Top finance skills

Top finance skills

In todayโ€™s complex, nonlinear, and constantly changing business environment, itโ€™s no longer possible for finance and accounting professionals to rely on existing skillsets. The rules of engagement have changed.

How can finance teams not just support but help develop strategy? How can automation be adopted and scaled to increase speed and success? What does the groundswell of interest in ESG mean to accountants? How can the finance function facilitate collaboration and good data governance? To be part of positive change and growth in organisations, what are the essential skills for the coming years?

In this series, we interview CFOs, finance directors, and other leaders from around the world to find out what skills are at the top of their minds. They said foundational finance skills will always be relevant, but other important competencies include machine learning, data analytics, Power BI, managing a remote team, empathy and listening skills, and connecting the dots. Published twice weekly, these interviews will give you a sense of what skills to develop for the future.

To receive weekly updates on this series, sign up for our CGMA Advantage newsletter. Visit the Global Career Hub from AICPA & CIMA for help with finding a job or recruiting.


Public sector climate-related disclosures standard released

IPSASBโ€™s standard is intended to strengthen decision-making by addressing the disclosure guidance gap for governments and public sector companies.

FRC confirms latest companies to report under the UK Stewardship Code

The UKโ€™s FRC said that 291 signatories representing ยฃ57.3 trillion in assets under management had signed up to the 2020 version of the code.

Return to office: Where leaders and employees agree

Across generations, employees view in-person collaboration as key to productivity.

UK permanent and temporary hiring wane, report shows

Permanent placements fell in December at the steepest pace since August, and temporary hiring declined for the second consecutive month, according to a monthly report from KPMG and the REC.

Employers best positioned to facilitate trust in era of polarisation

The majority of employees trust their employer, but income disparity and ideological polarisation pose significant risks to workplace cohesion in the annual Edelman Trust Barometer.

Imminent global risks reflect societal fragmentation, distrust

Geoeconomic confrontation, misinformation, and societal polarisation make up the top three near-term risks in the World Economic Forumโ€™s annual Global Risks Report.

Report: AI speeds up work but fails to deliver real business value

Organisations are capturing speed through AI, but much of the reclaimed time is spent correcting or rewriting low-quality AI output, a global report says.

AI vulnerabilities emerge as fastest-growing cyber risk

AI is expected to be the most significant driver of change in cybersecurity in the year ahead, according to a World Economic Forum survey.

The evolving roles of CFOs in the Middle East

Finance leaders in the region prepare to position themselves as the โ€œgeneratorsโ€ and โ€œguardiansโ€ of AIโ€™s value.

Outsourcing grows globally as leaders grapple with talent, cost constraints

C-suite leaders are outsourcing IT services to harness external expertise amidst talent and budget shortfalls, but overreliance on third-party guidance poses strategy risks