How finance leaders are building the future of finance today

In this special episode of the Better Finance podcast, Pat Grismer, Former CFO Starbucks, Hyatt Hotels and Yum Brands, and Cory Hrncirik, Microsoft Modern Finance Lead, join Myles Corson for a wide-ranging discussion on the future of finance. Their discussion covers the role of the CFO, the importance of a strong culture and why CFOs need to spend more time on talent, how the finance function can have an even greater impact in strategy and resource allocation, and the need for more data.

The past few years have seen significant disruption resulting from radical changes in consumer habits and preferences, technological innovation, and an elevated social conscience. These changes are driving companies to adjust business models, and that has been incumbent upon CFOs to determine how best to evolve their planning, forecasting and resource allocation processes so they can respond with greater agility to ensure their organization remains relevant and growing.

Within an organization, there is an opportunity for finance as a function to have even greater impact and influence by behaving like a business partner, not a function that exists solely for reporting purposes. World-class finance functions can use their numbers and data to tell stories in ways that support the business in achieving its objectives. When finance professionals understand that, the function has the capacity and the potential to have much greater impact and influence on the business.

Key takeaways:

• CFOs have an important role supporting investments in ESG while continuing to drive the company’s economic engine.
• Talent and culture are a key element of the CFOs agenda, particularly attracting and developing for emerging skills.
• CFOs can increase their impact by adapting how they communicate to better engage with key stakeholder groups.
• CFOs have a never had a better opportunity to transform the finance function by setting a clear vision, empowering their people to adopt a growth mindset and unlocking the power of data and technology.

For your convenience, full text transcript of this podcast is also available. Read the transcript.