CFOs are taking on a broader role beyond traditional finance

Chief financial officers (CFOs) are expected to perform beyond the traditional scope of leading the finance function in 2025, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc. The survey of 251 CFOs, taken in October 2024, showed multiple enterprise priorities where CFOs have been asked to assume ownership or co-ownership. There is a marked emphasis on the need for CFOs to drive stronger data and analytics strategy (D&A) for enterprises to bolster profitability.

“For most CFOs, the responsibilities they carry beyond finance include a mix of enterprise data and analytics (D&A), enterprise risk, corporate strategy, M&A, and procurement,” said Mallory Bulman, CFO Advisory Leader in the Gartner Finance practice. “This expanded role will require CFOs to make decisive trade-offs in their own time and prioritisation decisions.”

Other common roles that CFOs are increasingly overseeing include artificial intelligence, information technology, real estate, cybersecurity and environmental social governance, which will require CFOs to make better use of their time and to rely on more help from their leadership teams.

To better manage their time with challenging priorities, CFOs must fight the constant flood of demands and protect their capacity to prioritise the most important issues facing the organisation. To remain cognisant of day-to-day finance activities and not overlook potential leverage points, leading CFOs are expecting more from their leadership teams, going beyond process execution and finance workflows. CFOs should also be sure to prioritise coaching and development in light of these new expectations.

To help hypothesise, test and confirm the relationship between operational and financial outcomes, Gartner suggests that CFOs should determine metrics that will align with financial and operational performance indicators. Identifying one to three quantifiable targets for the organisational strategy, such as increased shareholder value, CFOs should identify strategic drivers that will impact them. From there, tactical elements, such as pricing models and marketing outreach, should be identified and planned to support and drive the strategy.

“Profitable growth will always be the number one priority for CFOs,” added Bulman. “However, owning and anchoring strategic D&A to the overall business system will underscore CFOs’ ability to create a streamlined, measurable approach to tracking metrics and boosting overall enterprise performance.”

 

BoE cuts rates again

At its meeting ending on 5 February 2025, the Bank of England’s (BoE’s) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 7–2 to reduce Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 4.5%. Two members preferred to reduce Bank Rate by 0.5 percentage points, to 4.25%.

The BoE’s post-meeting statement noted there has been substantial progress on disinflation over the past two years, as previous external shocks have receded and as the restrictive stance of monetary policy has curbed second-round effects and stabilised longer-term inflation expectations. That progress has allowed the MPC to withdraw gradually some degree of policy restraint while maintaining Bank Rate in restrictive territory so as to continue to squeeze out persistent inflationary pressures.

CPI inflation was 2.5% in 2024 Q4. Domestic inflationary pressures are moderating, but they remain somewhat elevated, and some indicators have eased more slowly than expected. 

At the same time, GDP growth has been weaker than expected at the time of the November Monetary Policy Report, and indicators of business and consumer confidence have declined. GDP growth is expected to pick up from the middle of this year. The labour market has continued to ease and is judged to be broadly in balance. Productivity growth has been weaker than previously estimated, and the MPC judged that growth in the supply capacity of the economy has weakened. As a result, the recent slowdown in demand is judged to have led to only a small margin of slack opening up.

In support of returning inflation sustainably to the 2% target, the Committee judges that there has been sufficient progress on disinflation in domestic prices and wages to reduce Bank Rate to 4.5% at this meeting.

“The Bank of England’s anticipated rate cut comes at a pivotal moment for the UK economy,” commented Melissa Di Donato, CEO of Kyriba. “While monetary easing may provide some relief, the broader economic picture remains complex — characterised by sluggish growth, persistent inflationary concerns, and the looming uncertainties of global trade tensions.”

The government’s push for infrastructure development, including major projects like the expansion of Heathrow Airport, the Trans-Pennine Route upgrade, and the construction of 1.5 million new homes, signals confidence in long-term growth. However, infrastructural projects of this scale require businesses across supply chains to manage cash flows efficiently, ensuring capital is deployed strategically to support growth and investment.

“Businesses that embrace technology to enhance liquidity and cash flow, optimise working capital, and mitigate currency risk will be best positioned to navigate volatility and capitalise on new investment opportunities,” added Di Donato. “We believe that innovation in financial technology is not just about responding to economic change but about creating opportunities within it.”

 

ION releases latest version of trading and risk management platform

ION Corporates has announced the release of Openlink V25, the latest evolution of its trading and risk management platform. Amid rising market volatility, operational complexities, and the global energy transition, the platform is designed to empower financial and commodity businesses to seize new opportunities with expanded product coverage, streamlined workflows, advanced automation, and access to fully managed ION services.

As businesses diversify away from traditional fossil fuels to embrace cleaner, renewable energy sources, the vendor says Openlink V25 facilitates the transition with the ability to manage traditional energy and renewable businesses side by side. The new version supports emerging products like carbon credits, renewable fuels, and green power certificates, enabling organisations to comply with sustainability mandates, explore new trading strategies, and unlock additional revenue streams.

Heightened market pressures and increasingly complex global operations make efficiency and resilience critical for businesses seeking to lower costs and improve responsiveness. The platform’s latest update introduces workflows that aim to simplify trade entry, streamline logistics, and enhance the overall trade lifecycle. New advanced automation improves straight-through processing so businesses can rapidly adapt to changing market dynamics and capitalise on growth opportunities. The new connectivity with third-party vendors for SWIFT ISO 20022 messaging and North American gas pipeline logistics automates communication with downstream participants, ensuring seamless information exchange along the value chain.

For additional value and cost savings, Openlink V25 also provides access to fully managed ION services for complementary risk management and treasury functions, including limit monitoring, real-time position management, bank connectivity, payments, and sanction screening. Businesses using ION services benefit from the quick deployment of critical functions with minimal investment in additional resources or technology infrastructure.

 

UK equity outflows persist as US funds stay in favour

Investors started 2025 in a more pessimistic mood after enthusiastically adding to equity, bond and mixed asset funds in the last two months of 2024, according to the latest Fund Flow Index from Calastone. They withdrew a net £640m from equity funds in January, the only month since late 2023 to see outflows – except for October 2024 when net selling was driven entirely by the need to crystallise profits ahead the anticipated capital gains tax hike in October’s budget.

Investors were very choosy in January, however, UK-focused equity funds were again hardest hit, with £1.07bn of outflows marking the sixth worst month on record for the unloved UK equity market. Net selling of £265m from European equities meant January numbered in the top 20 worst months for that fund sector too. Meanwhile funds investing in Asia-Pacific, China and Japan also saw outflows.

The big winners were North American equities. £576m flowed into the sector as the stock market rose strongly following a wobbly December. Global equity funds also enjoyed a strong month in January.  Among other asset classes, fixed income funds saw inflows fall by two-thirds month-on-month to £267m, their weakest showing since September when investors were taking profits at the end of a long bond-market rally. All fixed-income sectors had a worse month, but sovereign-bond funds saw the biggest drop-off in interest – inflows fell by almost nine-tenths to £41m.  Net buying of corporate bond and high yield bond funds held up better. Inflows to mixed asset funds dropped to £960m.

“Bond markets had a terrible start to 2025 with yields on benchmark US Treasuries and on UK gilts surging to their highest level since before the Global Financial Crisis,” commented Edward Glyn, head of global markets at Calastone. “Investors bought into this market decline in the first half of the month – enabling new capital to lock into these ultra-high yields, before turning net sellers as calm returned. This is a pattern we often see in the millions of trades Calastone processes every month. Bond yields remain high, with the outbreak of an inflationary trade war potentially keeping them at elevated levels.”

 

Project Guardian tokenises green bond credentials

The National University of Singapore (NUS), Northern Trust and UOB have announced a collaboration to launch a first-in-market initiative aimed at tokenising green bond credentials. NUS is the first university in Singapore to implement blockchain technology for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting.

This initiative, part of MAS’ Project Guardian initiative, will leverage blockchain technology to enhance transparency, data integrity, and investor confidence in sustainable investment practices.

Based on the market best practice, issuers of green bonds provide regular updates to investors regarding the use of funds. On their part, investors may require such data for their own sustainability reporting obligations and to assess their progress towards their ESG goals.

Under the initiative, Northern Trust will utilise its Matrix Zenith digital assets platform to mint and hold a green bond reporting token. The token will hold the environmental impact reporting data from NUS’ third green bond, issued in 2023. UOB, as the lead arranger of the bond issuance, will solicit and provide crucial feedback on how the tokenised data can enhance investors’ sustainability reporting practices.

The tokenisation process will focus on ensuring data integrity, providing investors with confidence that the environmental impact reporting data is secure, immutable, and reliable for their own sustainability reporting obligations. Investors of the bond will receive the same complete set of information which will remain unchanged even as the bond changes hands. This initiative marks a significant step toward aligning green finance practices with global transparency and regulatory standards.

 

360T and Quantitative Brokers partner on FX algos

360T, a global FX trading platform and technology provider, and Quantitative Brokers (QB), a provider of advanced execution algorithms and data-driven analytics, have announced a partnership that will make QB’s newly launched suite of FX algos available via 360T. Both 360T and QB are part of the Deutsche Börse Group.

In response to client demand, QB and 360T have partnered to bring QB’s proven execution expertise to the spot FX market. This expansion introduces FX-optimised versions of its flagship algorithms, “Bolt” and “Strobe”, designed specifically to account for the unique market structure and liquidity dynamics of FX trading. Strobe FX enhances schedule-based execution for TWAP and VWAP benchmarks, while Bolt FX is an implementation shortfall algorithm built to minimise execution costs relative to arrival price.

These FX capabilities are now available via 360T’s platform, enabling users to deploy them across highly curated disclosed or anonymous liquidity pools, putting multiple counterparties in competition to help ensure best execution.

 

Finastra adds AI-powered assistant for trade finance 

Finastra has announced the launch of Assist.AI, an AI-powered assistant designed to enhance the trade finance operations within its Trade Innovation solution. The tool, built on architecture powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, is designed to bridge the knowledge gap in the trade finance industry, providing users with instant, accurate, and context-aware assistance.

The trade finance industry faces significant challenges, including a diminishing knowledge base and a widening disparity between seasoned professionals and new entrants. Assist.AI addresses these issues by offering prompt-based assistance, allowing users to interact with the tool by entering specific questions related to trade processes. This ensures that users receive precise answers sourced from relevant resources without the need to sift through extensive documentation.

Assist.AI offers Trade Innovation users enhanced user support by providing instant, accurate, and context-aware assistance. Its 24/7 availability and efficiency is designed to ensure users can access support anytime, boosting efficiency by automating routine inquiries and freeing up valuable time for more strategic tasks. Additionally, the solution learns and adapts based on interactions, ensuring ongoing relevance and continuous improvement in responses.

Finastra says it identified a significant talent gap in the trade finance industry through interactions with various clients. As experienced staff retire or transition to other careers, banks need to invest in training new staff on the latest developments in trade finance and the use of Trade Innovation. Assist.AI uses Microsoft Copilot technology to facilitate this training and support, making it a timely and essential addition to the industry.

 

WEX and Conferma target simplified B2B payments

WEX and Conferma have partnered in a move aimed at simplifying B2B payments for Concur Invoice customers, enabling them to reduce costs and control B2B payments spend. The integration, which will be available globally in all markets and currencies supported by WEX, will provide Concur Invoice customers the functionality to pay suppliers using WEX issued virtual Mastercards powered by Conferma’s pioneering technology.

Integrating virtual cards into the invoice process allows payments to be made instantly, and by using the credit terms offered through WEX, commercial customers may better manage working capital and extend their days payable outstanding. Conferma’s virtual card platform leverages Concur Invoice to accelerate the payments process and simplify how companies can connect and do business.

Through the integration, when a business receives an invoice from a supplier, a WEX-issued virtual Mastercard is generated for a specific amount within Concur Invoice. The pre-authorised payment details are then securely provided to the supplier for processing. Finally, the virtual payment is automatically reconciled against the invoice, eliminating the need to manually track receipts and invoices. This unlocks faster and more secure payments.

This new agreement with WEX, broadens an existing partnership with Conferma for B2B non-travel payment flows and leverages Mastercard secure virtual card innovation.

 

BlackRock launches active money market ETFs

BlackRock has expanded the way investors can manage their cash with the launch of two money market ETFs, including the industry’s first prime money market ETF. The iShares Money Market ETFs - the iShares Prime Money Market ETF and the iShares Government Money Market ETF - combine the quality and liquidity of regulated money market funds with the transparency and efficiency of the ETF structure.

“Cash is a fundamental building block of investor portfolios, providing stability and liquidity,” said Jon Steel, Global Head of Product and Platform of BlackRock’s Cash Management Business. “In 2024, US money market funds surpassed $6 trillion in assets, fuelled by the appeal of short-term interest rates. As investors seek smarter ways to manage their cash, iShares Money Market ETFs provide a convenient and transparent solution.”

The iShares Money Market ETFs adhere to the strict guidelines of money market fund regulation under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and enable investors to diversify their cash holdings beyond traditional deposit accounts. The new ETFs are actively managed by BlackRock’s Cash Management Group.

 

TransferGo unveils multi-currency accounts for global businesses

TransferGo has launched a multi-currency business account. This service offers global businesses based in the UK and European Union an account through which they can hold, exchange, send, and receive multiple currencies. 

Businesses are increasingly global, yet payments are not. Companies often face high fees, complicated currency exchange processes, slow delivery times, and friction when moving money globally, especially when working with emerging markets. TransferGo aims to remove these barriers by providing a trusted platform with competitive rates and a seamless international payment experience. 

The new multi-currency business account is built specifically to help companies overcome the complexities of international money management. The firm says it has streamlined currency exchang, making international transactions up to nine times cheaper than traditional banking options. With individual IBANs, businesses can receive payments in local currencies, reducing conversion losses and enhancing cash-flow management. The new offering also uses a unified financial platform, consolidating key financial functionalities and eliminating the need for multiple accounts.

 

Statement joins U.S. Bank network to bring real-time cash intelligence to corporates

Statement, an AI-powered cash intelligence platform, has joined U.S. Bank’s Connected Partnership Network (CPN). This collaboration introduces U.S. Bank's corporate clients to Statement's cash intelligence solutions, which the company says will revolutionise how treasury teams gain real-time cash visibility and develop reliable cashflow forecasts.

Statement aggregates data from banks, ERPs, and payment service providers (PSPs) into a unified view, and uses AI to recognise, categorise and enrich transaction data, delivering accurate insights and saving valuable time. It provides a unified view of cash positions across accounts, entities, currencies and banks. The insights are tailored to enhance liquidity management and support decision making.

The platform offers unlimited 13- and 52-week forecasts powered by custom AI/ML models, dynamically updated with automated transaction and ERP data inputs. Statement says that built-in flexibility allows for adjustments as scenarios evolve, enabling strategic planning and mitigating financial risks. It also employs AI/ML algorithms to match received payments to open invoices in the ERP, reducing reconciliation time by up to 75%. Predictive match scores eliminate guesswork, allowing teams to concentrate on high-value outstanding collections and improve cash flow management.

 

FIS adds send certification to FedNow offering

FIS has announced it has been certified to enable send capabilities for credit transfers in the Federal Reserve’s FedNow instant payment service. The firm says the addition of send capabilities and real-time alerts will enable FIS’ financial institution clients to fully harness the entire FedNow service by providing their consumers and commercial borrowers with a modernised and unified digital payment experience.

The announcement comes amid increasing demand for digital payments services that accelerate and ease how money is moved within the wider money lifecycle. While 74% of consumers used faster or instant payments in 2023, more than 70% of consumers and businesses looked to their financial institutions to provide these services, according to research from Federal Reserve Financial Services.

“As money moves between banks, consumers, businesses and beyond in a complex cycle, credit and debit cards continue to play a leading role in the payment experience,” said Chris Como, Head of Cards and Money Movement at FIS. “However, slow or delayed transfers can harm customer loyalty when they need to pay loans, rent, or time-sensitive bills on any given day. Giving the end user direct access to send payments instantly using FedNow marks a huge milestone in our efforts to enable a harmonious payments experience for our clients and the customers they serve.”

 

Veefin Group acquires TradeAssets in strategic expansion of trade finance platform

Veefin Group, through its subsidiary Estorifi Solutions, has acquired TradeAssets, a Dubai-based platform specialising in the digital trading of trade finance instruments. The acquisition is part of Veefin’s broader effort to enhance its working capital ecosystem for financial institutions globally.

The deal aims to strengthen Veefin’s trade finance offering by integrating TradeAssets’ platform, which facilitates the origination, distribution, and management of trade finance assets. According to Veefin, the integration will improve collaboration with banks and offer new cross-selling opportunities.

This marks Veefin's fifth acquisition in eight months, expanding the group to ten companies in total. The move reflects ongoing efforts in the trade finance sector to build more connected and comprehensive platforms as financial institutions increasingly seek streamlined solutions to manage working capital and liquidity.