5 routes to create value for future CFOs

The same currents that are changing the world are affecting business as well. Challenges to corporates range from geopolitical events that defy forecasting to technology that is in a constant state of evolution. At the same time, these can represent opportunities as well. Organizations must learn to be nimble and make the management of inevitable change an area of strategic focus.

The finance community, especially those within it that aspire to leadership, should learn these lessons as well. “I think CFOs were traditionally seen as the custodians of an organization’s financial health,” said Jan Thyen, Group Chief Financial Officer at G+D. “We kept an eye on the bottom line, which was to everyone’s benefit. That is still important, of course. But I don’t think it captures what a CFO does, or should be doing, anymore.”

So, what should a financial leader be spending their time doing? Among others, Thyen suggested the following questions a current or future CFO should be asking: 

• How can I support growth? How can I take the lead in generating growth?
• Can I help foster innovation?
• What role does data play in the changes to come?
• Relatedly, how involved should I be in how all that data is used across the organization?
• How can I break out of my “finance” silo?
• How can I safeguard an adherence to my own values, while I go about ensuring the financial health of my organization?

Thyen pointed to five ways in which the role of the CFO and the CFO’s team should evolve, to address these questions and the others that will arise as business adapts to the stresses and triggers of our time.

Become a trusted guide

“There’s more to being a CFO in this environment than numbers,” said Thyen. The finance community – and especially its leadership – needs to establish itself as a trusted guide, bringing its skills and insights to the CEO of the organization, its board, and other stakeholders such as HR, R&D, and marketing. A trusted guide is an integral element of the these stakeholders’ organizations, and not just someone standing on the sidelines making comments.

To earn that role, finance professionals must be able to understand the language of the functions they work with – from operations to R&D – and translate financial insights into terms that are meaningful to them. At the same time, they need to communicate in a way that helps those stakeholders understand finance’s perspective and contribution.

This includes developing a real understanding of the market and business dynamics of the industry, to provide the best insights that drive strategy and decision-making. It further involves having a stake in performance management through identifying areas for improvement and finding ways to add and create value across the organization.

“We see the organization’s data before anyone else does,” he pointed out. “We’re monitoring what’s going on in the outside world. Who better than us to co-create strategy, especially in a time of profound change and transformation?”

Foster the right mindset

The finance community can’t be reactive. It should develop an attitude that “it is in it to win it.” “Failure isn’t an option,” noted Thyen. Getting the whole finance team to take this on board is pivotal.

Further, communicating that mindset across the organization should be something the finance community sees as part of its role. When presented with a problem, find the right solution – or create it – and disseminate it widely.

Lead with your purpose

Why are you doing what you do? asked Thyen. What is it that brings you to work every day? What values does your organization cherish, that you want to embody?

Home in on the answers and spread them across your team, he advised. Again, it is about communication. Spread the word across the larger community.

In addition, the modern finance professional’s role encompasses – or is at least involved in – matters pertaining to ESG. Lean into that, stated Thyen. He used G+D as an example: “We make the lives of billions of people more secure. Use that mindset to look inward and inspire others to do the same.”

Learn to manage change

Communication and collaboration are key components of this approach. “Teams can’t be siloed by competence or function anymore,” said Thyen. “Everyone needs data. Everyone needs tech. Everyone needs to understand the direction the company is taking. Everyone needs to be compliant.”

In this scenario, speaking across teams and functions and driving a positive transformation across the organization is very much part of a CFO’s remit, in collaboration with other leaders. The changes everyone is faced with are best managed through a spirit of openness.

Lead data governance

Data is a strategic competitive advantage. “We see it first. Let’s make sure we’re communicating all that data to the people that need it, in the best way. That means we need to lead in structuring data in the most contributive way, finding the best tech and designing data architectures that are truly helpful,” said Thyen.

This also means being responsible for best practice in terms of safeguarding and otherwise being responsible for data, an approach that is ingrained in G+D. Naturally, this includes being cognizant of new technology and its implications.

“AI is in the picture right now and is already transforming the way we work. How can we best use it, and in the most responsible way, for the benefit of the organization? The CFO and the larger finance team is very much part of that conversation,” he emphasized.

Speaking about these topics is one thing, of course. Putting them into practice is another. One of Thyen’s initiatives has been the founding of the G+D Finance Academy, a way for finance teams from G+D’s global offices to come together and learn in a structured fashion, while keeping the principles outlined here in mind.

From networking with each other in person to hearing about best practices from leaders from across the organization, the Finance Academy puts each cohort through a year-long learning journey, with a group that includes divisional CFOs, controllers, financial directors, those with corporate functions, and emerging talents. 

The idea is that diverse backgrounds will encourage a range of perspectives, which will in turn drive sustainable change. Down the line, the alumni groups will interact with those in current cohorts, acting as companions throughout their journeys. 

Future-proofing an organization may well be a myth, but managing change starts with being open to it. The idea behind the G+D Finance Academy is that it will provide the CFOs of the future with the tools to face the changes to come with some measure of equanimity.

Published: 08/09/2026