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A Gartner survey released in February shows that 75% of global CFOs expect technology budgets to grow in 2026, with 48% anticipating increases of more than 10%. At the same time, expectations for employee headcount growth have dropped sharply from 6% in 2025 to 2% in 2026, with only 21% of CFOs planning to increase headcount by 4% to 9%, down from 31% last year. Gartner analyst Nauman Abbasi notes that this marks a shift from workforce expansion to optimization driven by automation and AI.

In an interview with CFO Dive, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) CFO Marie Myers stated that the 2026 finance transformation will focus on the scaled application of agentic AI, covering scenarios such as predictive analytics and accounts receivable processing. The internal tool "Alfred," co-developed by HPE and Deloitte, has already shortened the financial reporting cycle by approximately 40%.

The latest report from Russell Reynolds Associates shows that the number of CFO appointments globally reached 316 in 2025, a seven-year high and a 10% year-over-year increase; the CFO turnover rate among S&P 500 companies rose by 19%. The report attributes the wave of departures to heavier workloads, expanded scope of responsibilities, pressure from boards and investors, as well as retirement and role burnout. The proportion of female CFOs fell from 26% in 2024 to 21%.

JM Smucker announced on Tuesday a restructuring of its senior leadership, eliminating the Chief Operating Officer role, creating a new Chief Technology Officer position to oversee AI strategy, and adjusting the duties of five executives to drive growth and profitability.

Standard Chartered Group announced on Tuesday that Group Chief Financial Officer Diego De Giorgi has left with immediate effect due to "external opportunities." Apollo Global Management subsequently announced his appointment as Head of EMEA. Standard Chartered's share price fell 5.74% on the day.

Toronto-based fintech company Vena announced plans to acquire Sydney-based FP&A software peer Acterys, with the transaction amount undisclosed. Vena CEO Hunter Madeley stated that the merger will strengthen its presence in the Microsoft ecosystem, particularly in Power BI and Fabric. The deal is pending approval from Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board.

In an interview, Sonja Simon, CFO of SAP Americas, shared her views on how AI is transforming finance work. She believes that AI is still a 'fast-moving train,' and finance leaders need to help teams adapt to change. By forming dedicated teams, encouraging employees to share their experiences with AI, and advocating a 'culture of failure,' Simon hopes to drive the finance department to become an early adopter of new technologies. She cited examples where tools developed by her team, though not perfect, significantly improved the analysis process for key metrics.

Toyota Motor announced on February 7 that current CFO Yoichi Miyazaki will be promoted to CEO and President, effective April 1; Koji Sato will become Chief Industry Officer. This marks the second CEO change in three years, aimed at addressing profitability pressures and industry transformation.

CEC Entertainment (parent company of Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza) announced that current Chief Financial Officer Scott Drake will be promoted to President and CEO on February 13, succeeding David McKillips, who has led the company since 2020. Drake will be responsible for driving brand expansion, international growth, and diversified revenue.

Online lender Better Home & Finance Holding Company announced that Loveen Advani, who previously worked at Zeta Global, Aetna, and IBM, officially assumed the role of CFO on Monday, succeeding Kevin Ryan, who had departed.