Evolving from financial stewards to strategic drivers, CFOs are now playing a pivotal role in shaping technology-fueled innovation, modernisation and transformation.

The ADAPT webinar “Know Your Customer: How to Influence the CFO? For Sales and Marketing Leaders,” led by Senior Research Director Matt Boon, explored the latest drivers, plans, and inhibitors for Australian CFOs and Finance Leaders from organisations responsible for 20% of Australia’s GDP.

The above video is only an excerpt.

ADAPT’s Research and Advisory Advantage clients can watch our full webinar.

Register to access the full webinar recording: Know Your Customer: How to Influence the CFO? For Sales and Marketing Leaders.

Strategic Integration and Operational Efficiency

Matt highlighted that CFOs are increasingly involved in strategic decision-making, including managing technical debt, optimising FinOps cloud operations, and cyber security.

He pointed out this reflects a shift towards integrating financial strategies with overall business goals.

 

Addressing Internal Frictions and Building Trust

Matt discussed how CFOs navigate internal frictions, such as managing legacy technologies and balancing time constraints, employing strategies to overcome these challenges.

He emphasised the importance of trust-building within organisations.

 

Cloud Adoption and Cost Management

He also explored the complexities of cloud adoption, including cost management and legacy system integration challenges.

He raised concerns about the recurring and higher-than-expected cloud migration costs, underscoring the need for effective cloud-related expenditure management.

 

Innovation and Technology Investment

The webinar deep dove into CFOs’ focus on innovation and aligning technology investments with business goals, particularly in areas like AI and machine learning, to modernise finance roles and operations.

Matt also noted the accelerated move to OpEx environments.

However, he expressed concern that 41% of CFOs don’t have visibility into the ongoing costs of technology, which poses challenges for optimising costs and investments.

Investment Trends

Matt conveyed that over the next 12 months, CFOs are focusing on investment in areas that reflect their evolving role.

He noted a strong emphasis on data quality, analytics, and financial forecasting and modelling, as well as a significant focus on staff upskilling and training.

 

Key Takeaways:

  • CFOs are on the lookout for solutions that align with their broadening role.
  • Innovative approaches to internal challenges, especially in managing legacy technology and time constraints, are in demand.
  • Effective cloud adoption strategies that tackle cost management concerns, particularly in OpEx environments, resonate with CFO priorities.
  • Strategic partnerships in AI and machine learning that support CFOs’ technology investment goals are critical for modern finance functions.
  • Investment focuses of CFOs, such as data quality, analytics, and staff upskilling, present opportunities for targeted solutions.

The above video is only an excerpt.

ADAPT’s Research and Advisory Advantage clients can watch our full webinar.

Register to access the full webinar recording: Know Your Customer: How to Influence the CFO? For Sales and Marketing Leaders.

Contributors
Matt Boon Senior Research Director at ADAPT
Matt Boon is the Senior Director for Strategic Research at ADAPT, responsible for directing and developing research content and positions. For over... More

Matt Boon is the Senior Director for Strategic Research at ADAPT, responsible for directing and developing research content and positions.

For over 30 years, Matt has worked in research and advisory, including senior leadership roles at Gartner as Principal Analyst, Research Director, and Managing Vice President, where his 18 year history included working with Dell, Microsoft, and many others.

Throughout his career, Matt has been a sought after and highly respected authority on the local and global IT landscape.​ He interacts with executives daily, bringing together groups of C-suite leaders to discuss and prepare for the challenges and opportunities they face.​
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At ADAPT, Matt hosts numerous industry-leading business and technology events which Matt chairs, including the yearly Security Edge conference, delivering unique market trends and white-papers, advising executives across the technology provider landscape to make informed IT decisions.​

When he is not working, Matt enjoys walking the many trails of the NSW Southern Highlands, travelling and listening to music. He is also partial to a good steak and nice glass of red wine.

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