Finance teams are undergoing one of the most significant transformations we’ve seen in decades. As recruitment experts witnessing this evolution firsthand, we can attest that the finance function is no longer simply about keeping the books balanced, but also about strategic partnership that drives business value.
At LEAD Executive Search, every conversation we have with CFOs, boards, and finance leaders points to the same truth: businesses that treat finance as a strategic partner, not just a reporting function, are pulling ahead. Those that don’t risk falling behind.
The talent gap that’s slowing businesses down
While technical accounting skills remain foundational, they alone are insufficient for modern finance professionals.
What’s missing? Finance professionals with:
- technical expertise combined with strategic business acumen
- digital literacy – translate data into commercial insight
- commercial mindset – speak the language of business, not just numbers
- influence strategic direction
This gap creates real business risk. Organisations with traditional finance teams focused primarily on reporting and compliance find themselves at a competitive disadvantage against those with forward-thinking finance functions that act as strategic business partners.
As expectations of leadership and talent evolve across all functions – not just finance – we’re exploring what it takes to lead effectively in today’s environment. If you’re a leader, we’d love to hear your perspective: take part in our LEAD Forward NZ Impact Leadership Survey.
So what are forward-thinking finance teams doing differently?
Building a future-proofed finance team requires a deliberate talent strategy focused on three key areas:
1. Recruitment must evolve beyond technical qualifications.
While chartered accountants remain valuable, the most successful finance professionals also demonstrate adaptability, strategic thinking and business partnership capabilities. When assessing candidates, you must look beyond technical competence to evaluate their commercial acumen, digital fluency and capacity for strategic thinking. Your hiring methodology and interviews must also test for these crucial skills.
2. Retention strategies must address what truly motivates modern finance professionals.
Beyond competitive salaries, today’s finance talent also values continuous development opportunities, meaningful work that impacts business outcomes and flexible working arrangements. Progressive organisations are implementing structured development pathways that prepare finance professionals for business partnership roles.
3. Development programs must bridge critical skill gaps.
Forward-thinking organisations and leaders are investing in upskilling their finance teams in data analytics, AI, strategic business partnering and commercial decision making. Cross-functional exposure and mentorship from commercial leaders accelerate this development.
The leaders who successfully navigate this transition share common approaches. They can clearly articulate how finance contributes to business strategy, involve their teams in commercial decisions and create opportunities for finance professionals to develop business partnership capabilities.
Building and managing finance teams of the future
If you want a finance function that drives competitive advantage, you need a deliberate strategy that focuses not just on recruitment but also on retention and long-term capability development. You need to know what good looks like in today’s market, and where to find it.
Because the finance professionals who will shape the next decade?
They’re not just number crunchers.
They’re commercial thinkers. Change navigators. Strategy enablers.
And they’re out there. You just need to know where to look.
As New Zealand businesses face increasing global competition, economic volatility and technological disruption, having a strategically capable finance function has never been more critical. The future belongs to finance professionals who understand that their value extends far beyond the balance sheet and to the organisations smart enough to build teams with these capabilities.
About LEAD Executive Search
LEAD Executive Search | Impact Leadership connects transformative and impactful leaders with opportunities across New Zealand and beyond. With a belief that the best leaders are rarely on the market, LEAD builds deep talent networks to support succession planning, growth and organisational evolution.
Reach out today at [email protected] to explore what your future-fit finance team could look like.
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