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Hey there, CFOs! 💼

Welcome back to your weekly dose of insights. We've curated topics on EQ, digital accessibility, and AI transformations in finance—everything you need to stay informed and ahead.

📰 Upcoming in this issue

• 🤝 Why EQ Is a Game‑Changer for Finance Team Retention

• ⚠️ Top Brands Still Missing the Mark on Digital Accessibility

• 🧭 AI Puts Finance Teams at a Crossroads

📈 Trending news

• CFOs Face 'Perma-Crisis' Turmoil—7 Tips to Thrive Amid Uncertainty

• Why Finance Leaders Need a New Mindset—Insights from Bill's CFO

• 5 Letter-of-Intent Strategies Every CFO Needs to Know Before Signing

🤝 Why EQ Is a Game‑Changer for Finance Team Retention

CFO Dive stresses that building a culture rich in emotional intelligence—where finance professionals feel valued, connected, and supported—is not just feel‑good, it's business‑critical for talent retention and long‑term performance.

Read the full article here »

Key Takeaways:

• 🧠 EQ‑Led Culture Builds Cohesion: CFOs who prioritize emotional intelligence foster stronger relationships and collaboration across their teams—a vital foundation in high‑pressure financial roles.

• 🌱 Support Prevents Burnout: Creating an environment where team members feel seen and backed reduces the risk of burnout and turnover.

• 🗣️ Trust Drives Transparency: Encouraging open dialogue helps uncover issues early—CFOs often learn too late because employees "sugarcoat" problems.

• 🛠️ Soft Skills = Strategic Advantage: With 70% of job skills expected to shift by 2030, finance leaders need to develop empathy, adaptability, and conflict resolution to stay ahead.

⚠️ Top Brands Still Missing the Mark on Digital Accessibility

A new AAAnow benchmark reveals that ahead of the European Accessibility Act deadline, only 2.8% of the 500 top global companies meet high digital accessibility standards—just 14 received A or B grades.

Read the full article here »

Key Takeaways:

• 💻 Accessibility Crisis: Only 14 out of 500 major brands (2.8%) achieve top-tier digital accessibility readiness just weeks before the EAA enforcement.

• ⏱️ Time vs. Tech: Traditional methods need 7,400+ hours per company to meet baseline compliance, whereas AI‑driven risk models can cut time and cost by up to 80%.

• 📊 Risk‑First Dashboards: AAAnow urges CFOs and CIOs to shift from long audits to executive-ready risk dashboards that spotlight exposure across accessibility, privacy, UX, and environmental impact.

• 🤝 Leadership Ownership Required: Digital compliance should be owned by procurement, HR, and leadership—not siloed in IT or web teams—to avoid fragmented efforts.

🧭 AI Puts Finance Teams at a Crossroads

CFO Brew warns that finance leaders are facing an identity crisis as AI automates core transactional tasks—shifting roles toward supervision, tech fluency, and strategic insights rather than process execution.

Read the full article here »

Key Takeaways:

• 👀 Rise of the Supervisor Role: AI now reins in up to 95% of invoice reconciliation, turning finance staff into supervisors who validate AI outputs rather than process them.

• 🎓 Skill Gaps Emerging: Entry-level staff may lack opportunities to learn core transactional work—emphasis is shifting to upskilling in tools like SQL and AI literacy within finance curricula.

• 💻 Finance + Tech Fusion: Roles now require proficiency in Python, data integration, and analytics—blurring the line between IT and finance and demanding broader technical fluency.

• 📊 Strategic vs. Transactional: With automation handling processes, finance teams must pivot to delivering insight and guiding decision-making—not just closing the books.

Why It Matters

Embracing emotional intelligence, digital accessibility, and AI-driven strategies isn't just smart; it's essential for future-proofing your teams and businesses.

Let's keep adapting together!

Vanessa Carter
Editor-in-Chief
CFO Executive Insights