Good morning. Five years from now, traditional corporate finance may be a distant memory—and perhaps a bit lonelier for the workforce.
AI is chief among them. By 2030, Gartner projects that one-third of enterprise applications will have embedded agentic AI, with 15% of day-to-day work decisions made autonomously. Human roles will evolve to focus on supervising, collaborating with, and coaching AI counterparts.
Machine decision-making will also accelerate. As early as 2028, Gartner is predicting 70% of finance functions will use AI analysis with connected device data for real-time decision making on operational costs and cash flow management, according to Brian Stickles, senior principal at Gartner Finance. This automation means less time spent on repetitive work for finance employees.
But one prediction—the “lonely enterprise”—warns that these advances may negatively impact the employee experience if CFOs are not proactive. According to Gartner, organizational specialization and remote work technologies will make finance staff more isolated. While self-service tools boost efficiency, they also risk creating silos and disconnecting finance from the broader business context necessary for high-quality advice.
Gartner points to another looming force: the “finance talent crash.” With the majority of CPAs nearing retirement and fewer replacements entering the field, the traditional finance talent pool is shrinking. Finance will increasingly seek technology-savvy recruits, and will need to reshape roles to blend finance and IT skills.
Other transformative forces include do-it-yourself tech, the end of customization, the complexity of matrixed organizations, and the challenge of keeping up with ever-shifting regulatory compliance.
These are exciting times for the evolution of the finance function. Keeping employees engaged and supported on this journey will be critical to long-term success.
Quick note: The next CFO Daily will be in your inbox on Tuesday. Enjoy the Labor Day holiday.
