2021 Outlook: Why, and how, the CFO should lead ESG efforts

This year, CFOs should prepare their companies for increased scrutiny on environmental, social and governance performance, if they haven't already. 

By Jane Thier • Jan. 12, 2021

North American M&A deal volume hits record Q4, survey finds

Although deal-makers shook off the pandemic during the fourth quarter, total global transactions fell last year to the lowest level since the mortgage finance crisis.

By Jim Tyson • Jan. 12, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Compensation: solving the cost-talent puzzle

In today’s strong labor market, CFOs leery of raising wages find creative ways to find and retain key employees.

By CFO Dive staff

5 CFO trends to watch in 2021

Greater attention to ESG metrics, real-time data and the wind-down of LIBOR are among the trends you'll see this year.

By Jim Tyson • Jan. 11, 2021

Middle market CFOs predict 'extraordinary' growth in 2021, survey finds

After an unprecedented year, CFOs anticipate recovery and new opportunities, the 2021 BDO Middle Market CFO Outlook Survey, released Monday, found.

By Jane Thier • Jan. 11, 2021

For post-pandemic world, put extra cash in IT

Alongside talent and real estate, investing in improved modeling and spend management can provide a competitive edge, finance pros say. 

By Ted Knutson • Jan. 10, 2021

Instacart taps Goldman Sachs IPO specialist as CFO

Nick Giovanni is joining the fast-growing e-commerce company amid anticipation that it will go public in 2021.

By Sam Silverstein • Jan. 7, 2021

2020 CFO Dive trends to watch

Jan. 5, 2021

Google engineers unionize, but the focus isn't on money — yet

The new Alphabet Workers Union is expected to press for more employee influence on Google’s policies and priorities. 

By Robert Freedman • Jan. 4, 2021

COVID-19 upends some companies' dividend-or-buyback calculation

How thinly a stock is traded, its current book value and the availability of alternative uses of cash weigh into the buyback-or-dividend decision, finance leaders say.

By Ramona Dzinkowski • Jan. 1, 2021

Developer behind Amazon's HQ2 hires new CFO

Moina Banerjee, who started as JBG SMITH's CFO on Jan. 1, said long-term plans for Amazon's HQ2 are undeterred by the pandemic. 

By Jane Thier • Jan. 1, 2021

New type of direct listing promises cheaper, more lucrative IPOs

The SEC approved primary direct floor listings in December. Critics worry these new listings will brew trouble.

By Robert Freedman • Jan. 1, 2021

Careful pruning, not blanket cuts, aids post-pandemic growth

Start with below-the-line costs, be strategic on headcount and cloud spend, and look for ways to get customers to newer products, finance executives say.

By Ted Knutson • Dec. 22, 2020

ESG, green financing among CFO trends to watch in 2021

During the pandemic, CFOs' roles have expanded considerably. Most of these new obligations will carry over into the coming years, Accenture's managing director Aneel Delawalla says.

By Jane Thier • Dec. 21, 2020

New stimulus bill to allow PPP-funded business expense deductions

The $900 billion bill improves and extends the employee retention tax credit and lets businesses apply for a second PPP loan.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 21, 2020

CFOs must consider tax, legal issues before closing offices

Work with your HR chief to factor in your organization’s talent strategy before deciding how much real estate you want to let go; having permanent remote workers has far-reaching implications.

By Steve Black • Dec. 20, 2020

Companies see covenant, indenture loosening as investors hunt for yield

The more frequent elimination of ratio debt is one of the key leveraged loan and high-yield bond trends this year.   

By Ted Knutson • Dec. 20, 2020

Large gulf between CFOs and reality on real-time capabilities, survey finds

Nearly 70% of CFOs say a real-time financial model will be key to responding to any crises that arise next year, an Accenture survey shows.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 17, 2020

How a CFO learned from Napster's music piracy

Life360 CFO Russell Burke brings experience from his days battling the disruption of peer-to-peer file sharing. 

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 12, 2020

CFOs optimistic but don't see normalcy in 2021, survey finds

Just over two in five CFOs said they expect to meet 95% or more of their pre-pandemic revenue expectations, Deloitte's 4th-quarter CFO Signals Survey found.

By Jane Thier • Dec. 9, 2020

Innovator of the Year: David Lee, Impossible Foods

In David Lee’s first year as finance chief, Impossible, the brand known for meatless products, has squeezed in decades’ worth of accomplishments, in the midst of a pandemic that has brought countless competitors to their knees.

By Jane Thier • Dec. 9, 2020

Should CFOs let remote employees play 'paycheck arbitrage?'

Some companies are allowing permanent remote work, but don’t want to pay as much to employees who move to lower-cost areas.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 8, 2020

Making 'M&A by Zoom' work through the art of long-form writing

A return to long-form writing can help offset what's lost in virtual negotiations, Mona Sabet, chief of corporate strategy at UserTesting, says. 

By Mona Sabet • Dec. 6, 2020

2020 MIT Sloan CFO Virtual Summit: Full coverage

Dec. 4, 2020

CFO broke mold when he took Snap public in 2017

Drew Vollero, now CFO of security company Allied Universal, had no IPO or tech experience, but he knew how to build a finance function.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 3, 2020

COVID-19 has led to better business insights, CFOs say

The pandemic’s upheaval forced finance teams to better understand what their customers, suppliers and employees want, according to CFOs at last month's MIT Sloan CFO virtual summit.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 1, 2020