Hey there, CFOs! 💼

Power moves, high stakes, and the corporate buzzwords we love to hate—this week’s newsletter has it all.

Sony just broke a 78-year tradition by appointing its first-ever female CFO, a move that could signal a future CEO in the making. Meanwhile, finance teams are facing a new kind of battleground—risk isn’t just something to avoid, it’s something to leverage.

And let’s be real—some business buzzwords have gotten so overused they’ve lost all meaning. We’re breaking down the worst offenders of 2025 and why some of them might actually be worth paying attention to.

Let’s dive in.

📰 Upcoming in this issue

• Sony Appoints First Female CFO—A Historic Leadership Move 💼

• The Future of Risk: Why Finance Teams Must Lead the Charge ⚠️

• The 8 Most Overhyped Corporate Buzzwords of 2025 🚀

📈 Trending news

• Why CFOs Need Stronger Professional Networks to Stay Ahead

• How Navan’s CFO Built a Finance Team Ready for an IPO

• Finance Meets the Factory Floor: Mytra AI’s CFO on Warehouse Automation

Sony Appoints First Female CFO—A Historic Leadership Move 💼 read the full 800-word article here

Article published: March 10, 2025

For the first time in its history, Sony has appointed a female Chief Financial Officer—and the move could reshape the company’s leadership future.

Lin Tao, a Sony veteran with over two decades of experience, will take on the CFO role as part of a broader executive reshuffle.

She succeeds Hiroki Totoki, who will transition into the President and CEO role on April 1, 2025.

Tao’s rise is no surprise to insiders—she played a key role in Sony’s $3.7 billion Bungie acquisition and has been instrumental in restructuring the gaming division.

And here’s what’s even more intriguing: Sony’s last two CEOs were both former CFOs, putting Tao in a potential position to one day lead the entire company.

Key Takeaways:

• 📈 Breaking barriers: Lin Tao’s appointment makes her Sony’s first-ever female CFO, marking a historic shift in leadership.

• 🎮 A force in gaming: Tao played a critical role in Sony’s $3.7B Bungie deal and helped restructure PlayStation’s strategy.

• 💰 CFOs become CEOs: Both Kenichiro Yoshida and Hiroki Totoki once held the CFO title before leading Sony—could Tao be next?

• 📊 Investors approve: The leadership changes have been met with positive reactions, signaling confidence in Sony’s strategic direction.

The Future of Risk: Why Finance Teams Must Lead the Charge ⚠️ read the full 1,500-word article here

Article published: March 11, 2025

In today’s volatile market, risk management isn’t just about avoiding disasters—it’s about creating a competitive edge.

According to CFO.com, a staggering 48% of global business leaders say their companies have faced a major, unexpected risk event in the last five years—yet only 32% consider their risk oversight practices mature.

With cyber threats, regulatory shifts, and economic uncertainty on the rise, finance teams must step up as the front line of enterprise risk management (ERM).

But here’s the catch: traditional risk strategies aren’t enough anymore. Organizations need a proactive, data-driven approach that integrates risk management into overall business strategy.

Key Takeaways:

• ⚠️ Risk is rising—fast: 66% of executives say the complexity and volume of risks are increasing, yet most businesses lack a robust risk strategy.

• 📊 Finance must take the lead: 43% of companies now have their CFOs overseeing enterprise risk management (ERM)—a trend that’s only growing.

• 🔍 Key skills finance teams need: Data analysis, strategic thinking, regulatory knowledge, and AI-driven risk assessment are critical for navigating the evolving landscape.

• 🔄 Shift from reactive to proactive: The best companies don’t just mitigate risks—they leverage them for growth, innovation, and a competitive advantage.

The 8 Most Overhyped Corporate Buzzwords of 2025 🚀 read the full 800-word article here

Article published: March 10, 2025

Every year, the business world finds new ways to make simple ideas sound complicated.

According to CFO.com, a new report by Heepsy reveals the top overused corporate buzzwords of 2025—terms that have flooded boardrooms, job descriptions, and investor pitches.

From "fast follow" strategies to "edge AI", these phrases dominate discussions but often lack real substance.

And yet, CFOs can’t ignore them—because behind the hype, some of these concepts actually drive critical business decisions.

So which terms made the cut? Here are the eight most overused buzzwords of the year—ranked by millions of mentions and Google searches.

Key Takeaways:

• 🚀 “Fast follow” leads the list: With 423M mentions, this term describes quickly adopting industry trends—but isn’t innovation supposed to be first?

• 📊 “Big data” vs. real insights: With 231M mentions, CFOs must ask: Is bigger always better, or does strategy matter more?

• 🤖 AI is everywhere—literally: “AI-powered” (88.3M mentions) and “Edge AI” (5.55M mentions) signal the relentless push for artificial intelligence solutions.

• ☁️ “Cloud-first” is costly: While cloud adoption continues to rise, CFOs must balance scalability vs. skyrocketing expenses.

Why It Matters

Corporate leadership isn’t what it used to be—and that’s a good thing. Sony’s leadership shakeup proves that the path to the top is changing, while finance teams are being pushed to step beyond spreadsheets and take control of risk and strategy. The companies that adapt, evolve, and cut through the noise will come out ahead.

The ones that don’t? They’ll be stuck chasing trends and wondering why the competition left them behind.

The question is: Will you lead the change or get lost in the buzz? 🚀

Vanessa Carter
Editor-in-Chief
CFO Executive Insights