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A new report from  Compensation Advisory Partners (CAP), a consulting firm, examines 2024 compensation outcomes for chief financial officers relative to chief executives. It looked at 155 public companies with a median revenue of $12.6bn and fiscal years ending between August 31st 2024, and January 1st 2025. CAP’s analysis found that for executives in the data set who did receive a bump to their salary, the median increase was 5.7% for CFOs and 4.1% for CEOs. The previous year, CFOs’ median increase was 5%, and 5.1% the year before that. “We were expecting salary increases to start shifting downward, given the labor market,” Kelly Malafis, founding partner at CAP told me. “But salary increases are likely to remain steady for CFOs.” The report suggests that this stability is being driven by high turnover due to retirements or departures and strong demand for finance chiefs. CEOs still lead in total compensation, according to CAP data. Over the past decade, CFO total compensation has averaged about 33% of CEO compensation, the firm’s research shows. The median tenure for these positions is typically around seven years, said Roman Beleuta, principal at CAP. “Every time there’s a reset, you’re kind of resetting the bar again,” he explained. “That’s why that ratio stays at about a third.” 

 

Fortune

The CFO's Playbook for AI-Powered Transformation

AI is no longer experimental, it’s becoming the backbone of high-performing finance functions. For every dollar invested, finance teams are seeing a return of up to $3.50. The opportunity for transformation is real, measurable, and immediate.

This guide explores how CFOs are using AI-powered ERP systems to automate up to 60% of finance tasks, streamline reporting, and enhance risk management. With platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365, finance leaders are consolidating tech stacks, improving data accuracy, and accelerating decision cycles across the enterprise.

Inside the guide:

• 4 key AI benefits driving financial transformation
• A breakdown of ERP solutions that deliver both speed and scale
• Real-world use cases showing AI in action within finance teams
• Implementation strategies that reduce disruption and increase adoption
• Case studies highlighting where the ROI is coming from

As expectations on finance leaders continue to grow, AI presents a unique chance to lead both transformation and value creation

👉 Stay ahead of the curve — access the CFO AI playbook here

 

Boeing has appointed former Lockheed Martin executive Jesus 'Jay' Malave as its new chief financial officer, effective August 15th, when he will replace Brian West, who is to remain as an advisor to chief executive Kelly Ortberg. Mr. Malave takes the role "at an important time in helping build Boeing’s next chapter,” Mr. Ortberg said. “He is a well-respected financial and business leader, and brings decades of experience developing people and teams across complex aerospace and manufacturing businesses.” Mr. Ortberg has been shaking up Boeing’s management since arriving at Boeing in August. Defense chief Ted Colbert left last year shortly after Mr. Ortberg’s arrival. Boeing’s quality chief, its chief information officer and its top lobbyist have also departed the company. 

 

Financial Times

Reuters

The Seattle Times

Wall Street Journal

U.S. Senate Republicans were continuing their efforts early this morning to pass President Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill, amid deep divisions within the party about its expected $3.3tn hit to the nation's debt pile. Voting on amendments and procedural motions started midmorning Monday and dragged through the night as Republican leaders worked to find a balance of policies that could pass both the Senate and later the House. Mr. Trump spoke with congressional leaders by phone, and the White House said it was confident that the bill was on track even as its fate and final content remained uncertain. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) spoke privately with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), after he and other party leaders had engaged in long discussions with her on the Senate floor regarding both the Medicaid and nutrition-assistance cuts in the bill and the phaseouts of clean-energy tax credits.

 

Accounting Today

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

Recent federal and state developments are enhancing the appeal of Research and Development tax credits, which have traditionally been associated with tech firms. CFOs are encouraged to view these credits not just as tax breaks but as vital cash flow strategies for innovation. The R&D tax credit offers a dollar-for-dollar reduction in tax liability for qualifying activities, which now include a broader range of industries. Federal credits can range from 6% to 10% of qualified expenses, with additional state credits available. Notably, Texas has made its R&D tax credit permanent, reflecting a growing trend among states to support innovation incentives.

 

CFO

MNI Indicators reported on Monday that its Chicago Business Barometer inched down to 40.4 in June, from 40.5 in May, remaining below the 50 mark separating expansion from contraction. The production index dropped 2.7 points to its lowest level since July; the supplier deliveries gauge was down 6,8 points, and the employment index by 3.9 points. However, the new orders index rose 4.1 points. 

 

RTT News

U.S. government officials have issued a warning that Iranian-affiliated hackers may target American companies and critical infrastructure, particularly those linked to Israeli defense firms. Although there is currently no evidence of a coordinated cyber campaign, agencies including the FBI and NSA are advising organizations to bolster their cybersecurity measures. The advisory highlights the potential for malicious cyber activity despite ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire, and notes that Iranian state-sponsored hackers often exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software and weak passwords.

 

Reuters

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced the "No Adversarial AI Act," which aims to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence models developed in China, including those from DeepSeek, within U.S. government agencies. The legislation follows concerns that DeepSeek is supporting China's military and intelligence efforts. It would establish a framework to regularly update a list of banned AI technologies from adversarial nations including Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Representative John Moolenaar said: "The U.S. must draw a hard line: hostile AI systems have no business operating inside our government."

 

Reuters

According to a report by Gartner, over 40% of agentic artificial intelligence projects are expected to be abandoned by 2027 due to rising costs and unclear business value. Anushree Verma, a senior director analyst at Gartner, noted that "most agentic AI projects right now are early stage experiments or proofs of concept that are mostly driven by hype," suggesting that many current models lack the maturity to autonomously achieve complex business goals. Despite these challenges, Gartner predicts that by 2028, at least 15% of daily work decisions will be made autonomously through agentic AI, a significant increase from 0% in 2024.

 

Reuters

Apple has lost its attempt to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and state attorneys general, marking a significant victory for the Biden administration's aggressive enforcement stance, which has been carried on by enforcers under President Trump. The lawsuit accused the company of blocking competitors from accessing essential features on its devices. U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals said that “allegations of this nature . . . are sufficient” to proceed. The case, filed in March 2024, could lead to years of litigation, with the DOJ asserting that Apple has deliberately created barriers to stifle competition. While Apple’s lawyers argued that the case lacks evidence of consumer harm, the judge ruled that the claims can move forward, indicating a complex legal battle ahead.

 

Los Angeles Times

Reuters

The Supreme Court has rejected a bid by Exxon Mobil to overturn a $14.25m civil penalty imposed in a long-running lawsuit over air pollution at the energy giant's crude oil refinery in Baytown, Texas. Exxon had asked the justices to take up the case after a lower court in December upheld the largest penalty ever assessed in a citizen-initiated lawsuit enforcing protections against air pollution under the landmark Clean Air Act environmental law, Reuters reports.

 

Reuters

The Supreme Court has asked the Trump administration for its views on whether the justices should take up Bayer's appeal to sharply limit lawsuits which claim that the company's Roundup weedkiller causes cancer and potentially avert billions of dollars in damages. Bayer has called on the justices to hear its appeal of a lower court's decision to uphold a $1.25m verdict awarded by a St. Louis jury in a case in Missouri state court in which a plaintiff sued after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma he attributed to his exposure to Roundup. Bayer CEO Bill Anderson described the court's request as "an encouraging step," adding "When courts permit companies to be punished under state law for following federal law, it makes companies like ours a prime target of the litigation industry and threatens farmers and innovations that patients and consumers need for their nutrition and health."

 

Reuters

Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse has said the crypto firm is to drop its cross appeal against the Securities and Exchange Commission. The regulator had sued Ripple for allegedly violating securities laws through the sale of its XRP tokens. In 2023, a judge ruled that XRP sales on public exchanges were legal, but the $728m of sales to institutional investors broke the rules. "We're closing this chapter once and for all," Garlinghouse wrote in a post on X, adding that the SEC is also expected to drop the appeal that it had filed.

 

Reuters

Nearly 300 current and former employees of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have expressed their displeasure about the Trump administration, whose actions they say are undermining the agency's mission. In a declaration addressed to Administrator Lee Zeldin, the employees highlighted five key areas of concern, including the politicization of science, severe job cuts, and the abandonment of environmental justice. "Your decisions and actions will reverberate for generations to come," they said. "EPA under your leadership will not protect communities from hazardous chemicals and unsafe drinking water, but instead will increase risks to public health and safety."

 

US News and World Report

Google has warned EU antitrust regulators that landmark rules under the EU's Digital Markets Act are holding back innovation to the detriment of European users and businesses. "We remain genuinely concerned about real world consequences of the DMA, which are leading to worse online products and experiences for Europeans," Google's lawyer Clare Kelly told a workshop organised by the European Commission. Another Google lawyer, Oliver Bethell, says he wants regulators to detail what the company needs to do. "If we can understand precisely what compliance looks like, not just in theory, but taking account of on the ground experience, we can launch compliant services quickly and confidently across the EEA," Bethell said.

 

Reuters