What are the must-have CFO skills for 2025?

Data-driven decision-making, ESG compliance and soft skills are high on the CFO agenda for 2025. Three finance leaders share their predictions, as well as the skills they will rely on in the year ahead.

Kerri Ryan FCPA

CFO, Returned Services League (RSL) Queensland , Australia

Building organisational resilience must be the number one skill for a CFO in 2025. The ability to adapt and remain resilient in the face of uncertainty is no longer optional – it’s essential. Organisations that can’t evolve, and leaders who can’t foster resilience in their people, will quickly fall behind. 

Alongside this, there is the ever-present need to be a good human – understand the impact you have on those around you, build trust and ensure your leadership is grounded in empathy and awareness. 

When I think about my journey, it is really a collection of moments and decisions that shaped where I am today. I’ve always leaned into opportunities, following where I felt I could be challenged, add value or learn. 

One of my favourite quotes is “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards” from Steve Jobs. That resonates deeply with me, and my most valuable skill has been openness – not trying to control every aspect of my career trajectory, but staying curious and moving toward what sparked my interest or felt meaningful.

I’ve held the CFO position across three very different organisations. The role has been vastly different, but one skill remains consistent – a CFO needs exceptional people skills.

At its core, the role is about working through others, building strong teams, trusting the experts you’ve recruited and influencing the board, committees, your peers and team to align on strategy and execute it in the best way for the organisation.

For 2025, I want to keep building on my ability to lead and influence with purpose, ensuring that I can continue to bring people together to deliver on both short-term needs and long-term vision.

Lou Krstevski FCPA

CFO, Board Accounting Compliance, BAC Consulting

To stay competitive in 2025, we need an increased focus on strategic growth initiatives and continued strategic digital and technological transformations. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance – in a time of increasing regulatory complexity – is another area of focus, and the role of the CFO will need to shift accordingly.

As key business partners and strategic leaders, CFOs should focus on the successful formulation, implementation and measurement of the corporate strategy in partnership with the CEO, executive team and board of directors.

Vital skills include strategic decision-making and leadership, governance and risk management, technical innovation and adaptability, stakeholder management and, of course, team leadership.

This year, I will focus on further developing my knowledge of generative AI and technology, and how to leverage that effectively to create a competitive advantage. As a finance leader, it is essential to understand how to successfully manage digital transformations.

Leadership abilities such as stakeholder relationship management, effective communication skills and emotional intelligence are essential soft skills for a CFO.

The CFO role requires a broad skillset. My industry experience in commercial and operational roles is diverse. I believe in continuous learning to build on my complementary skills, which is very valuable to the role.

My success as a long-serving CFO in a regulated superannuation fund, successfully delivering on multiple mergers and restructures, is also due to the dedication and skills of my team, which I personally mentored and developed.

Yen Ling Ng CPA

Vice President, Finance, Genting Singapore Limited

In this evolving economic and competitive landscape, CFOs are no longer mere guardians of financial performance. They are expected to demonstrate strategic foresight and implement data-driven decision-making models to effectively navigate challenges.

For example, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to automate processes will give businesses agility to capture opportunities and optimise expansion. These competencies are imperative for CFOs playing a key role in driving sustainable and resilient growth.

For CFOs, cross-team collaboration is critical to value creation. Finance plays a pivotal role in shaping collaboration to unlock growth and maximise shareholder value. My goal is to lead by example with empathy and a forward-thinking mindset.

This year, I aim to deepen my technical know-how in digital transformation, machine learning and financial modelling to promote data-driven decision-making. In terms of leadership, I will emphasise inclusiveness and diversity.

My career has been shaped by technical expertise and interpersonal skills I’ve gained through my day-to-day management experience. My focus is building trust between the finance and operation teams for successful project delivery. 

These experiences validate the importance of creating an organisational environment that fosters and rewards effective stewardship, empowering teams to thrive and drive business success.

Meet the experts

Kerri Ryan FCPA

Kerri Ryan is an award-winning CFO, known for her transparent and collaborative leadership. With GAICD and FCPA credentials, she is renowned for driving financial sustainability and governance excellence across not-for-profits and commercial sectors.

She specialises in building robust frameworks, such as the Capital Management Framework at RSL Queensland, to ensure consistent revenue and long-term impact while enhancing organisational resilience.

Lou Krstevski FCPA

A seasoned CFO and chartered company secretary, Lou Krstevski has extensive financial and operational experience.

A c-suite business partner to the CEO and board of directors, his career history includes delivering on two superannuation fund mega mergers; the establishment and sale of a private-equity-backed insurance group; the successful final audit, liquidation and de-registration of a post-acquisition corporate administrator; the multi-national corporate acquisition and shared services restructure of a national media group; and the establishment and management of subsidiaries and joint-ventures within a multinational facilities management group.

Krstevski is also a member of CPA Australia’s Retirement Savings Centre of Excellence.

Yen Ling Ng CPA

Yen Ling Ng is the vice president of finance at Genting Singapore Limited, a premier integrated resort company and one of the largest companies listed on the Singapore Exchange. With more than 20 years of experience across leisure, hospitality, real estate and finance, she excels in driving financial strategy and performance within complex, multi-business environments.

She also serves in CPA Australia's Singapore Membership Committee and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Adelaide and a Corporate Finance and Strategy certification from the London School of Economics (LSE) Executive Education program, underscoring her dedication to continuous professional and leadership development.