Latest news
Over the past 18 months, global supply chain disruptions, recurring economic activity fluctuations, near-zero interest rates, and climate risks have completely transformed the operating environment for corporate treasury. CEOs and CFOs increasingly rely on treasury as strategic leaders, requiring capabilities in collaboration, digitalization, communication, and innovation.
In an ideal scenario, a finance organization could build all functions entirely in-house, but reality forces CFOs to choose between third parties and internal teams. Using risk as a common benchmark, this article analyzes outsourcing inflection points for functions such as valuation, finance transformation, project management, investor relations, accounting, internal audit, tax, and external reporting, providing a reference for corporate decision-making.
Over the past two years, 792 companies have entered the public market, with over 75% through traditional IPOs and direct listings, and the rest via SPAC deals. However, many newly listed companies and their shareholders will find that maintaining momentum is more challenging than expected. Jeff Majtyka, founder and CEO of Ellipsis, points out that the issue is not market forecasting but readiness for public market challenges. The core lies in investment narrative management—a foundational task that determines management's credibility with sophisticated investors and the company's valuation. The article analyzes three major risk factors: hastily assembled teams, diluted advisory input, and mismatched time horizons, emphasizing that companies must take responsibility for their own preparation.
The pandemic drove the proportion of remote work from 17% to 41%, generating a surge in new reimbursement needs. Jessica Staley, Vice President at SAP Concur, advises companies to set clear reimbursement rules for home office equipment, internet, and furniture, and to use AI systems for 100% expense auditing. Taking VMware as an example, its quarterly 1.5 million reimbursement claims undergo full automated review, saving 8,000 full-time equivalent work hours, halving reimbursement wait times, and boosting employee satisfaction by 75%.
With the rise of e-commerce, retailers have increased digital investment but often overlook the benefits of state-level research and experimentation (R&E) tax credits on investment returns. A KPMG survey found that about one-third of eligible companies have never claimed such incentives. The article notes that IT investments also qualify, but the complexity of the methodology is often overestimated. It lists claimable cases such as automated delivery and AI supply chain optimization, and mentions that the Biden administration is considering expanding the scope of R&E credits, including raising the qualified percentage for external research costs (currently 65%). Multinational companies can also leverage overseas R&D incentives.
Japan's subscription service market is shifting from lagging to accelerating, with a scale of 562.74 billion yen in 2018 and expected to grow to 862.35 billion yen by 2023. Facing cultural inertia characterized by lifetime employment and slow decision-making, how can enterprises break through? YiLun Miao, General Manager of CloudBlue for Asia Pacific and Japan, proposes three strategies: first build brand trust, then drive internal cognitive alignment, and finally empower processes and innovation with technology.
In this article, Avalara CFO Ross Tennenbaum proposes the "macro-to-micro continuum" framework, suggesting that CFOs decompose macro metrics like net retention rate into specific micro drivers. By setting driver targets, clarifying team responsibilities, and paying attention to data quality, focusing on priorities, and maintaining consistency, they can effectively enhance overall corporate performance.
Bitcoin's sharp fluctuations remind CFOs to focus on fiat currency risk management, but the issue lies not in hedging tools, but in the visibility of cash flow and balance sheets.
In the case of former Twitter CFO Ned Segal repeatedly giving interviews on non-financial topics, it is evident that CFOs are increasingly assuming the role of company spokespersons. Analysts, PR experts, and financial executives believe that CFOs' rigor, credibility, and strategic vision make them ideal external communicators, but they also need to be mindful of risks to the CEO's personal brand. This article, drawing on multiple cases, analyzes the reasons, value, and potential challenges of CFOs stepping into the spotlight.