In response to ongoing concerns about where the global economy is going, leading CFOs are fortifying their finance organization’s capabilities with the right people, technologies and processes to achieve a clear view of the horizon. These are among the many notable takeaways from the results of Protiviti’s latest Global Finance Trends Survey of CFOs and finance leaders around the world. Another is this: Given demands for the finance organization to deliver clear foresight into opportunities, risks and other developments on the horizon, and how the enterprise needs to respond, the slate of responsibilities on the CFO’s plate continues to grow.  

In short, CFOs require clear visibility into multiple areas inside and outside the enterprise to foresee what’s next and how to respond. In many respects, the CFO sits in the center of this maelstrom of forces. In the face of extreme geopolitical and global trade uncertainty, our findings equip CFOs and finance leaders with a clear compass. We hope you will use these insights to reshape priorities, deploy smarter tools and drive innovation — both in the finance group and throughout the organization.

Key findings include:

• Tariffs are having an impact, but confidence levels to navigate economic challenges are high. Most finance leaders indicate that new and changing tariffs are having at least a moderate impact on profitability as well as financial forecasting and reporting capabilities.  
• AI use in finance has risen dramatically. A vast majority of finance organizations (72%) are currently employing AI.
• Security and privacy of data remains the top priority. Amid ongoing economic uncertainty, multiple and diverse impacts from tariffs, and the rapid emergence of AI and other new technologies, the security and privacy of data remains the top priority for CFOs and finance leaders.  
• FP&A capabilities continue to deliver increasing value. A continued focus on evolving FP&A capabilities to develop meaningful strategic, analytical and financial insights and drive critical business decisions in an agile environment has delivered greater value for the broader enterprise.