12/10/2026
53% of CFOs now own digital transformation in their organisation. 42% are responsible for capital allocation. 40% oversee risk management.
The CFO role hasn't just expanded. It has fundamentally changed in nature.
Wolters Kluwer's 2026 Future Ready CFO Report — a survey of 1,672 finance leaders — describes it clearly: the CFO has moved from scorekeeper to performance orchestrator.
And for UK finance leaders, the ambition is even higher than the global average:
· 63% of UK CFOs identify finance transformation as a strategic priority — vs 52% globally
· 90% want to co-lead digital transformation initiatives
· 93% place greater emphasis on continuous learning than their global peers
But here's the tension nobody talks about enough.
The orchestrator role only works if the finance function around you has evolved at the same pace.
27% of CFOs cite resistance to change as their biggest barrier. Only 46% report healthy tension in their leadership teams. Just 40% say they have sufficient debate.
Ambition without the right team is aspiration — not transformation.
This week's newsletter explores what the shift really demands, where most finance functions are falling short, and five questions every CFO should be asking right now.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cfo-2026-from-scorekeeper-orchestrator-shift-redefining-matthew-finch-xxhwe?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com
