The CFO role is undergoing one of its most significant evolutions in decades. No longer limited to financial stewardship and reporting, today’s finance leaders are stepping into broader strategic roles, shaping acquisitions, embedding digital infrastructure, and aligning internal and external stakeholders around long-term value.
As part of BDO’s From CFO to Chief Value Officer campaign, we interviewed CFOs across sectors ranging from healthcare and energy to manufacturing and tourism. Despite their varied industries, a clear pattern emerged: the CFO is becoming a key driver of transformation, using finance not only to monitor the past but to build the future.
Growth, Beyond the Numbers
In several businesses undergoing rapid expansion, acquisitions remain a core part of the growth strategy. But financial metrics alone are no longer the deciding factor. Instead, CFOs are focused on the strategic fit, cultural alignment, and continuity of acquired teams. Many ensure local brands are preserved and community trust is maintained — recognising that brand equity and practitioner expertise are just as valuable as EBITDA multiples.
Data as a Strategic Asset
A recurring priority among CFOs is the development of robust, standardised data systems. In some organisations, financial transformation begins not with AI or automation, but with improving the quality of the underlying data — particularly across decentralised or regulated operations. By refining systems such as electronic records, finance teams are generating more consistent performance data that can be used not just for reporting, but for strategic insight. Better data enables better decisions, from understanding revenue trends and resource use to forecasting growth and improving reimbursement processes.
The New Reporting Priorities
While financial reporting remains a core function, many CFOs now dedicate the bulk of their time to three areas: strategic acquisitions, performance analytics, and digital enablement. The shift is clear, from monthly closings and backward-looking statements to predictive insights and forward-focused scenario planning. With stronger data infrastructure, finance teams are offering new insights into product performance, payer mix, service delivery trends, and operational bottlenecks. The value lies not in the data itself, but in the ability to turn it into actionable guidance for the wider business.
Alignment as a Value Driver
In environments where external capital or investor support is present, CFOs are increasingly the bridge between mission and return. Interviewees highlighted the importance of assessing investor fit, ensuring alignment with long-term strategy, especially where mission-led service is central to value creation. Internally, alignment is equally important. Shared success schemes, transparent KPIs, and open communication channels help ensure employees stay engaged and invested in the business’s performance. Several CFOs reported that data transparency had a direct positive impact on adoption of new systems and approaches, from digital onboarding tools to automation in care pathways.
Redefining Value
For today’s finance leaders, success is no longer measured only by financial outcomes. It includes growth that reflects the company’s mission, digital maturity that enables flexibility and insight, and alignment across teams, partners, and investors. The CFO is becoming a connector, between strategy and execution, between values and returns. This transformation is not about abandoning the fundamentals of finance, but expanding them. From financial steward to value architect, the modern CFO is writing a new chapter, and reshaping what it means to lead from the finance office.
This article is part of BDO’s From CFO to Chief Value Officer campaign, based on a series of interviews with finance leaders worldwide. To explore more insights from the series, visit: Chief Value Officer - Introducing key insights from our CFO interviews - BDO
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