CFO Trends in 2026: Leading Finance in a Tech-Driven World

By Eero Lamminen, CFO at Staria

In this article, we’ll explore the shift in the role of the CFO, why it’s happening, what it means, and how you can successfully navigate the intersection of finance, technology, and data strategy in 2026. CFOs, we’re here for you!  

The modern CFO: A balancing act 

For decades, the Chief Financial Officer was the custodian of commercial and economic responsibility within a business. A role largely focused around safeguarding the organization’s fiscal integrity and enabling predictable growth.   

However, the CFO’s remit has expanded far beyond financials. Today, they oversee enterprise-wide data strategy, drive automation and AI adoption, and partner closely with or act as CIOs and CTOs to make informed technology investments. Cost optimisation remains critical for CFOs but now it's intertwined with digital transformation, streamlining processes, reducing manual work, and leveraging predictive analytics to anticipate risks and opportunities. To put it simply, today, CFOs must do more with less. 

This expanded position is a result of finance being the natural starting point for a company’s data driven journey. With everything in business coming back to finance, those teams have always lived and breathed numbers, making them natural pioneers for BI, planning platforms, and ERP systems. As organisations seek to harness data for better decision making, the responsibility for these tools frequently land with the CFO.  

However, here is the challenge. To make the best-informed decisions, CFOs rely on data and information from across the business, e.g. sales, marketing, operations, that may not prioritize reporting the same way or share the same data fluency. This can often create friction where finance can demand numbers without realising that others are not equipped with the tools or skills to deliver them effectively.  

CFOs and businesses must do more than request data; they need to enable a culture of data literacy. That means providing frameworks, platforms, and guidance so that every team can contribute confidently to the organisations' data ecosystem. 

This evolution undoubtedly demands a new skill set. Modern CFOs must move from pure accounting expertise to proficiency in the likes of data analytics, cyber security awareness, artificial intelligence, and general digital literacy. It is highly important that they understand platform usability, lead technology rollouts, and champion change management.  

Interested in reading more about how CFOs can select and implement the best future flexible technology, read our dedicated blog here.

While many CFOs have embraced this shift, others are still finding their footing. To those navigating this transformation, we see you. The journey is complex, but essential for shaping the future of finance. 

CFO trends for 2026 

As we move into another new year, the role of the CFO continues to evolve under mounting global pressures and rapid technological change. CFOs are grappling with data strategy, tech adoption, and the cultural changes needed to make these initiatives stick. 

Insights from LinkedIn (Dec 2025): 

• The era of CFOs being seen solely as ‘the numbers person’ is over: With AI transforming finance, today’s CFO is positioned as a precision-driven advisor, a strategic data leader, and an indispensable partner to the CEO. They are not just interpreting numbers; they're shaping decisions. 

• The office of the CFO is facing more digital disruption than IT or marketing: Cloud and AI are redefining the CFOs role, moving it beyond cost control and compliance into a strategic tech driven decision maker. This shift brings new opportunities, higher expectations and a completely different playbook for the modern CFO. 

• Manage the network not just the numbers: Finance is everyone’s business, and those who invest in breaking down silos help teams see how their work connects to the company's financial health. Influence starts with trust and growth comes from cross-business partnerships. Collaborate with other executives to spot risks and opportunities earlier to help the business move forward. 

Here are our key takeaways for 2026:

• Continued pressure for 2026: Unfortunately, the challenge of increasing output while reducing costs doesn’t seem to be going anywhere quickly. Into the new year continued geopolitical uncertainty and volatile markets, mean cost optimization will remain a top priority for CFOs, but the challenge is doing more with less. Streamlining operations without sacrificing innovation or growth requires smarter resourcing and leveraging technology.  

• AI adoption in practice: Current AI enhanced finance tools can offer improvements in for example AP processing speed, forecasting quality, analysing reports, and anomaly detection, through various capabilities housed within the likes of NetSuite. The real value lies in accelerating processes and enhancing quality across every stage of the financial close: before, during, and after. 

In a recent study from Implicit, 92% of surveyed CFOs admitted a degree of personal or professional concern about adopting AI within their finance function. Look at your current toolkit and AI adoption strategy and remember that AI can generate recommendations and automate workflows to assist in your decision making, but it should not replace it entirely. There is a lot that can be done to increase efficiency with little risks, when implemented correctly. 

Automation is where the CFO can really shine and it’s a powerful lever for cost reduction, increased focus and productivity. Automation reduces manual work and frees teams for higher value tasks and 98% of CFOs state that they have already invested in some sort of automation. For example, BI and planning platforms like Naviloq automate your financial controls and planning. 

• Embedding data across the organisation: Data isn’t just a CFO responsibility. To make informed decisions, finance needs accurate, timely inputs from functions across the business. This means CFOs must champion data literacy, ensuring every department understands how to collect, interpret, and share insights effectively, as well as why and how certain tools are used. 

Your 2026 core tech stack 

CFOs are now central architects of digital transformation, and this evolution is not optional; it is a mandate for staying competitive in the changing landscape. Here are our tips on your core tech stack for 2026: 

1. Artificial intelligence 

As CFOs, we cannot afford to ignore AI but we also cannot blindly trust it. 

The opportunity is huge with AI, it can look to process and interpret data at unprecedented speeds and has the capability to integrate across functions. Look at what features your platforms already have and implement them thoughtfully with strong governance and most importantly human judgement at the center. 

Automating routine processes can free finance teams from time consuming, manual tasks without compromising accuracy. AI goes a step further by enabling systems to learn, adapt, and make decisions based on data.  

The goal here isn’t to replace humans but to streamline workflows so that teams can focus on higher value analysis and strategic decision making thanks to actionable insights. By understanding the tools that are already in place and identifying gaps, CFOs can invest in automation and AI that delivers measurable efficiency gains and improve speed and quality for the business and its customers. 

CFOs should ask themselves: How can we empower our people to leverage AI and automations so that they can deliver high-value work and improve internal and customer outcomes? 

2. Data platforms and ERP 

As we often discuss at Staria, data is the lifeblood of strategic decision-making, and CFOs are increasingly responsible for ensuring the organisation has a robust, future-ready data infrastructure. This starts with trusting your core technology: ERP. A modern ERP system such as NetSuite is not just a transactional backbone; it is the foundation for real-time visibility and operational control. 

From there, CFOs should look at how integrated BI and planning tools like Naviloq can extend ERP’s value. BI tools are not just for reporting; they can become powerful engines for automating financial controls and planning. By layering BI on top of ERP, finance leaders can model different outcomes, anticipate risks, and identify opportunities with precision. 

The real advantage comes when these tools are implemented with a view to scale across the organisation. Intelligent integrations, user-led outputs, and a centralized data warehouse allow insights to flow seamlessly between functions. This creates a single source of truth that grows with the business, enabling every department to contribute to and benefit from a shared data ecosystem. 

Done well, this approach does not just improve planning; it transforms decision-making. CFOs who champion ERP as the anchor and build outward with BI and planning platforms position their organisations for agility, resilience, and sustainable growth. 

The Role of the CFO in 2026 and Beyond 

The CFO of 2026 will be defined not only by their ability to manage numbers but by their capacity to lead technology adoption, foster data-driven cultures, and shape the future of the business. It may feel like everything is your responsibility, because it is.

As Staria’s CFO, I’m equally living this transformation. The challenges described, I face alongside our clients, and I rely on the same tech stack and solutions we offer to navigate this evolving landscape. It’s reassuring to know that the tools and strategies we recommend are the very ones driving our own success. At Staria, we truly put our money where our mouth is.

Frequently Asked Questions about CFO Trends in 2026

1. What is the role of a CFO in 2026?

In 2026, CFOs are strategic leaders driving data strategy, technology adoption, and digital transformation, alongside traditional financial responsibilities.

2. Why are CFOs now responsible for data strategy?

Finance teams have always managed numbers, making CFOs natural leaders for data-driven decision-making and enterprise-wide analytics initiatives. CFOs now oversee automation, AI, and ERP systems, partnering with CIOs and CTOs to optimise costs and enable smarter, tech-driven growth.

3. How can CFOs leverage AI in finance operations?

AI can automate routine tasks, improve forecasting accuracy, detect anomalies, and accelerate financial close processes, freeing teams for strategic work. Tools like NetSuite’s AI features and Naviloq for planning automation enable CFOs to streamline workflows and focus on strategic decision-making.

4. What are the top CFO trends for 2026?

Key trends include AI adoption, automation, cost optimisation, data-driven decision-making, and CFOs taking a leading role in tech strategy.