In the past, being a CFO was largely a behind-the-scenes role. More recently, CFOs have become a strategic partner to CEOs and operational leaders preparing for the future. And now, many finance leaders may be headed toward what Joel Campbell has dubbed “CFO Plus.”
Campbell is CFO of TreviPay, a fintech that provides a B2B payments platform. His 25-plus year career has encompassed treasury, chief risk officer roles and senior finance leadership at companies like Western Union and H&R Block before becoming CFO of TreviPay.
In his current role, Joel oversees more than just finance, with responsibilities spanning M&A, strategy and even HR. “While this may be daunting for some late-career executives, this offers a great opportunity for finance teams to influence the growth and direction of the company,” says Campbell. In an interview, he shares the power of diversifying responsibilities outside of the finance function, how to balance them and other insights for the future.
What does it mean to be a “CFO plus”?
The CFO role has evolved well beyond managing the books. Today’s CFOs are expected to contribute to enterprise-wide strategy, often working alongside general counsel and operations leaders to shape decisions around growth, risk and ownership structure.
As an example, at TreviPay, I oversee all the traditional finance functions, but I’m also involved in overall company strategy, global go-to-market strategy, M&A and facilities and procurement. I support the HR function as well. While this may be daunting for some late-career executives, this offers a great opportunity for finance teams to influence the growth and direction of the company.
This broader engagement also improves how CFOs communicate with boards and investors. Strategic updates become more than numbers; they become context-rich narratives that explain why performance looks the way it does and where the business is headed. That ability to connect financial outcomes with underlying decisions and employee impact is increasingly essential.
How can CFOs balance their traditional financial responsibilities with the growing demands of digital transformation and tech strategy?
With the growing demands of digital transformation and tech strategy, CFOs have become key voices in shaping business resilience. They drive growth and manage risk in an increasingly digital economy.
From capital planning to risk management, technology considerations have a seat at the table today. This can create tension, especially when both customer demand and product innovation compete for limited resources. This balancing act shows up in real-world trade-offs, such as choosing between upgrading an ERP system, or deciding when automation saves money versus when it creates new strategic value.
The goal is to choose the right systems or processes to bring real-time insights, allowing leadership to course-correct faster and more confidently. Plus, with better visibility into cash flow and performance metrics, finance leaders can more effectively evaluate trade-offs and align technology initiatives with long-term business goals.
How is automation better arming senior finance leaders with more information and more real-time data?
I like to say that as CFOs, we should be striving for “zero-touch A/R,” where the entire process becomes so seamlessly integrated into business operations that it requires minimal oversight and virtually no intervention from your finance team.
Why? Because manual reconciliation, reporting delays and fragmented systems limit visibility and slow down decision-making. When those processes are automated, finance leaders gain continuous access to accurate, real-time information.
This enables faster, more informed decisions across the organization. It also shifts the role of the finance team from reporting outcomes to analyzing trends and guiding action. Rather than being buried in transactions, the team becomes a source of insight.
And for CFOs, this means having a clearer, more immediate picture of where risks are emerging and where opportunities are taking shape, which are critical inputs for both day-to-day decisions and long-term planning.
Reducing the administrative burden of A/R management through automation also transforms the customer relationship meaningfully. By eliminating friction points like credit applications, collections activities and payment reconciliation challenges, you enhance the customer experience while simultaneously improving your own financial metrics—a rare win-win in business operations.
What advice do you have for aspiring CFOs?
Nothing replaces hard work. Being inquisitive, present and willing to learn will set young professionals up to get new opportunities. Consciously managing your career is also important. This might mean taking perceived half steps to seek the experience or training under talented leaders to gain the substantive knowledge needed to get to the next level.
I’d also recommend spending the time to learn how the business operates outside of finance, such as how sales forecasts are built, how products are priced and how customer experience affects revenue. Develop the skill of translating financial information into strategic insight others can act on.
Familiarize yourself with automation and analytics tools, not because you need to configure them, but because you’ll need to evaluate their impact. And expect the role to keep evolving, especially for those in disruptive industries like technology or healthcare, where the CFO role is evolving even faster.
