E D I T O R’ S
Q U E S T I O N
E D I T O R’ S
Q U E S T I O N
JOEL CAMPBELL, CFO OF TREVIPAY, AND DIRECTOR AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF FINANCE PROFESSIONALS( AFP)
he Office of the CFO has grown into a more strategic
T role, or a‘ CFO Plus.’
This expanded role offers great opportunity because the CFO and finance teams generally have a strong understanding of the entire business and are in the right place to influence the growth and direction of the company, in addition to their traditional financial responsibilities. And for those in disruptive industries like technology or healthcare, the CFO role is evolving even faster.
Today, we’ re seeing even more crosscompany collaboration between finance, business development and general counsel who join together to guide the CEO and board on how to think about the business strategically, such as with M & A and ownership structure decisions.
Today’ s CFOs balance upholding financial compliance while making technology decisions that shape the future of the business. For example, this balancing act shows up when choosing between upgrading an ERP system and funding a new AI-driven risk platform. How do we best quantify when automation saves money versus when it creates new strategic value because both are important? The answer lies in understanding the right systems deliver real-time insights so leadership can course-correct faster and more confidently.
With the growing demands of Digital Transformation and tech strategy, CFOs have ultimately become key voices in shaping business resilience. They are responsible for driving growth and managing risk in an increasingly digital economy. The CFO Plus role is also responsible to foster cross-functional collaboration. Finance has a unique view into business data that can uncover risks or reveal hidden growth drivers when shared beyond traditional silos.
Organisations that equip senior leaders with information and real-time data can better analyse what’ s happening in the business. Leveraging back-office automated technology helps do this, freeing up the CFO’ s time to get more involved in strategic decisions and help drive the business forward. �
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