Today, finance leaders face an unprecedented risk landscape: frequent geopolitical conflicts, heightened macroeconomic volatility, and rapid technological change. To navigate steadily in such an environment, leaders at all levels of the enterprise must maximize their value contribution.

For Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), this means looking beyond the finance function itself and proactively taking on the role of strategic advisor to the enterprise—skillfully leveraging financial operations to drive growth and build resilience. This shift is also reshaping the responsibilities of other senior finance executives: they are expected to provide more forward-looking insights to support the CFO in playing a greater role on an expanded strategic stage.

Aligning consensus with a strategic vision

Transitioning from day-to-day financial operations to higher-level strategic thinking requires finance executives to hone a new set of skills, the most central of which is the ability to integrate cross-functional perspectives into a unified strategic vision.

"Finance's mission is to drive the enterprise toward its goals," said Tony Grayson, Vice President and Head of Commercial Payment Optimization and Consulting at U.S. Bank. "When you step into a more strategic role, you need to align with the C-suite on the 'destination,' then return to the finance team to find the best path to achieve that goal."

Grayson suggests using consensus-building techniques to anchor the 'North Star' that guides financial plans. For example, you can create a single text document that allows stakeholders to share their views on the enterprise's strategic vision and propose next steps. This helps clarify where consensus and divergence lie, fosters cross-departmental collaboration, and ultimately finds a common path forward.

Returning to financial fundamentals

After establishing overall goals, finance executives should refocus their attention on financial operations themselves, considering how to strengthen the company's financial foundation to support the realization of new objectives.

For many leaders, revenue and cash flow are top priorities. Research recently conducted by Visa and U.S. Bank shows that 44% of finance leaders rank revenue growth as their top strategic priority, while 43% say they are focused on improving cash flow.

Grayson notes that both goals can effectively drive the enterprise toward its stated objectives. "The key is to maximize cash inflows—whether through increasing revenue or strengthening cash flow. At the same time, measures should be taken to delay cash outflows, such as negotiating longer payment terms with suppliers."

  • Pro tip:Your commercial payment partner can often provide expert insights on optimizing cash flow, or even offer cash flow analysis and support directly. Consider reaching out to your partner for tailored cash flow advice, so you can report to the C-suite with greater confidence.

Placing risk management at the core

Another important way finance executives create value for the C-suite is by helping manage risk. This is especially critical when leadership is driving digital transformation (cited as a strategic priority by 32% of finance leaders) and evaluating new business models (seen as a priority by 27% of finance leaders).

"Risks come from multiple sources, involving third-party supply chains, geopolitical shifts, and a dynamic economic environment," Grayson said. "Finance executives play a central role in interpreting how these risks impact the company's financial position and clearly communicating this to leadership."

Grayson suggests that finance executives can make a tangible impact by helping leadership identify risks in each potential scenario and clarifying how the finance function can help the enterprise maintain resilience. For example, when finance executives can clearly outline specific steps to strengthen cash flow, leadership will have greater confidence in making next-step decisions.

Leveraging partners for forward-looking work

Moving into a more strategic role and advising the C-suite is both an exciting opportunity for finance executives and one that requires continuous development and refinement of new skills. In this process, having sufficient support to lead the enterprise toward success is crucial.

The right commercial payment partner can play a key role in strengthening the company's financial foundation and supporting next steps. They can act as a trusted advisor, helping finance leaders weigh the pros and cons of potential decisions and the risks that may arise at each step forward.

With solid backing, the move toward a more strategic role becomes more manageable. U.S. Bank supports finance executives at every stage of their growth—from strengthening cash flow and managing risk to providing the insights you need to confidently advise the C-suite.