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Global businesses risk losing growth opportunities because their Chief Financial Officers’ (CFOs) ambition to lead key investment and value creation discussions is hampered by a lack of readiness to use technology, and a dearth of skills across the wider finance team. This is according to EY’s latest Global DNA of the CFO Survey, which shows that while six in 10 CFOs (60%) believe they should be involved in the process of value creation, only a quarter (25%) actually lead key investment decisions, or front discussions on value drivers (26%). There is also a perception issue at play, with just 27% of CFO respondents saying that their organisations see the finance function as a key partner in value creation.
The role of the CFO has evolved in recent years, with more organisations looking to their finance leaders to play a more decisive role in shaping how value is created, not just how it is measured, points out Jad Shimaly, EY Global Managing Partner – Client Service. “This shift creates a powerful platform for CFOs to step forward, connect financial insight with strategic decision-making, and help steer their organisations through a more complex and fast-moving environment.”
According to the survey, one of the key barriers to CFOs fulfilling their potential as value creators is the challenge of measurement. Half of all CFOs (49%) believe that traditional metrics cannot capture the value created by technology, data, new roles, or even long-term investments, while a similar percentage (50%) say that a big obstacle is the difficulty in proving return on investment (ROI) upfront. More than two thirds (68%) say that current metrics need to be redefined.
CFOs are also challenged in their efforts to transform by the lack of mindset and skills relating to new technologies across their teams. Only a fifth (21%) of CFOs feel that their finance function’s AI preparedness is leading or advanced, compared to other companies, and less than 15% believe their teams to be highly adaptable or confident using new technologies including AI.
This lack of confidence appears to be limiting the extent to which CFOs use technology to inform high-value decisions. The survey shows that less than half of CFOs see strong potential for AI in areas such as data analysis (49%), growth forecasting (45%), and dynamic pricing (41%). However, it is clear that CFOs who consider their teams to be more AI-ready are much more likely to see the full potential of AI in value creation. For example, almost three quarters (71%) of those who say they are fully prepared for AI believe it can play a role in growth forecasting.
Finance teams also report a number of hurdles when it comes to securing investment for AI. Some 61% cite problems with data quality, 51% struggle to clearly explain the benefits, and 50% say they lack the necessary skills or capacity to make full use of the technology.
“The survey findings highlight that finance functions are not yet ready to make the most of AI and other emerging technologies,” says Meg Paschall, EY Organisation and Workforce Transformation Leader. Many organisations are still building the capabilities to produce and interpret insights, and are not yet equipped to apply these insights to business-critical decisions, she explains.
Another fundamental challenge is that leadership capabilities are not keeping up with the fast-changing demands of the CFO role. Almost two fifths (38%) of CFOs say they are evolving faster than their leadership teams across the wider finance function, and more than two thirds (68%) believe they need new skills and leadership styles if they are to remain effective. Half (50%) want leadership development to be available across the finance team, in order to prevent succession risks.
“The capabilities of finance teams are not keeping pace with the fast-evolving demands of the CFO role. CFOs are increasingly expected to operate as strategic leaders who can shape value and guide investment decisions, but their ability to do this effectively depends on the strengths of the wider team,” states Myles Corson, EY Global Strategy and Markets Leader – FAAS.
The report outlines a series of recommendations that can help CFOs to build resilient, innovative finance functions which serve as strategic partners to businesses:
The report draws on the insights of more than 1,600 CFOs and senior finance leaders across 28 countries and 22 industry segments, and explores how the CFOs can shape their roles to meet changing business requirements and deliver greater impact at personal, functional and enterprise levels. The research was conducted between 16 February and 30 March 2026 to explore the evolving role of the CFO as companies rise to the challenge of creating and measuring value in an environment of increasing complexity.
