Last year’s busy M&A arena sets stage for more strong growth in 2026

A recent survey by Bain & Co. says business leaders are likely to “revisit foundational strategic assumptions” and make “bigger, bolder decisions” about their assets.

By David McCann • Feb. 10, 2026

IBM spin-off CFO departs amid cash management review: Trial Balance

David Wyshner has left his position as finance chief of Kyndryl while the company reviews its cash management and controls over financial reporting.

By Lauren Muskett , Dan Niepow • Feb. 9, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from CFO.com

From CPA licensure changes to undergoing a digital transformation, these are the most popular stories CFOs are reading. 

By CFO.com staff

CFO-to-CEO promotions reach decade high

About one in 10 CEOs at Fortune 500s and S&P 500 firms came directly from the finance chief seat last year, according to research by executive search firm Crist Kolder Associates.

By Dan Niepow • Feb. 9, 2026

$8M for 30 seconds: A CFO’s guide to Super Bowl ad spend

Advertising around the Super Bowl can be worth it if you run it like a CFO. Not if you let the marketing team treat it like a trophy.

By Jason Hershman • Feb. 6, 2026

The CFO’s role when the CEO wants to start a nonprofit

Experts from finance, legal and nonprofit advisory roles share takes on the CFO’s role in shaping governance when their company aims to launch a nonprofit.

By Adam Zaki • Feb. 6, 2026

7 tax policy shifts shaping CFO planning

Bloomberg’s 2026 tax policy outlook identifies changes to law and policy that will impact CFOs at companies of all sizes.

By Adam Zaki • Feb. 5, 2026

Albany-area electrical firm CFO charged in alleged $4M embezzlement

Kevin J. Stevens, the former CFO of A.E. Rosen Electrical Co., has been charged with a felony and an array of other charges in connection with an alleged multi-year scheme.

By Adam Zaki • Feb. 3, 2026

What CFOs must get right to succeed after an IPO

Being public is harder than going public. Here is a guide to help finance leaders avoid common pitfalls and thrive post-IPO.

By Jeff Majtyka and Ronald Clark • Feb. 3, 2026

The impact of new leadership at the PCAOB: Trial Balance

As new board members arrive, the PCAOB prepares for a new age without its “lone dissenter.”

By Lauren Muskett , Adam Zaki • Feb. 2, 2026

Ex-Loretto Hospital CFO arrested in Serbia

A recent court filing says Anosh Ahmed, who left the U.S. amid fraud charges, was arrested in the eastern European country in late 2025.

By Dan Niepow • Jan. 30, 2026

So you want to be a sports CFO?

Former professional athletes, business owners and CFOs working in sports talk through the realities of working in this highly coveted and rapidly changing industry.

By Adam Zaki • Jan. 30, 2026

What’s actually driving Carvana’s margins?

Short-seller research is renewing questions about how the online car seller's margins are generated across its retail operations, financing activity and businesses belonging to the CEO’s family.

By Adam Zaki • Jan. 29, 2026

ADM’s ex-CFO faces federal fraud charges

In court filings, the SEC says that Vikram Luthar, the ag giant’s former finance chief, misled investors by making retroactive “adjustments” to the performance of a key business unit.

By Dan Niepow • Jan. 28, 2026

If half of workers avoid management roles, what happens to the CFO pipeline?

A comparison of new survey data from Zety and the ACCA suggests that leadership ambition among a multigenerational workforce is declining during a time when finance career paths are becoming less linear.

By Adam Zaki • Jan. 28, 2026

Average enterprise business handles 40-plus bank accounts

A survey of finance leaders by fintech provider Adyen and Boston Consulting Group aims to quantify the complexities of running a large business.

By Dan Niepow • Jan. 28, 2026

OpenAI expands finance team as AI economics draw scrutiny

CFO Sarah Friar has hired a chief accounting officer and a corporate finance leader as the company's business model and trajectory expand.

By Adam Zaki • Jan. 27, 2026

American CEOs bullish on M&A in 2026: EY

A recent survey conducted by the Big Four firm shows more than half of U.S. chief executive respondents planning to “actively” pursue mergers and acquisitions this year.

By Dan Niepow • Jan. 27, 2026

Brex CFO Erica Dorfman’s take on the Capital One deal

In a rare look inside a major fintech transaction, Dorfman describes the speed, scale and boardroom logic that led Brex to Capital One.

By Adam Zaki • Jan. 23, 2026

How CFO communities are responding to networking overload

Leaders from GenCFO, CFO Leadership Council and CFO Alliance explain how CFO communities are adapting to an increasingly crowded and commercialized networking landscape.

By Adam Zaki • Jan. 23, 2026

Will private equity’s pivot to continuation vehicles continue in 2026?

The phenomenon of private equity firms essentially selling portfolio companies back to themselves has grown rapidly in recent years, but investors — and likely many CFOs — aren’t totally sold. 

By Dan Niepow • Jan. 22, 2026

How a manufacturing CFO views technology and automation

As the longtime finance chief of Wisconsin-based manufacturer Sentry Equipment, David Ring shares his thoughts on employee ownership, labor challenges and the latest artificial intelligence push.

By Dan Niepow • Jan. 22, 2026

Figure CFO on successfully navigating a modern IPO

Macrina Kgil explains how investor expectations, automation and scaling finance shape life after the company’s recent IPO.

By Adam Zaki • Jan. 21, 2026

Almost half of the time saved using AI is spent correcting outputs

Inconsistent outputs from large language models are introducing hours of additional labor for workers.

By Dan Niepow • Jan. 21, 2026

The role finance will play in the Savannah Bananas’ 2026 season

As the Banana Ball World Tour continues, the team’s finance function, led by Dr. Tim Naddy, is focused on systems, talent and execution.

By Adam Zaki • Jan. 16, 2026

Why CFO labor trends center on redesigning teams in 2026

This year’s finance labor trends are being shaped by the growing use of automation, a shift toward internal talent development and the need for CFOs to balance efficiency with adaptability. 

By Adam Zaki • Jan. 15, 2026