The CFO Talent Challenge: Planning, Acquiring, and Retaining Finance Leaders in Today’s Market
The role of the CFO has never been more complex—or more exposed…
Once primarily stewards of financial reporting and control, CFOs today are strategic partners to the CEO, owners of data and insights, risk managers, and often the driving force behind digital transformation.
They also set the tone of business performance, internally and externally. Here’s my key insights into the different areas required of a CFO’s time, and what might keep them awake at night when it comes to talent management:
1. Talent Planning in a bumpy market…
Strategic workforce planning used to be a relatively linear exercise: forecast growth, map required roles, and hire accordingly. Today, CFOs are planning in an environment defined by volatility—economic uncertainty, political roulette, shifting regulations, rapid technological change and evolving business models.
Balancing agility with cost discipline: CFOs are under pressure to keep cost bases lean while still ensuring the finance function can scale quickly when needed.
Evolving skill requirements: Traditional accounting and compliance skills remain essential, but demand is growing for capabilities in data analytics, automation, ESG reporting and strategic partnering.
Succession risk: Many organisations are discovering gaps in mid-level and senior finance leadership, with limited internal pipelines ready to step up.
Effective talent planning requires scenario-based thinking, closer collaboration with HR, and a clear view of which skills must be built internally versus bought from the market.
2. Acquisition
Attracting finance talent has become significantly harder. High-performing finance professionals are in demand across industries, and many have greater leverage over where, how, and for whom they work.
CFOs face several acquisition hurdles:
Intense competition for experienced finance leaders, particularly those with transformation, systems, or M&A experience.
Rising compensation expectations, driven by inflation, counteroffers, and global hiring markets.
Changing candidate priorities, with flexibility, purpose, and career development often ranking as highly as pay.
To compete, CFOs must think beyond job descriptions. Employer brand, leadership credibility, learning opportunities, and the finance function’s influence within the business all matter.
Increasingly, candidates are evaluating CFOs just as much as CFOs are evaluating them.
3. Retention
While hiring grabs attention, retention is often the bigger, and costlier challenge. The loss of key finance talent can disrupt reporting cycles, weaken controls, delay strategic initiatives, and place additional strain on already stretched teams.
Burnout from sustained workloads, especially during periods of transformation or regulatory change.
Limited career pathways, particularly in flatter organisations where progression feels unclear.
Cultural misalignment, as expectations around flexibility, leadership style, and purpose evolve.
Their grass is greener than yours, poor employee engagement, communication and lack of vision sharing will cost you
High-performing finance professionals want to grow, be heard, and see the impact of their work. CFOs who invest in coaching, visible career paths, and modern ways of working are far more likely to keep their best people.
4. The CFO as Talent Leader
Perhaps the biggest shift is this: talent is no longer just an HR issue. CFOs themselves are now central to shaping the finance talent agenda.
This means:
Actively sponsoring high-potential talent
Championing upskilling and continuous learning
Using data to understand workforce risks and engagement
Building finance teams that are resilient, diverse, and future-ready
In the current market, a CFO’s ability to attract and retain strong finance talent is directly linked to the organisation’s ability to execute strategy and manage risk.
Looking Ahead
As market conditions remain uncertain, CFOs who treat talent planning, acquisition, and retention as strategic priorities—not operational afterthoughts—will be better positioned to lead their organisations through change.
The finance function of the future will not be defined solely by systems or structures, but by the quality, adaptability, and engagement of the people within it. And that makes talent one of the most critical assets on the CFO’s balance sheet.
Since 2010, we have partnered founders, boards, CEO’s and investors to appoint game-changing finance leaders who drive performance, discipline, and long-term value creation. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with me here.