The Agile CFO: Navigating Economic Uncertainty with Data Insights

CFOs planning for multiple scenarios to ensure organizations are prepared for any situation.

The Adaptive Insights CFO Indicator Q1 2016 surveyed 377global CFOs to understand trends in financial forecasting during

increased market and economic uncertainty. We found that

although CFOs are worried aboutregional economic uncertainty, they are confident about their

forecasting capabilities,

thanks to their proficiency in harnessing dataanalytics to plan for multiple scenarios.

CFOs map multiple courses for 2016

Which of the following scenarios are likely to take place in 2016?*

SALES REVENUE WILL INCREASE

49%

SALES REVENUEWILL DECREASE

30%

PRIVATE COMPANYVALUATIONS

WILL DECREASE

25%

M&A ACTIVITYWILL INCREASE

30%

* Could select multiple answers.

* Could select multiple answers.

And are concerned about external macroeconomic factors

67% are concerned about economic uncertainty in their region*

* Could select multiple answers.

During a market contraction, how a CFOcan provide the most strategic value*:

48% plan for multiple scenarios

Growing uncertainty spotlights scenario planning, data analysis

* Could select multiple answers.

Growing uncertainty spotlights scenario planning, data analysis

Business attributes most beneficial to the performance of the CFO*:

65%

59%

38%

Technical and analytical skills

Experience with transformation and innovation

Industry experience

* Could select multiple answers.

CFOs with CEO aspirations must broaden their expertise

Top perceptions CFOs must overcome to become CEOs*:

54%

40%

33% 30% 28%

Perceived as safeguards and not visionaries

Lack of commercial (non-finance) experience

Lack of big-picture vision Overly narrow focus

Not perceived as growth drivers

* Could select multiple answers.

Big data and analytics are transformingthe CFO role, creating strategic value

Factors that will have the biggest e�ect on the future role of the CFO*:

#1#2

#3#4

#5

Big data and analytics

Embedding finance functionacross business units

Talent management/skill shortagesin the finance organization

Uncertain environment combinedwith rapid pace of change

Technology

* Could select multiple answers.

Big data and analytics are transformingthe CFO role, creating strategic value

What are the CFO initiatives that can bring most strategic value to the organization?*

Applying financial data analysis to

achieve profitability and growth

Applying financial data analysis to

derive new operating models

Improving forecasting capabilities

78% 75%

51%

Big data and analytics are transformingthe CFO role, creating strategic value

* Could select multiple answers.

CFOs Shift Priorities*

ensuring compliance

talent management

overseeingcorporategovernance

talent managment

transforming financial data into intelligence

leveraging IT for evolving market opportunities

&

overseeing corporate governance

20

162

019

CFOs invest in tech, predict a SaaS infrastructure future

The most important technology investment to support strategic finance activities:

56%Dashboards and analytics

CFOs invest in tech, predict a SaaS infrastructure future

CFOs forecast their IT infrastructure will increasingly rely on SaaS over the next four years:

33%SaaS infrastructure 2016

60%SaaS infrastructure

by 2020

Copyright 2016 Adaptive Insights. All rights reserved.

The Adaptive Insights CFO Indicator reveals what is top of mind for CFOs, as well as unveils

key attributes that define the strategic CFO. The Q1 2016 report surveyed 377 chief financial

o�cers across the globe over a period of 14 days ending March 28, 2016. As this was not a

probability-based sample, calculating the theoretical margin of sampling error is not applicable.

Today’s agile CFO knows that while you can’t control the winds, you

can adjust the sails.

For more insights from the Q1 2016

CFO Indicator survey, download the full report.

www.adaptiveinsights.com/agile-cfo