It’s no surprise to say finance and accounting functions are undergoing rapid transformation. But just what are the biggest shifts to look out for—and how can finance leaders respond?
John Raffaele, global head of finance and accounting operations at Emapta, a Philippines-based outsourcing and offshore staffing provider with offices in major U.S. cities, has some thoughts.
Burnout in finance and accounting is rising. What changes do CFOs and firm leaders need to make now to prevent talent loss and relieve pressure on overworked staff?
Meeting mandatory billable-hour pressures and rising workload demands are placing hardships on experienced, skilled professionals, while younger talent is pushing back on work/life boundaries. The firms that protect profitability will be those that take steps now to redesign how work gets done. That means offloading routine, time-consuming tasks to highly capable offshore teams and integrating AI to automate lower value work.
AI alone isn’t the fix. It becomes transformative only when paired with human intelligence. A combined mix of AI and humans allows global teams to handle volume and complexity while freeing onshore staff to focus on strategy, client advisory and innovation.
Equally important is a modern talent strategy centered on flexibility, skills development and sustainability. CFOs should implement smarter capacity planning, create integrated global workflows and invest in upskilling teams to work effectively with AI and within globally distributed teams.
By embracing a blended workforce—onshore, offshore and AI-augmented—firm leaders can relieve pressure on overworked staff, reduce attrition and rebuild a healthier, more resilient operational model for the second half of 2026 and beyond.
You say AI should be viewed as a co-pilot, not a replacement. In an era where AI is redefining work, how can CFOs balance automation with human judgment while still supporting mentorship and developing the next generation of finance leaders?
As AI transforms the finance function, the real opportunity for CFOs isn’t replacing people—it’s elevating them. Automation should take over the data-heavy, repetitive and compliance-driven tasks that slow teams down, freeing human capacity for the judgment, modeling, scenario planning and creative problem-solving that truly move the business.
But CFOs must also protect the foundation of the profession: mentorship. However, removing entry-level roles in favor of AI will break the mentorship pipeline that produces future finance leaders. New talent needs apprenticeship-style learning that watches how decisions are made, interprets nuance and builds professional instincts that no algorithm can replicate.
The answer is a balanced workforce strategy. Let AI handle the volume; let offshore teams absorb routine operational work. And keep junior roles intact so leaders can invest in developing skills, confidence and real-world judgment.
Done right, you’re repositioning finance as a human-powered, tech-enabled, consulting-focused career path that attracts ambitious talent and prepares the next generation of strategic leaders.
On the global stage, CFOs are increasingly responsible for both cash and carbon. What skill sets will become essential?
This shift is reshaping the finance function, as global compliance mandates drive an unprecedented surge in carbon reporting requirements. To keep pace, finance leaders must equip their teams with a blend of financial, technical and sustainability-focused capabilities.
The essential skill sets are clear: Teams need fluency in carbon accounting frameworks, emissions measurement and climate-risk modeling. They must also understand evolving ESG standards, assurance requirements and the data governance practices needed to manage complex, multi-source emissions data. Just as importantly, finance professionals will need stronger analytical and storytelling skills to translate carbon metrics into strategic insights for boards, investors and regulators.
Demand for carbon-literate finance professionals far exceeds supply. Forward-looking CFOs are responding by upskilling their existing teams, training analysts in carbon reporting tools and embedding sustainability competencies into core finance roles. Many are also turning to offshore teams to scale the operational workload—data collection, validation and reporting—so onshore leaders can focus on strategy and risk management.
By building a globally integrated, carbon-capable finance function, CFOs can meet compliance demands while positioning their organizations for competitive advantage in a low-carbon economy.
Continuous audit is also becoming more commonplace, replacing “audit busy season.” How is this shift changing the day-to-day role of auditors, and what should CFOs do now to modernize their audit infrastructure and meet rising client expectations for real-time oversight?
As AI and automation handle real-time control testing, the day-to-day role of auditors is shifting from manual sampling and paperwork to higher-level analytical and investigative work. Instead of scrambling to review a year’s worth of data in a compressed window, auditors are now interpreting anomalies, assessing risk patterns and providing ongoing insights that support stronger governance throughout the year.
For CFOs, this evolution demands an immediate modernization of audit infrastructure. That starts with integrating automation tools capable of continuous data ingestion and exception monitoring. An overarching redesign of workflows enables auditors to focus efforts on more value-added areas such as risk advisory and data interpretation.
The most effective approach is a hybrid operating model: automation for testing, offshore teams for routine evidence gathering and data preparation, and onshore specialists focused on judgment-based work and client communication. This not only accelerates audit cycles, it also enhances accuracy and transparency.
By investing now in automation, global talent and data-ready processes, CFOs can meet rising expectations for real-time oversight and reposition their audit teams as year-round strategic partners rather than seasonal firefighters.
