Risk management, strategic support, and a deep understanding of operations: the role of CFOs (Chief Financial Officers) has evolved significantly in recent years, and this transformation is far from over. Far more than guardians of financial performance, what will the ideal CFO profile look like by 2030?
This was the question explored by participants at the September 22 gathering, organized by the Executive Education HEC Montréal in collaboration with Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton (RCGT), under the theme “The CFO of the future: who will have the profile to lead?”
Moderated by Julien Le Maux, Professor in the Department of Accounting at HEC Montréal, the event brought together renowned professionals, including Bianka Monette, CPA and Chief Financial Officer at Moment Factory, Corey Pedneault, President, Mitchel Lincoln and Senior Vice President Quebec, Atlantic Packaging Emballages Mitchel Lincoln, and Alexandra Potvin, CPA and Senior Director, Business Transformation at RCGT.
The challenges facing today's and tomorrow's CFOs
According to Bianka Monette, today’s environment, particularly the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, would have been difficult to imagine only five years ago. These transformations are disrupting every industry, including the finance function. “Tomorrow’s CFO will need to learn how to navigate ambiguity and deal with unprecedented situations. This requires the ability to remain calm and quickly assess issues, even without having all the information at hand.”
For Alexandra Potvin, finance teams will increasingly be called upon to lead these organizational transformations. “One of the key challenges will be mobilizing all stakeholders around these initiatives, both internally and externally.” To succeed, these professionals will need strong credibility, as well as the ability to assess and manage risks. However, this responsibility cannot rest solely on their shoulders. “As CFOs, we need to understand our blind spots so that we can surround ourselves with the right people.”
These professionals also play a critical role in evaluating investments that strengthen organizational resilience, such as protecting businesses against cyberattacks or supply chain disruptions, explains Corey Pedneault. Yet their role extends beyond risk management. They must also understand and analyze customer and product data to support decision-making, particularly regarding artificial intelligence initiatives. “Does this project make sense? Should I invest more to enhance the company's value proposition?”
Becoming a true business partner
Beyond financial management, CFOs must position themselves as business partners within their organizations. For Corey Pedneault, this means moving beyond cost control and actively supporting day-to-day operations. “If the sales team identifies a particularly profitable market and we support them by investing and increasing resources to pursue it, we build credibility. People then recognize our expertise and the value we bring.”
For Bianka Monette, the CFO is a strategic partner to the organization. “If the CEO is the captain of the ship, the CFO is the co-pilot.” This mindset requires thinking beyond financial data alone. “It is important to understand the environment in which the company operates, its business model, and its cost and profit centres in order to properly interpret the numbers.” This calls for curiosity and a strong understanding of the business's operations and value-creation opportunities.
Furthermore, Corey Pedneault was preparing to spend the night at one of his plants after the event. “I’ve never made boxes myself, and I don’t operate the machines. But I have people working in shifts around the clock in a hot environment with inherent risks. That’s why it’s important for me to spend time on the plant floor at least once a quarter at each facility. As a result, I work about twenty night shifts a year, which represents roughly 10% of my time.” It’s one way of strengthening employee engagement and staying closely connected to frontline teams.
Essential human qualities
In short, finance professionals will be called upon to play a broader role where human skills are indispensable. “While technical expertise gives us credibility, it is through influential leadership that we can truly make an impact,” says Bianka Monette. In her view, tomorrow’s CFO must be able to simplify increasingly complex issues, mobilize teams, and effectively manage change. For Alexandra Potvin, emotional intelligence, including self-awareness and the ability to manage reactions in uncertain situations, will be critical. Empathy will also play an important role. The ability to engage stakeholders and communicate effectively will be equally essential to successfully lead transformation initiatives.
Future CFOs will also need to exercise sound judgment when facing digital transformation. “They will need to distinguish between business rules that can be delegated to technological tools and key decisions that require human intervention and critical thinking.”
Advice for next generation
To prepare for the future, Corey Pedneault believes that working in an accounting firm helps develop the rigour needed to build a strong foundation.“After that, you have to say yes to new challenges. Throughout my career, I had opportunities to work in France and Hong Kong. These experiences allow you to discover new cultures, different ways of working, and diverse environments.” Such experiences ultimately help professionals better understand themselves.
Drawing on a diverse career spanning industries from mining to renewable energy, Bianka Monette considers this breadth of experience invaluable. “The richness of my career path, which allowed me to work with different types of leaders in different regions of the world, enables me today to adapt more easily to unfamiliar situations.” She therefore encourages young professionals to follow their passions, explore different opportunities, and step outside their comfort zones in environments that align with their values.
These reflections echo the study A Finance Team in Full Transformation: Challenges and Skills for 2030, conducted by RCGT in partnership with Executive Education HEC Montréal and the Centre québécois de formation en fiscalité, and published in January 2026.
As Julien Le Maux summarized, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and the integration of non-financial data all require the development of new expertise. “We are seeing that the requirements of the profession, particularly within the CPA Order, are moving beyond standards and expanding into a broader range of competencies.” It is a transformation that the profession must begin preparing for today, he concluded.
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