Financial executives should prioritize recruiting talent with advanced artificial intelligence (AI), tech, and data skills to drive strategic growth, according to the 2025 Financial Executives Priorities report completed jointly by Forvis Mazars and the Financial Education & Research Foundation (FERF)—the independent nonprofit research affiliate of Financial Executives International (FEI).
Based on a survey of hundreds of FEI members, the report found that the rapidly evolving economic landscape anticipated for 2025 is pushing financial executives to recruit larger numbers of staff with advanced technology and data analytics skills—driving strategic growth and enabling organizations to maintain a competitive edge in what is shaping up to be a volatile market.
Among the report’s key findings:
Demand will escalate for technology-savvy professionals in the finance suite in 2025. As the following chart illustrates, there has been a shift in finance suite hiring priorities from 2021 to present, with a growing emphasis on data-driven skills.
As AI continues to impact the accounting and finance landscape, financial executives are embracing its benefits. According to one of the surveyed executives, “I don’t think AI is a job killer in accounting and finance. I think that streamlining current manual processes will happen, and people need to work through the ramifications.” This opinion is reflected within recent industry research highlighting the need to prioritize hiring for AI and data analysis skills. As the National Pipeline Advisory Group stated, “We believe that technology in general, and AI in particular, is likely to reduce the number of repeatable processes in accounting, freeing up talent to focus on other, higher-value activities. Labor-augmenting technologies that increase efficiency and free up capacity allow those in the accounting profession to turn their attention to more difference-making work.”
Integrating this new paradigm will be a key focus for financial executives in 2025. Leadership will need to focus on training staff to incorporate AI as a tool, in addition to focusing on these skill sets in new hires.
Beyond these insights, the report also addresses topics relevant to CFOs, CAOs, and controllers, including:
- The intersection between technology and operational efficiencies
- Regional, industry, and global opportunities in 2025
- Post-election outlook and strategic concerns
- Evolution of the financial executive mindset since the Covid-19 pandemic