Finance strategy & leadership
Finance has moved far beyond the books. It is now the strategic partner to the leader and board, steering capital allocation, value creation, and risk while keeping the company fundable and resilient. Whether you aspire to a CFO role or hold it today, you must master FP&A and forecasting that hold up under uncertainty, fund growth with the right mix of debt and equity, run M&A and integration, and manage treasury and cash through volatile rates. On top of that come new mandates: CSRD and ESG reporting, tax reform (BEPS, Pillar Two), and the digital transformation of finance through automation and AI. This section covers those stakes every day: from financial strategy and capital markets to FP&A, M&A, ESG, and the tools redefining the finance function.
Investor relations in 2026: what sophisticated capital markets expect from the CFO
The CFO's role in investor relations has shifted from periodic disclosure to continuous, high-stakes communication with an increasingly analytical investor base. Understanding what institutional investors actually want, and how to deliver it, is now a core capital allocation competency.
Jul 5, 2026When M&A destroys value: what CFOs get wrong before the deal closes
Most M&A deals fail to deliver the returns promised at signing, and the damage is often locked in long before integration begins. CFOs who understand where value leaks occur can change the outcome.
Jul 4, 2026When AI runs the numbers: what CFOs must actually do differently
AI is no longer a pilot program in corporate finance. CFOs who treat it as a technology question rather than a governance and judgment question are already behind.
Jul 3, 2026When the forecast is always wrong: what CFOs need to rebuild in FP&A
Most corporate forecasts miss by a wider margin than finance teams admit. Here is what structurally breaks FP&A accuracy and what CFOs can do about it.
Jul 2, 2026ESG reporting is now a CFO problem, not a sustainability team problem
Regulators in Europe and beyond are tightening disclosure requirements to the point where ESG data is treated with the same rigor as financial statements. CFOs who have delegated this entirely to sustainability teams are about to find out why that was a mistake.
Capital allocation in 2026: why most CFOs are still getting it wrong
Capital allocation remains the single most consequential decision a CFO makes, yet research consistently shows that most companies destroy value through poor resource deployment. Here is what separating the top performers from the rest looks like in practice.
Jun 30, 2026Liquidity under pressure: rethinking cash management strategy for CFOs in 2026
In an era of persistent rate volatility and compressed working capital cycles, the CFO's approach to cash management has never been more consequential. This article examines the structural shifts reshaping corporate treasury and the decisions that separate resilient organisations from those caught flat-footed.
Investor relations in 2026: why the CFO must become the chief narrative officer
The days when investor relations meant quarterly earnings calls and boilerplate disclosures are over. CFOs who fail to own their company's capital markets story are ceding ground, and valuation, to those who do.
Jun 28, 2026M&A due diligence in 2026: why CFOs are the last line of defense
In an era of compressed deal timelines and rising integration failure rates, CFOs face a fundamentally different M&A landscape than their predecessors did. Understanding where value truly leaks, and when to walk away, has never been more consequential.
Jun 27, 2026When AI becomes your deputy CFO: the real state of intelligent finance in 2026
AI is no longer a pilot project sitting in a sandbox, it is actively reshaping how CFOs allocate capital, manage risk, and close the books. Here is what separates the finance leaders who are extracting real value from those still running proofs of concept.
Jun 26, 2026Why your forecast is already wrong before the quarter begins
Most CFOs discover their forecasts are broken only after the variance report lands on their desk. Here's why the problem starts long before the numbers are entered, and what to do about it.
Jun 25, 2026ESG is now a balance sheet issue: what CFOs can no longer delegate
ESG has moved from the sustainability report to the income statement, and CFOs who still treat it as a communications exercise are creating measurable financial risk. Here is what the shift looks like in practice, and what to do about it.
Jun 24, 2026ESG reporting is no longer optional: how CFOs must lead the transition before regulators force their hand
Regulatory pressure, investor scrutiny, and supply chain complexity have transformed ESG from a communications exercise into a core financial discipline. CFOs who treat sustainability reporting as a compliance checkbox are already behind, here's what leadership looks like in 2026.
Jun 22, 2026The CFO's ESG reckoning: when sustainability stops being optional
ESG reporting has shifted from voluntary disclosure to hard regulatory terrain, and CFOs who treat it as a compliance checkbox are already behind. Here is what the finance function must own, operationalize, and defend in 2026.