Growth and Optimisation

Top 5 Priorities for Finance Leaders: Are You Ready to Lead What’s Next?

SAP Concur team | 25-07-2025

In the face of economic uncertainty, rapid tech shifts, and evolving workforce dynamics, CFOs are being called on to lead with speed, clarity, and confidence, while still managing risk, compliance, and efficiency in Australia and New Zealand.

So, what’s on the radar for finance leaders heading into 2025? And how do you stay ahead of the curve without overstretching your team or tech stack?

SAP Concur’s latest report, Top 5 Trends and Priorities for Finance Leaders, offers fresh insights into the shifting role of finance in organisations of every size.

Here’s a preview of what’s driving transformation and how to stay competitive.

1. Finance as a Strategic Business Partner

Gone are the days when finance was just about the numbers. The research shows:

📊 Only 23% of CFOs say their team is currently playing a strong strategic role.
📈 But 43% expect to strengthen that role significantly by 2025.

To meet that ambition, finance teams will need to lead with real-time data, collaborate cross-functionally, and align financial strategy with business outcomes.

2. Driving Growth While Managing Cost Pressures

Even as leaders look to grow, cost discipline remains a top priority. The report reveals:

  • 68% of CFOs are focused on growth in the next 12 months, but

  • 72% are under pressure to reduce costs at the same time.

The solution? Automation and digitisation that eliminate inefficiencies and free up resources for higher-value work.

3. Boosting Productivity Through Digitisation

Despite the clear benefits, manual and disconnected processes remain widespread:

🧾 34% of finance teams are still spending too much time on manual processes
🔍 32% lack visibility into spend and cash flow

That’s why digitisation isn’t just a trend, it’s an imperative. Automation, AI, and integrated spend management are central to unlocking agility.

4. Enhancing Spend Visibility and Control

Without visibility, CFOs can’t lead with confidence. Yet:

❗ Only 30% of finance leaders have complete visibility into spend across their organisation.

This is especially critical for medium and large enterprises managing distributed teams, suppliers, and budgets.

5. Attracting and Retaining Finance Talent

Finance isn’t immune to the skills shortage. In fact:

👥 38% of finance leaders say it's difficult to attract and retain finance talent.

Younger finance professionals expect tech-enabled, high-impact roles, not paper-pushing processes. Future-ready teams need systems that match their ambition.

Ready to Take the Lead? Download the Full CFO Trends Guide

Our report goes deeper into each of these priorities offering key takeaways, benchmarks, and actionable guidance for finance leaders in small, mid-sized, and enterprise organisations.

📥 Download the full guide now and learn how to:

  • Drive strategic value beyond cost control

  • Modernise finance systems without disruption

  • Build a resilient, growth-ready finance function

Five Trends for CFOs to Watch

CFOs set for great leap forward. New technologies are bringing significant opportunities to improve productivity in finance and beyond.

Download CFO Trends Guide
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