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The role of the chief financial officer is evolving rapidly as private markets grow more complex, data-rich and investor expectations rise. Once centred on reporting and controls, finance leaders are increasingly expected to be forward-looking, investor-facing and strategic, providing real-time insights, forecasting and clarity from vast volumes of data. Advances in automation and AI are accelerating this shift, allowing finance teams to automate routine tasks and focus on higher-value activities such as portfolio analysis, scenario planning and governance. As a result, the CFO of the future is less a traditional accountant and more a systems thinker, data leader and business partner, able to integrate information across organizations and translate it into clear narratives for investors and stakeholders. Interviewees highlighted a move away from siloed roles towards cross-functional collaboration, with finance, operations, compliance and investment teams working more closely together. Judgment is becoming as important as technical knowledge, as professionals must sift signal from noise in increasingly democratized data environments. Looking ahead, success in the CFO role will depend on adaptability, curiosity and big-picture thinking, alongside core qualities such as integrity and leadership.

 

Private Funds CFO

U.S. wholesale prices increased by 0.5% in December, surpassing economists' expectations of 0.3%, according to the Labor Department. The rise marks the fastest pace in three months. Year-over-year, producer prices rose 3%, aligning with forecasts. Services prices saw a notable increase of 0.7%, driven by higher profit margins at wholesalers and retailers. Despite concerns over inflation due to import taxes, the impact has been less severe than anticipated. The report was delayed due to a federal government shutdown. "Wholesale prices can offer an early look at where consumer inflation might be headed," the report noted.

 

Bloomberg

US News and World Report

Chicago-area business activity expanded in January for the first time since November 2023, according to the Chicago Business Barometer by MNI Indicators. The index surged to 54.0 from 42.7 in December, surpassing expectations. Key drivers of growth included sharp increases in employment, new orders, and production. Notably, employment reached its highest level since December 2024, and new orders hit levels last seen in March 2022. Meanwhile, prices paid dropped to a 12-month low, suggesting easing inflationary pressures.

 

Wall Street Journal

Walt Disney’s board is coalescing around promoting theme parks and experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro to chief executive, with a vote on the appointment expected in the coming week, according to people familiar with the matter. D’Amaro, who has led Disney’s most profitable division since 2020, would succeed Bob Iger if approved, bringing to an end a three-year succession process overseen by chairman James Gorman. While the board could still change course, the move would elevate an executive closely associated with Disney’s $60bn investment in parks, cruise expansion and the strategic stake in Epic Games, as the company prepares to report quarterly earnings and plans to confirm a successor in early 2026.

 

Bloomberg

The IRS has published a contingency plan detailing how it will manage operations during the partial federal government shutdown that began on 30 January. The plan, effective from 31 January through to 7 February 2026, sets out actions for the first five working days of a funding lapse and confirms the IRS will use Inflation Reduction Act funding to remain fully staffed during this period. It also identifies which employees would remain exempt and on duty if the shutdown continues. While the Senate has approved a bipartisan funding package, it still awaits House approval, and professional bodies have warned that any IRS furloughs could disrupt the 2026 tax filing season and negatively affect taxpayers.

 

The Accountant Online

SpaceX is reportedly evaluating potential merger scenarios with both Tesla and the artificial intelligence firm xAI. Investors have shown interest in a combination between SpaceX and Tesla, while the company is also considering a collaboration with xAI ahead of a potential IPO.

 

Bloomberg

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said he would prefer the IRS to carry out a robust investigation into who leaked President Trump’s tax returns, rather than pursue a $10bn lawsuit filed by Trump against the agency and the Treasury Department. Speaking on CNN, Johnson said identifying and punishing those responsible for the leak - a federal crime - would be a better use of resources than litigation that could ultimately be paid for by taxpayers. Trump and his sons are suing the IRS, arguing it failed to protect confidential tax information, despite a former IRS contractor, Charles Littlejohn, already serving a five-year prison sentence for leaking tax data. The Treasury Department has since cancelled contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton, Littlejohn’s employer at the time, citing inadequate safeguards. Legal experts note the lawsuit faces hurdles, including a two-year statute of limitations, while critics warn a successful case would saddle taxpayers with a multibillion-dollar payout.

 

CNN

The Hill

Google has persuaded a federal judge to reject a bid by consumers for more than $2bn in penalties over the company’s past collection of data from users who had switched off a key privacy setting. The tech giant urged Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco not to add the penalty to a jury’s verdict in September that found Google liable for secretly collecting app activity data from millions of users who had disabled a tracking feature.

 

PYMNTS.com

Reuters

Coterra Energy and Devon Energy are reportedly in "advanced talks" to merge, with an announcement expected as soon as this week, potentially creating one of the largest combinations in the U.S. energy sector in recent years. Both companies operate in key shale formations, and analysts suggest that the merger could provide economies of scale necessary for navigating the current lower price environment for crude oil.

 

Reuters

The SEC has appointed retired EY partner Demetrios “Jim” Logothetis as chair of the PCAOB. Mr. Logothetis, who spent more than 40 years at EY before retiring in 2019, will lead a newly reshaped board as the SEC seeks to refocus the watchdog on what it describes as more “sensible, efficient” audit oversight. The SEC also named Mark Calabria, Kyle Hauptman and Steven Laughton as new PCAOB board members, while acting chair George Botic will remain on the board. The appointments follow criticism from audit firms over the PCAOB’s previous rule-making agenda and come alongside tighter SEC scrutiny, a reduced budget and lower board compensation. The leadership change marks a shift in direction for the PCAOB, which was created after the Enron and WorldCom scandals to strengthen audit regulation.

 

Wall Street Journal

Dow plans to eliminate around 4,500 jobs as it shifts focus towards artificial intelligence and automation. The chemicals maker expects severance costs of between $600m and $800m as part of its strategy to simplify operations. Dow, which employs approximately 34,600 people globally, has already announced previous job cuts and plant closures. 

 

U.S. News

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to decertify Bombardier Global Express jets and impose 50% tariffs on all Canadian-made aircraft unless Canada certifies Gulfstream planes. The move follows tensions over trade and certification processes, with Trump saying: "If, for any reason, this situation is not immediately corrected, I am going to charge Canada a 50% tariff." Critics warn that such actions could potentially jeopardize thousands of jobs across both countries.

 

Reuters