#294 The Skills Every CFO Will Need by 2030 Myles Corson EY Global Financial Accounting Advisory Services, Strategy and Markets Leader
In the coming years, finance leaders will operate in an environment shaped by rapid technological disruption, new business models, and rising stakeholder expectations, where a role once focused on reporting and cost control now sits at the center of strategy, value creation, and transformation. In this context, traditional accounting and compliance expertise must be complemented by fluency in data, technology, and AI, as well as much stronger leadership, communication, and collaboration skills; capabilities that will define the next generation of high-performing, future-ready finance functions.
In this GrowCFO Show episode, host Kevin Appleby welcomes Myles Corson, EY Global Financial Accounting Advisory Services, Strategy and Markets Leader, to explore what skills will define successful CFOs by 2030. Against a backdrop of rapid technological disruption and shifting business models, the conversation anchors on EY’s long-running “DNA of the CFO” research, based on over 1,500 global CFO and senior finance leader responses. The episode underscores why today’s CFOs must move beyond traditional stewardship and reporting roles to become true enterprise value creators, strategic partners, and transformation leaders.
The discussion examines the widening gap between CFOs’ ambition to lead value creation and the current reality that only about one in four are truly doing so in practice. Corson highlights that by 2030, the most effective CFOs will blend technical excellence, strategic acumen, AI fluency, and human-centered leadership, especially communication, collaboration, and change management. The conversation emphasizes that technology, including AI, is only a catalyst; sustainable success will depend on how CFOs develop their teams, reshape enterprise value metrics, and navigate uncertainty with adaptability and curiosity.
Key topics covered:
- EY’s multi‑year “DNA of the CFO” research shows a persistent gap between CFOs’ desire to lead value creation and the small minority actually doing so day-to-day.
- Future-ready CFOs will be distinguished less by technical credentials and more by strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and human-centered leadership.
- AI adoption in finance remains early: only around 20% of organizations consider themselves advanced, with most struggling on data, culture, skills, and scaling beyond “science experiments.”
- Successful finance transformations correlate strongly with team adaptability and clear articulation of the “why” behind change, not just the technology or cost targets.
- The most impactful CFOs intentionally build varied career experience (operations, strategy, international roles) and focus on mentoring, networks, and peer benchmarking.
- In an AI-driven world, people remain the decisive factor: leadership, communication, and culture ultimately determine whether technology investments deliver value.
Links
Timestamps:
- 0:00:02 – Introduction to Miles Corson, EY Global Leadership Team and framing the reality vs. perception of the CFO role.
- 0:02:07 – Miles’ career journey and how diverse roles across geographies, audit, management accounting, government, and advisory shaped his CFO perspective.
- 0:08:00 – Discussion on curiosity, varied experience, and mentorship as critical enablers of finance career progression and leadership.
- 0:10:52 – Key findings from the DNA of the CFO survey: CFOs’ ambition to lead value creation vs. the reality that only ~25% do so in practice; the need to rethink enterprise value metrics.
- 0:21:12 – Deep dive into AI in finance: low maturity of adoption, challenges with data, culture, and skills, and the importance of focusing on business outcomes rather than technology hype.
- 0:26:31 – Why most finance transformations underperform; the pivotal role of human factors, communication, and storytelling in driving successful change.
- 0:38:31 – Long-term trends in the CFO role: evolution rather than revolution, with enduring importance of strategic vision, collaboration, and the human side of leadership.
- 0:43:32 – Conclusion: in a world of AI and advanced technology, people, culture, and talent still determine whether CFOs and finance functions can truly transform and create value.
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