CFOs to the rescue in a world transformed by fresh challenges
In an unpredictable global economy, can chief financial officers and treasurers shape the future of their organisations?
The modern chief financial officer is no longer simply a financial gatekeeper. Economic turbulence is reshaping the global business landscape, and finance leaders have emerged as architects of corporate resilience and growth, wielding unprecedented influence over strategy.
This evolution reflects how today's challenges – including trade tensions, volatile interest rates and geopolitical uncertainty – demand financial agility alongside traditional stewardship. CFOs are transcending conventional roles, becoming central players in corporate strategy, precisely when organisations need them most.
“CFOs and treasurers are proactively driving capital and liquidity strategies, advancing risk management and operational efficiency and, ultimately, empowering their organisation's strategic goals,” says Terence Yong, Group Head of Corporate Sales & Solutioning, Global Transaction Services, at DBS Institutional Banking Group. His point is reinforced by the data. A global study from DBS, New Realities, New Possibilities, surveyed more than 800 finance leaders across 14 markets and seven sectors, revealing how CFOs are redefining their roles in response to unprecedented challenges.
Balancing act: short-term resilience meets long-term ambition
The expanded CFO mandate is playing out across industries. At Siltronic, the Munich-based manufacturer of silicon wafers for semiconductors, CFO Claudia Schmitt demonstrates the shift. “It's no longer just about ensuring operational efficiency and financial stability,” Schmitt explains. “It's also about actively shaping the strategic direction of the company. In an increasingly complex macroeconomic environment, my role involves balancing short-term resilience with long-term value creation.”
"Flexibility is key. While our strategic direction remains unchanged, we are adjusting timelines and investment levels to reflect current realities without compromising long-term goals"
Schmitt's recent experience highlights the complexity modern CFOs face. A weakened US dollar against the euro, paired with high customer inventory levels, has created significant headwinds for the business. Her response – targeted liquidity management and capital structure optimisation – shows the strategic thinking now expected from finance leaders. “We remain fully committed to executing our strategy, which is firmly rooted in technology leadership and organic growth,” she says. “Flexibility is key. While our strategic direction remains unchanged, we are adjusting timelines and investment levels to reflect current realities without compromising long-term goals.”
This approach mirrors broader industry trends. More than half the CFOs and treasurers surveyed by DBS are re-evaluating their capital structure to optimise capital costs during uncertainty. Around half cited efficient management of liquidity and FX as crucial to meet short-term financial obligations for operational continuity – especially at global firms.
The AI boom: new opportunities, familiar challenges
In technology, CFOs' strategic importance is particularly clear. The semiconductor, data centre and artificial intelligence server supply chains are experiencing unprecedented demand as generative AI adoption accelerates. “The total addressable market and investment size are at unprecedented levels,” says Amit Sinha, Group Head of Telecommunications, Media & Technology, Western MNCs and Digital Economy, at DBS. The scale is remarkable: In August 2025 OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman remarked1 his company expects to spend “trillions of dollars” on datacentre construction.
"For finance leaders, it's all about empowering the board to respond flexibly – whether the challenge is growth-driven or regulatory"
With growth comes complexity. Managing capital investment and its recycling, working capital and supply chain resilience are now critical areas where CFO skills are invaluable. “CFOs and treasurers are at front and centre of these strategic financing decisions, they support rapid growth by embracing new ideas and structures, staying ahead of the curve,” Sinha notes.
Near-shoring strategies are gaining traction, as companies seek to reduce dependency on high-risk regions and mitigate tariffs. Yet shifting manufacturing brings new challenges. “You have to set up a whole new manufacturing supply chain, and then you’re dealing with four elements: payables, receivables, inventory and delivery,” says Sinha. This brings capital management issues as well as currency risk.
“For finance leaders, it's all about empowering the board to respond flexibly – whether the challenge is growth-driven or regulatory. Major shifts in the current operating environment – and the need for strategic flexibility to acquire or invest – bring higher demand for liquidity and real-time, data-driven financial intelligence,” explains Yong.
Technology as the great enabler
CFOs' greater influence is closely linked to technology. AI-powered data platforms mean finance leaders can forecast liquidity and manage risk in real time more effectively, generating the insights needed for smarter decisions. “AI-enabled, data-driven financial intelligence allows [finance leaders] to forecast liquidity and manage risk more effectively,” Yong notes. As CFOs navigate financial, cultural and regional complexity in global operations, technology is indispensable.
East meets West: cultural nuances in CFO leadership
There are distinct operational dynamics and cultural nuances shaping the roles of CFOs and treasurers across both Asian and Western multinational corporations (MNCs). These often extend beyond strategy, to regional business orientation and organisational culture. "Western companies tend to prioritise purpose alongside profit, whereas Asian MNCs prioritise working capital management and digital adoption," Yong explains. “Because DBS is at the nexus of east and west, we possess a nuanced understanding of both Western and Asian business aspirations and cultures. This allows us to build bridges and act as a strategic, trusted partner capable of tailoring solutions for diverse multinational corporations.”
"AI-enabled, data-driven financial intelligence allows [finance leaders] to forecast liquidity and manage risk more effectively"
To balance competing pressures and maintain strategic focus amidst global economic uncertainty, today’s CFOs must embrace analytical rigour and strategic vision, which will allow them to not only manage risk but also shape the future of their organisations.
To discover what more than 800 CFOs and treasurers are prioritising for their businesses, download the full New Realities, New Possibilities report here.
