ZURICH – September 4, 2025 – Despite AI’s rapid rise across industries, most finance leaders are still in the early phases of using the technology in their own functions, according to a new report from Egon Zehnder, the premier global leadership advisory and executive search firm. While 72% of CFOs say AI is important to their strategy — with nearly half (44%) saying it’s “very important” or “absolutely critical” — less than 10% of CFOs have fully integrated or scaled AI use cases across their organizations.
The report, “AI Revolution: CFOs Forecast a Transformation in Finance Teams,” surveyed chief finance leaders globally, finding that the majority are in either the early implementation stage (48%) or the concept exploration stage (40%). This measured pace reflects CFOs’ recognition that while AI holds significant potential, successful adoption requires careful planning and testing, as well as team-wide upskilling and reskilling.
“CFOs are clear-eyed about AI’s promise, but they’re equally aware that getting there will take time,” said Arun Dhingra, Global Head of Egon Zehnder’s CFO & Audit Chair Practice. “We see finance leaders taking thoughtful, phased approaches when it comes to adopting the technology — focusing on building literacy and capability among their teams so AI can augment human expertise rather than replace it.”
Other key findings from the report include:
- Even at these early stages, many CFOs are already seeing tangible returns from AI. 64% of respondents report using generative AI for data analysis and insight generation, with additional use cases including accounting automation (34%). CFOs cite benefits like increased efficiency, enhanced data analysis capabilities, reduced operating costs and improved forecasting accuracy.
- AI adoption is reshaping roles. Nearly one in five (18%) of surveyed CFOs say they have eliminated roles as a result of AI implementation, most commonly in accounting (88%), followed by FP&A (38%) and treasury (33%). While job reductions remain limited, many leaders are redefining responsibilities to allow teams to focus on higher-value, more strategic work.
- CFOs are leading a gradual process of AI adoption across their teams. Egon Zehnder’s survey found that most CFOs’ adoption process for AI includes three steps: adapting the technology for the finance function, building AI capabilities within their teams and actively hiring candidates who are AI literate.
“The finance function is primed for innovation, and when adopted effectively, AI can serve as that catalyst,” said Thomas Spann, North America FinTech Practice Co-lead and consultant in the CFO practice at Egon Zehnder, and lead author of the report. “With the right approach, AI can elevate the CFO role, ensuring these leaders and their teams are smarter and more effective.”
Click here for detailed information and to access the full report.
About Egon Zehnder
Egon Zehnder helps the top leaders of organizations around the world solve their most strategic and transformative leadership challenges. Our team of 600 consultants across 67 offices in 36 countries bring hands-on industry experience and collaborative spirit to every client to help them discover, develop and transform their current and future leadership.
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