The role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has never been more strategic. As we enter 2025, financial leaders in the tech industry find themselves at the intersection of innovation and resilience. While new opportunities arise from AI, automation, and evolving business models, economic uncertainty, regulatory shifts, and workforce changes add new layers of complexity.
No longer just financial stewards, CFOs must now act as business architects, overseeing not only cash flow but also product development, HR strategy, and regulatory compliance.
We reached out to CFOs across the tech industry to find out about their resolutions and objectives for 2025 and put together several key themes that will shape financial leadership in the coming year.
Fostering Technology Integration and Automation
Automation has become more than a time-saving tool, it's a cornerstone of financial strategy. From AI driven forecasting to real-time cash flow insights, it’s redefining how finance leaders operate. With research indicating that 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies' software was developed two decades ago or more, scale-ups have the upper hand here.
Martin Raißle, VP of Finance & Operations at ChartMogul, sees automation as a competitive advantage: "My focus in 2025 is to make sure all our tools are set up to support automation. Many already are, but finance tools tend to focus on local compliance requirements first. While that's important, it shouldn't stop us from enabling new efficiencies."
Finance tools tend to focus on local compliance requirements first. While that's important, it shouldn't stop us from enabling new efficiencies.
But this year, CFOs in tech are moving beyond simple automation and into predictive financial intelligence. Like automated financial reporting (e.g., AI-powered tools generate real-time cash flow insights), intelligent forecasting (AI analyzes spending patterns and predicts future revenue), and risk assessment automation (AI models detect anomalies in transactions, reducing fraud risks).
A CFO at a SaaS company can integrate AI-driven tools to automate financial planning and forecasting (FP&A), improving budgeting accuracy.
Thomas Andersen, CFO at Tellu, emphasizes the growing adoption of automation: “We always have a goal to automate repetitive financial processes, and fortunately, there are an increasing number of tools that aid us in this, including Power BI, no code tools, and various SaaS tools (like Cledara) that enhances and automates our operations.”
We always have a goal to automate repetitive financial processes, and fortunately, there are an increasing number of tools that aid us in this
Improving Cross-Departmental Collaboration
In 2025, finance leaders are no longer just number crunchers, they are business enablers, ensuring that every department operates efficiently, profitably, and in alignment with the company’s growth strategy. Successful CFOs will bridge the gap between finance and operations, driving collaboration across the entire organization.
Olga Tintore, CFO at NumberEight, reflects this trend: "Finance is no longer a siloed function. We're actively collaborating with other departments, embedding financial expertise into their decision-making processes. This fosters a shared understanding of our financial goals and ensures everyone is rowing in the same direction."
We're actively collaborating with other departments. This fosters a shared understanding of our financial goals and ensures everyone is rowing in the same direction.
Cross-functional collaboration is proving to be a game-changer for finance teams. According to Gartner, companies that foster strong collaboration see a 63% boost in engagement and a 25% reduction in turnover. It can also have a positive impact on revenue.
CFOs in tech must now partner with engineering teams to track cloud infrastructure expenses, implementing FinOps best practices to prevent budget overruns. For example, introducing automated cloud cost monitoring to reduce AWS/GCP expenses without affecting performance.
Felipe Tunnell, CFO at Revieve doubles down on the benefits of cross-collaboration: “Finance can’t operate in a silo—our job is to enable the business, not just report on it. A big focus for me is making financial insights more accessible and actionable across teams. That means embedding finance into key decision-making processes early on, ensuring transparency on how resource allocation aligns with company goals, and fostering a culture where finance is seen as a partner rather than just a gatekeeper.”
It is our job is to enable the business, not just report on it. A big focus for me is making financial insights more accessible and actionable across teams.
Planning Strategic Growth in Times of Economic Volatility
CFOs are bracing for a turbulent year. According to Deloitte, 56% of CFOs cite geopolitics as their top concern, followed by economic uncertainty (43%). With global trade tensions, inflation risks, and evolving regulations, finance leaders must rethink their approach to strategic growth.
These worries may come as a surprise to no one who’s been reading the news for the past two years, at least. Global economic trends such as tariffs on Chinese-made goods could significantly impact pricing and demand for tech products. Many finance leaders are closely monitoring these developments to adjust their financial strategies accordingly.
But there are some reasons to be optimistic, as well. Regulatory changes and a shift in the new administration could lead to a resurgence in M&A activity, which has been slow due to regulatory scrutiny. Many venture capitalists are hopeful that relaxed restrictions will allow for greater liquidity and more exits for startups.
These shifts will likely be felt across the pond too, where European scale-ups are brazing for the rippling effects of these changes.
To navigate these uncertain times, Sam Maldonado, VP of Finance at Holded, outlines a balanced strategy: "We prioritize financial resilience by maintaining costs under control, optimizing cash conversion, and leveraging data-driven insights for decision-making. At the same time, we identify high-potential growth areas aligned with our mission, core strengths, and customer needs."
We prioritize financial resilience by maintaining costs under control, optimizing cash conversion, and leveraging data-driven insights for decision-making.
As CFOs focus on financial resilience, they must also prepare for another challenge, the growing wave of ESG and regulatory compliance requirements.
Balancing Regulatory Compliance and Innovation
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations are increasingly central to financial strategy. The financial sector is facing increasing scrutiny, particularly in areas like cryptocurrency, where clear rules are still evolving.
Sergej Orlovskij, CFO at CoinGate, states: "CoinGate's top priority for 2025 is securing the MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) license. This commitment underscores our dedication to fostering stability, transparency, and enhanced consumer protection within the cryptocurrency industry."
This commitment underscores our dedication to fostering stability, transparency, and enhanced consumer protection within the cryptocurrency industry.
Regulatory clarity is essential to ensure crypto’s integration into mainstream finance. In the latest World Economic Forum, experts noted that regulators still struggle to define what they need to oversee and emphasized the need for modernized consumer protections.
ESG is no longer just an investor priority, it’s a compliance requirement. In 2025, European regulations will force mid-sized and large tech companies to report carbon footprints, social impact, and governance policies.
For CFOs, this means two things:
- Regulatory risk—Failing to meet ESG disclosure standards could lead to fines and investor pushback.
- Competitive edge—Companies with strong ESG initiatives are attracting more funding and customer trust.
This is also an opportunity to make a positive impact. Some tech companies will prioritize using technology to support social good, focusing on impact rather than just financial returns. Leveraging technology to drive meaningful change.
Mark Beakhouse, CFO at Wegrow sees potential: "In 2025, we intend to leverage Wegrow as a 'Tech for good' by working with NGOs and social enterprises to help them scale their best practices. Unlike our enterprise clients where the return on investment is measured in cash, we seek to help them maximize their impact against their core mission."
Unlike our enterprise clients where the return on investment is measured in cash, we seek to help them maximize their impact against their core mission.
Investing in Skills Development
The rapidly evolving business landscape demands continuous learning and adaptation. Skill building is one of the primary motivators for top talent retention, with generative AI playing an increasingly important role in personalized learning and development.
Christopher Clark, CFO at Positive Support Group, reflects this focus on modernization, noting their priority of "adopting technology to take away spreadsheets," and “Implementing AI where we can in accounting processes and payments to later replicate in other areas.”
We're implementing AI where we can in accounting processes and payments to later replicate in other areas.
The tech industry is no stranger to mass layoffs and cutting jobs for efficiency’s sake. But in 2025, smaller companies will rather invest in their employees’ skills, especially when it comes to AI, rather than replace them with technology.
Making a mistake on a spreadsheet can be costly, but writing the wrong prompt can have disastrous consequences as well. In 2025, if CFOs want their employees to stay relevant, they will not only teach how to use AI, but how to use it well.
This not only makes sense financially, but also from a leadership point of view. One of the top motivators for employees is to improve their skills so they can remain in demand, and if their employer is willing to invest in them, then their loyalty is likely to increase.
For CFOs, the priority isn't just adopting AI, it’s ensuring their teams know how to use it effectively, mitigating risks while maximizing productivity.
Looking Ahead
In 2025, CFOs are no longer just financial stewards; they are architects of digital transformation, champions of ethical AI, and drivers of sustainable growth. Those who successfully balance innovation with resilience will define the future of financial leadership.
