The CFO Roadmap: Expanding Success Beyond Financial Metrics

The CFO Roadmap: Expanding Success Beyond Financial Metrics
April 8, 2025 8 mins

The CFO Roadmap: Expanding Success Beyond Financial Metrics

The CFO Roadmap: Expanding Success Beyond Financial Metrics

In today's intricate business environment, growth is expanding to include more than financial success. By understanding how to fund, shape and secure growth, organizations can build resilience and drive long-term value.

Key Takeaways
  1. Business leaders now recognize non-financial factors, such as sustainability and talent management, as crucial drivers of growth.
  2. Multidimensional growth requires a strategic approach that includes funding through mergers and acquisitions, shaping through talent and market diversification, and securing through risk management.
  3. Embracing a multidimensional perspective helps leaders shift from a short-term profit focus to a long-term value approach.

The Evolving Definition of Growth

The concept of growth now transcends financial metrics. In fact, according to the CFO Roadmap: Better Decisions for Multidimensional Growth, 81 percent of CFOs currently include non-financial metrics in their growth definitions. This shift acknowledges that financial success alone cannot capture the complexities of running a business in 2025.

CFOs are adopting new growth approaches to address digital disruption, geopolitical uncertainty and stakeholder expectations. By evaluating factors like risk management, merger and acquisition (M&A) activities, talent practices and environmental impact, businesses aim to achieve sustainable and resilient growth. A multidimensional perspective shifts the focus from short-term profits to long-term value, enhancing resilience, brand loyalty, sustainable financial performance and talent engagement in a rapidly changing world.

There are three key drivers of change to consider when making growth plans. These include:

  1. Talent and Workforce: With 49 percent of CFOs identifying talent as a major growth driver, organizations are focusing on integrating employee wellbeing into their strategic plans. This involves aligning talent management with business goals to ensure the right support and rewards are in place for employees.
  2. Environmental Sustainability: Recognized by 69 percent of CFOs as essential for growth, integrating environmental sustainability initiatives that promote business resiliency is becoming crucial. Effective communication and prioritization of environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives are key to articulating their strategic value.
  3. Geopolitical Risk and Regulation: With 43 percent of CFOs expressing anxiety over global economic uncertainty, developing agile strategies to navigate regulatory shifts and geopolitical changes is essential for fostering resilience and ensuring sustainable growth.

The 3 Pillars of Multidimensional Growth

Organizations are encouraged to embrace a broader definition of growth to foster innovation and adapt to market changes, focusing on three main pillars.

1. Funding Growth

To drive sustainable expansion, companies are increasingly turning to diverse funding strategies. M&A — which demands due diligence and alignment with long-term goals — is a key growth strategy for 34 percent of organizations. Flexible deal structures can help adapt to market changes and capital structure analysis. However, CFOs also need to find the right mix of funding sources, such as private equity, private credit and traditional lenders, to finance M&A deals and operations.

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While agility is important, traditional due diligence processes remain essential for ensuring value creation and risk mitigation.

Andrea Foti
Chief Commercial Officer, Transaction Solutions, Europe, the Middle East and Africa

Reimagining M&A financing to explore innovative capital structures and strategic partnerships can unlock value and optimize deal outcomes. However, a disciplined approach is crucial, and should involve experience, market knowledge and effective negotiation.

Preparing early means engaging expert advisors right away and understanding available technical solutions, like insurance options to mitigate risks. In the current macroeconomic environment, it's important to be ready to walk away from deals if the conditions aren't favorable.

Additionally, pension liabilities can free up capital. By proactively managing pension risks, organizations can align their investments with growth objectives, optimizing outcomes and supporting broader financial strategies. Nearly a quarter of CFOs see the finance function as central to purpose-driven strategies that provide access to capital.

“Organizations can enhance their financial strategies by using both traditional and alternative capital sources,” says Rogier Sparreboom, chief financial officer in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “This allows for greater flexibility in funding growth initiatives.”

23%

of CFOs anticipate the finance function will transform into a central driver of purpose-driven strategies.

Source: The CFO Roadmap: Better Decisions for Multidimensional Growth, Aon

2. Shaping Growth

Shaping growth effectively involves workforce engagement, innovative capital strategies and the integration of environmental sustainability.

Talent development is a key component to consider. Aon research found that 44 percent of finance leaders are prioritizing workforce management — and for good reason. Investing in skills, transparent career paths and benefit customization encourages engagement, which in turn helps boost attraction, retention and overall employee performance.1

Diversifying into emerging markets and tailoring products to local preferences to enhance market acceptance is another critical part of shaping a company’s growth agenda.

The decisions businesses make regarding sustainability are closely linked to growth as well. Effective communication and prioritization are crucial for articulating the strategic value of any environmental or social initiatives.

34%

of finance leaders anticipate that the finance function will increasingly include environmental and social metrics in decision making.

Source: The CFO Roadmap: Better Decisions for Multidimensional Growth, Aon

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It all comes down to effective communication and identifying what matters to the company. In the current landscape, compliance is critical, but we must also articulate the strategic value of targeted environmental and social initiatives to key stakeholders to mitigate risks and capitalize on growth opportunities.

Laura Wanlass
Head of Corporate Governance, Talent Solutions, North America

In every growth strategy, compliance remains vital. With environmental regulations evolving, especially in Europe and North America, finance leaders must adapt to new standards, ensuring alignment between any targeted initiatives (both mandatory and voluntary) and corporate goals.

3. Securing Growth

To then secure this growth, organizations must develop an approach that fortifies resilience and proactively manages risks. With 31 percent of CFOs concerned about data privacy, and 27 percent highlighting technological risks, implementing a comprehensive risk management framework should be a priority. This includes anticipating and mitigating risks related to new market expansion, product innovation and technological adoption. Key metrics such as risk indicators, leverage ratios (e.g., debt-to-equity and net debt-to-EBITDA) and supply chain agility should be used to monitor and address potential challenges.

Addressing global uncertainties is also a major challenge, according to 43 percent of CFOs. Effective navigation of geopolitical and regulatory changes requires staying informed, implementing scenario planning and developing adaptable strategies. Despite some headwinds, optimism around environmental sustainability investment remains.

CFOs should balance any short-term challenges with long-term opportunities. Some experts remain optimistic about the future of environmental investing, citing ongoing global advancements in electrification and sustainability.2 CFOs may have to ride the wave of popular opinion for the time being, adopting a pragmatic approach to long-term growth.

Future Growth: AI Innovation

Artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics are essential components of future growth strategies. Data-driven decision making is not only about making the right choices today, but also about anticipating and shaping the future. By analyzing historical trends and forecasting potential scenarios, businesses can prepare for challenges and seize opportunities, ensuring sustainable and resilient growth.

AI provides invaluable insights into various aspects of business operations. It can analyze customer behavior trends to help businesses tailor their offerings for greater impact and satisfaction. Regarding environmental impact, AI helps track and optimize a business’s footprint and supply chain, further promoting sustainability initiatives. Additionally, tracking employee sentiment can foster a culture of productivity and wellbeing.

“Harnessing data transforms businesses into proactive market players,” says Wanlass. “Those who leverage AI adoption proactively and effectively will see the reward on their bottom line, from customer satisfaction to investor relations and positive social and environmental impact.”

A new generation of workers will expect AI integration, and the talent market for AI skills is booming. Aon analysis suggests HR roles will evolve due to AI, widening the gap between adopters and laggards, and impacting governments, organizations and individuals alike. Creating a culture of transparency, trust and good governance will be crucial as AI becomes embedded in workflows, and increasingly used on personal devices. Additionally, regional regulations will likely increase, requiring diverse compliance management akin to that of pay transparency. 3

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AI can enhance performance management by efficiently bringing together disparate data sets, but we must understand its limitations and always include the human element.

Anthony Poole
Partner, Human Capital, Europe, the Middle East and Africa

Balancing the Dimensions

Achieving multidimensional growth requires balancing immediate needs with future challenges. CFOs should use AI and data analytics to adapt to changing markets while maintaining transparency, trust and good governance. As regional regulations change, organizations must manage compliance and be ready for geopolitical shifts. Integrating ESG principles into strategies can also help drive sustainable growth and long-term value.

To successfully navigate potential challenges, finance leaders are encouraged to:

  • Implement robust risk management frameworks.
  • Utilize AI and data analytics for informed decision making.
  • Adopt adaptable strategies to meet regulatory requirements.
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CFOs must continuously evaluate market trends and remain adaptable, ensuring their strategies align with the evolving landscape to maintain organizational relevance and sustainable growth.

Rogier Sparreboom
Chief Financial Officer, Europe, the Middle East and Africa

By proactively addressing these areas, organizations can enhance performance, foster resilience and position themselves as leaders in their industry. A balanced approach secures immediate results while laying the foundation for long-term value.

Organizations are encouraged to redefine their growth strategies using insights from The CFO Roadmap: Better Decisions for Multidimensional Growth.

Aon’s Thought Leaders
  • Andrea Foti
    Chief Commercial Officer, Transaction Solutions, Europe, the Middle East and Africa
  • Anthony Poole
    Partner, Human Capital, Europe, the Middle East and Africa
  • Rogier Sparreboom
    Chief Financial Officer, Europe, the Middle East and Africa
  • Laura Wanlass
    Head of Corporate Governance, Talent Solutions, North America

1 The CFO Roadmap: Better Decisions for Multidimensional Growth, Aon
2 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report, Microsoft
3 Does ESG Stand a Chance in the Trump 2.0 Era?, International Banker

General Disclaimer

This document is not intended to address any specific situation or to provide legal, regulatory, financial, or other advice. While care has been taken in the production of this document, Aon does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of the document or any part of it and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. Any recipient shall be responsible for the use to which it puts this document. This document has been compiled using information available to us up to its date of publication and is subject to any qualifications made in the document.

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