligning planning assumptions, data insights, and investment priorities across executive teams.
• Finance expertise is expanding into data-driven decision support. AI and advanced analytics are increasing the volume and complexity of information available to finance teams. As a result, CFOs increasingly translate data-driven insights into planning assumptions, investment priorities, and strategic guidance for leadership teams.
• Planning cycles are evolving toward continuous strategic guidance. Integrated planning platforms allow finance teams to revisit forecasts and investment assumptions more frequently. As a result, CFOs increasingly provide ongoing guidance to executive teams rather than relying solely on periodic budgeting cycles.