Not so long ago, the financial manager was responsible mainly for reports, budgets and cost control.
Today, they are expected to answer questions such as what will happen to the business if the exchange rate changes, demand falls, or part of the processes becomes automated.
The emergence of AI, automation and data-driven approaches has made traditional hard skills insufficient. The profession is moving towards hybrid skills — a combination of analytics, technology, strategic thinking and leadership.
Demand for such specialists is growing, as businesses operate in conditions of high uncertainty and need fast decisions and flexible scenarios. Finance professionals are no longer simply providers of numbers — they influence decisions and the future course of the company.
Why the Demand for “New Finance Professionals” Is Rising Now
The global market is changing faster than corporate processes. This imbalance forces companies to rethink the role of the finance function. Finance professionals are becoming communicators between data and business strategy, analysts able to work with large data sets, and leaders who help shape the future direction of the company.
Scenario planning is becoming increasingly important. Businesses need people who can model different versions of the future, assess risks and propose solutions not after the month has closed, but at the moment the situation begins to change.
For example, instead of one annual budget, a finance professional develops three scenarios:
- base
- optimistic
- crisis
Together with management, they define in advance which decisions are triggered in each scenario. As a result, the role of the financial manager grows closer to that of a strategic partner, rather than an operational executor.
In many companies, finance is also responsible for assessing technological risks — including cyber threats, the impact of AI on processes, data quality and regulatory compliance. This shifts the profession towards a more complex, cross-functional role. (We explored how AI is already reshaping finance in a separate article.)
Which Skills Will Become Critical in 2026 and Beyond
Finance professionals who want to remain valuable to business need a skill set that goes far beyond classical preparation. Key areas include:
- Scenario planning and strategic thinking. A finance professional sees not only the numbers, but also possible futures. They work with uncertainty, model several scenarios and understand how external factors affect outcomes.
Example. When sales decline, they model three scenarios: entering a new market, raising prices, and cutting costs. They compare the impact on margin, cash flow and risks. The team chooses phased price increases plus cost optimisation — preserving liquidity without losing market share.
- Analytics and working with data. The focus is not on coding, but on the meaning behind the data. The finance professional of the future knows how to read analytical models, ask the right questions and manage the use of AI.
Example. A demand-forecast model shows growth of 18%. Instead of accepting it as fact, the finance professional checks which data were uploaded, what influenced the forecast, tests alternatives and evaluates the risk of error. As a result, they recommend increasing inventories gradually and adjusting the budget with control checkpoints — avoiding overproduction while maintaining working capital.
- Technological literacy. Technology is a management tool, not an end in itself. It is important to understand how complex systems, automation and digital platforms work — and how they influence processes.
Example. Implementation of an automated accounting system reduces manual work and errors. The finance professional analyses processes, identifies bottlenecks, defines system requirements and monitors integrations. Transparency grows and reporting becomes much faster.
- Cross-functional leadership. Finance becomes a bridge between teams — speaking the language of IT, marketing, operations and top management.
Example. When launching a product, the finance professional moderates discussions, aligns budgets, timelines, risks and expected profitability. The result: realistic plans, clear KPIs and shared accountability.
- Risk management. Risks are a system, not just a checklist. Financial, operational and technological risks must all be assessed.
Example. Implementing access-control policies and double checks for critical operations helps prevent errors in reporting and regulatory penalties.
These skills form the profile of a financial manager capable of acting decisively in a rapidly changing environment and leading teams through transformation.
How the Profile of the Financial Manager Is Changing
Traditionally, the role focused on accounting, control and budgeting. Today, finance operates at the intersection of several disciplines. Companies need specialists who can translate data into strategy, understand digital logic and explain risks in business language.
Soft skills therefore become crucial: critical thinking, constructive dialogue with leadership, facilitation and influence. A finance manager is no longer an analyst “in the shadows”, but a business partner shaping decisions.
At the same time, combining financial expertise with technology becomes essential. Automation, AI, ERP systems and digital models require the ability to assess both financial effects and operational consequences. This “double literacy” — technological and strategic — becomes the foundation of the new profession.
How ACPM Builds the Competencies of the Future
ACPM is one of the few qualifications that systematically develops the profile of the “next-generation finance professional”. Thanks to the multi-level structure, specialists can build an individual learning path — from fundamentals to strategic management.
In ACPM programmes, skills that will be even more relevant by 2026 are embedded in specific modules:
- risk and crisis management — within CP Financial Director Expert (FD3 MBA)
- scenario planning and strategy — within Certified Financial Director (FD2), including modules on planning, analysis and data visualisation
- digital process competencies — within “Innovation Management of the Company”, combining technological literacy and cross-functional leadership
Practical cases create a clear link between trends, skills and learning elements — helping professionals move from hard skills to hybrid skills as business needs evolve.
Membership, certification and the wider professional ecosystem support continuous growth and career development aligned with global standards.
The Future of Finance Belongs to Those Who Combine Analytics, Technology and Leadership
The profession is entering a phase of major transformation. It is no longer enough to know the tools — it is essential to understand their impact on business. The financial manager of the future works confidently with numbers, people and decisions. Such roles are already emerging in international companies and will shape the market from 2026 to 2030 — and ACPM helps prepare exactly these kinds of professionals.
