2020 Vision
In an era of uncertainty, the key objective for any business is growth. As we embark on a new decade, challenges to productivity and profitability remain more real than ever before as a result of instability in politics, the economy, technology, future workforce and the environment.
The CFO finds themselves in an unprecedented opportunity to take the helm and drive the organisational change required to survive and thrive in the new world. Through exceptional leadership, commercial acumen and by finding the balance between the precision of data and global strategy: the seasoned CFO can identify new areas of value and derive the competitive advantage that will see their business through the storm.
As the Finance function begins to benefit from broader business digital transformation, although many FTSE 250 companies still find themselves at the start of their journey; the CFO and Finance function have the time to take a central role in business transformation and ensure their team and business have the skills, tools and expertise required to predict and adapt to the coming changes within their respective field.
The Finance function has never been under more pressure to achieve more for less and at an unprecedented speed. Those who fail to adapt to the changes will be left behind. For Finance, 2020 marks the start of a new decade where the proactive leaders will be at the helm, navigating their businesses safely through the changes. The CFO Agenda has been divided into the 5 pillars of success which will define 2020 and the decade ahead…
The 5 Pillars of Success
The New Market
Protect your profit by fully understanding the key geopolitical and broader market changes that will affect you regardless of the industry you are in, as well as the changes specific to the industry in which you operate.
The Strategy
How to prepare for the road ahead when you don’t really know what’s happening in the next 6 months. Understanding that the speed in which the market and consumer behaviour is changing fundamentally impacts the way the Finance function needs to operate. The Finance function today needs to be agile in order to remain responsive to the changes which is a fundamental shift from the exact service and mindset it has traditionally delivered.
Exponential Technology
Understanding and unleashing the possibilities of AI, machine learning, robotics and big data will become the differentiator between business failure and success in the new decade. How to use it and successfully and implement it to better anticipate the changes to the market and consumer behaviour will gain the proactive CFO a clear competitive edge.
Leadership & Talent
Your business is your people and ensuring they have the right skills, experience and engagement to see through your vision for the business demands exceptional leadership and people skills. With most businesses facing a skills shortage, how do you acquire, develop, engage and retain the agile and diverse set of skills required to see through your business strategy?
Sustainable Finance
Driven in equal measure by customer, stakeholder and staff demand; most businesses are finally recognising the pressures of the global environmental crisis and are starting to take action. At the heart of any business progress sits the Finance function and CFOs are recognising their pivotal role in driving the changes necessary to transform into a more sustainable business. With millennials increasingly putting pressures on businesses for increased transparency, sustainability goes far beyond a simple corporate social responsibility plan and has taken its rightful place as a key business priority to achieve growth in the new decade.
