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Balancing growth, transformation and resilience

4 min read

2027 Executive Perspectives on Top Risks and Opportunities

Few CFOs have the luxury of focusing on a single priority. Every major decision now carries implications across growth, transformation and enterprise resilience. Protiviti's 2027 findings show finance leaders expanding their focus beyond traditional financial stewardship as they evaluate ecosystem partnerships, AI value realization and the capabilities needed to respond when conditions change. CFOs remain optimistic about revenue growth, geographic expansion and ecosystem development, but opportunity is inseparable from execution: cybersecurity, data and analytics, and business process improvement shape how confidently organizations can invest and adapt.

Read the CFO brief to see how finance leaders are connecting growth, transformation and risk management to support long-term enterprise value.

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Where finance leaders see the greatest growth opportunities over the next two to three years

CFOs are not relying on a single growth strategy. The findings show finance leaders combining revenue growth, ecosystem development and geographic expansion as complementary paths to enterprise value, while weighing the investment and risk implications of each route.

71 %

see significant opportunities to grow revenue.

69 %

see significant opportunities to expand strategic alliances and partnerships.

59 %

see significant opportunities to grow beyond their headquarters' domestic market.

Get more Top Risks insights

Discover our full catalog of insight briefs for additional research findings and expert commentary related to the 2027 report on Top Risks and Opportunities.

Aerospace & Defense

CPG & Retail

Energy & Utilities

Financial Services

Healthcare

Higher Education

Manufacturing & Distribution

Private Equity

Non Profit

Technology, Media & Telecommunications

Information Security Teams

Internal Audit Teams

Operations Teams

Technology & Data Teams

FAQs

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Where do CFOs see the strongest growth opportunities over the next two to three years?

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Revenue growth leads at 71%. Another 69% see significant ecosystem-development opportunities, while 59% see geographic-expansion opportunities. The pattern shows CFOs combining multiple paths to enterprise value rather than relying on one lever.

How can CFOs maximize the value of AI investments?

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CFOs most often point to integration: 44% rank integrating AI with existing technologies, processes and the workforce as a top priority. The brief also connects AI value with workforce readiness, governance, privacy and data security.

How confident are CFOs that their organizations can transform, protect and respond?

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CFO confidence is highest in protecting enterprise value at 54%, followed by transforming the enterprise at 53%. Confidence in responding with agility is lower at 44%, reinforcing the need for data, analytics, scenario planning and early-warning capabilities.

What near-term risks are most significant for CFOs?

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Cyber threats receive the highest CFO near-term risk score at 3.58. Economic conditions follow at 3.46, AI implementation risks at 3.45, regulatory change at 3.42 and disruptive innovation at 3.37.

Where are CFOs directing strategic investment?

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Business process improvements are a top strategic investment area for 52% of CFOs, followed by cybersecurity at 45% and advanced data analytics at 39%. These priorities connect modernization and protection with better visibility and decisions.

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