New data from OneStream’s Finance 2035: Return to Investment report reveals a shift in investor expectations – looking to CFO competence over CEO competence – when making investment decisions.
CFOs are no longer just financial stewards but are evolving into more strategic roles that are critical to securing market confidence.
Insights include:
- Outside of market expansion opportunities, CFO competency is the most critical factor influencing investor decision making, even surpassing CEO competency, which ranks seventh.
- Where the CFO is seen as the main driver of strategic growth, investors are willing to increase their investments by an average of 2.6% in organisations– a figure that rises to 3.6% among the world’s largest asset managers.
- 83% of investors in the UK need to see the CFO as an ambitious driver of corporate growth before committing to an investment
- 77% of investors in the UK say CFOs must demonstrate technical, operational and strategic competence to gain the confidence of investors
Bill Koefoed, CFO at OneStream, says, “If UK businesses want to remain attractive to external investors, the role of the CFO is more critical than ever. CFOs are no longer just financial overseers; they are strategic drivers of growth and resilience. The findings of this report highlight what we see every day—investors value CFOs who can navigate uncertainty, demonstrate technical and operational expertise, and push for long-term value.”
