A growing number of CFOs are losing confidence in their ability to meet financial goals in 2025, as global instability, trade volatility, and mounting compliance pressures weigh heavily on finance functions. According to Coupa’s Strategic CFO Report 2025, 69% of CFOs are concerned about hitting their year-end financial targets, with 40% reporting they are “extremely or very concerned.”
The survey, which polled 500 CFOs and finance leaders across the U.S., U.K., Ireland, France, and Germany, underscores a widespread sense of uncertainty as financial leaders confront geopolitical instability (46%), supply chain disruptions (46%), and persistent inflation (45%) as their top external threats.
The report also highlights the increasing role of tariffs as a disruptive force. A full 42% of CFOs now see tariffs as a major threat to growth, a sentiment especially pronounced in Germany, where 48% of CFOs expressed concern due to the country’s export-heavy economy and reliance on U.S. trade.
“The companies achieving profitable growth in today’s environment share a common characteristic: They’ve replaced cyclical cost-cutting with continuous optimization,” said Michael Agresta, Chief Financial Officer at Coupa. “By implementing frameworks that regularly evaluate organizational structure, geographic footprint, and resource allocation, financial leaders can create perpetual efficiency gains that generate savings for reinvestment.”
In response to rising volatility, finance leaders are making targeted investments in AI and automation to bolster efficiency and resilience. 40% say they are investing in automation to reduce manual processes, while 31% are turning to payment strategies like virtual cards and early payment discounts to optimize working capital and improve cash flow.
Yet despite growing enthusiasm for AI, challenges remain. 41% of finance leaders say they’re unable to react quickly due to data challenges, a gap that’s particularly acute in organizations still relying on fragmented systems and manual processes. Only 28% of CFOs report being able to access spend data instantly in a single system.
“The financial strategies that deliver sustainable growth aren’t built on assumptions but on verified, high-integrity data flowing across the organization,” said Agresta. “Financial data quality determines the ability to drive true business impact.”
As CFOs contend with increasing cyber threats, complex regulations, and rising demands for ESG reporting, the report paints a picture of a finance function under immense pressure — but also in the midst of transformation. 74% of CFOs now express confidence in their ability to govern AI, up from just 11% last year.
Still, Coupa notes that without clean, unified, and real-time data, even the best AI solutions can fall short.
“AI is only as powerful as the data it’s built on,” the report concludes. “Access alone isn’t enough; it’s the quality, governance, and actionability of data that create a competitive edge.”
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