How CFOs are rewriting the definition of leadership

In this episode of the Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast, Myles Corson speaks with Sheryl Estrada, senior writer at Fortune and author of the CFO Daily newsletter. Drawing on her conversations with finance leaders, Sheryl shares insights into how the CFO role is evolving beyond traditional finance responsibilities. She also explores how CFOs are playing an increasingly influential role in enterprise transformation.

Sheryl explains that finance leaders are rethinking whether traditional performance metrics fully capture business growth. With CFOs taking a more active role in shaping business strategy, organizations are placing greater emphasis on connecting financial performance to the broader business narrative. As a result, finance is reassessing legacy KPIs and redefining how value is measured and communicated.

The need for greater clarity is also reshaping the finance function itself. Sheryl describes AI and automation as a way to move finance beyond routine work, creating more capacity for the function to contribute to the business as a strategic partner. As CFOs rethink how roles are structured and how work gets done, the future of finance becomes less about adopting new technology and more about building a finance function that can bring sharper insight to the decisions that shape long-term value.

Follow the EY Better Finance: CFO Insights podcast for more conversations with global CFOs and finance leaders. Find out more on ey.com/betterfinance.

Key takeaways:

• Understand how the CFOs role is evolving beyond traditional finance responsibilities

• Recognize the growing influence of AI on finance priorities and decision-making

• Rethink how organizations measure and communicate value

• Strengthen collaboration across the C-suite through data-driven insights

• Prepare finance teams for a more strategic, technology-enabled future

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