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Audit committees constantly face new challenges. Technology continues to advance rapidly and the rules continue to change. Audit committee responsibilities have changed over the years, as outlined in the CAQ and Deloitte Annual Audit Committee Practice Report. Over the past few years, the report highlights that priorities such as cybersecurity, enterprise risk management (ERM), finance and internal audit talent have consistently risen to the top of audit committee agendas, even as other areas such as compliance and AI governance have evolved over the years. This changing landscape highlights why audit committees must prioritize the development and implementation of robust action…

The disruption caused by the coronavirus and all the economic and political upheaval since then taught Kevin Cooper, chief financial officer at Atlanta-based fintech company Momnt, an important lesson: Finance executives are key to organizational agility. “You can't predict every disruption, but you can quickly pivot your business,” he tells CFO Leadership. “This requires a deep understanding of the financial picture and how each function contributes to performance and resiliency.” The role of the CFO is changing from just a financial controller to a strategic partner in shaping the direction of the business. How have you personally embraced this change,…

Let's have an honest conversation about AI in FP&A. Maybe I won't be invited to some conferences. Most of what is sold as “AI-powered insights” is vaporware dressed up in machine learning buzzwords. I've built and sold multiple SaaS companies. I sat on either side of the vendor table. And I've been following our industry journey for the past two years trying to convince CFOs that AI will replace FP&A analysts. All vendor sales pitches promise the same fantasy: “Our AI automatically generates predictions, predicts outcomes, and provides strategic insights!” That's nonsense. That's expensive nonsense. Everyone knows it (but no…

Changes at the top of American companies are accelerating. According to the Russell Reynolds CEO Turnover Index, the global average tenure of a departing CEO will be 7.1 years in 2025, up from 8.3 years in 2021. Decreasing tolerance for poor performance and behavior, increasing activist pressure, and intensifying technological, geopolitical, demographic, and stakeholder demands are reshaping their role, favoring agility over stability. For boards, the implications are clear. CEO turnover is becoming more frequent and more significant. But while many corporate boards profess to seek “future-ready” CEOs, their selection processes often remain traditional and backward-looking. In a world defined…

Executive compensation has long been used to measure performance and retain talent. However, when boards evaluate compensation solely through the lens of compensation and retention, they invite scrutiny from investors, proxy advisors, and regulators, particularly regarding strategic alignment and long-term value creation. With increased focus on pay for performance, executive compensation program and CD&A disclosures send a message far beyond the boardroom, demonstrating the quality of governance, strategic clarity, and credibility. Effective committees not only approve pay programs, they also challenge them. They listen to opposing views, apply disciplined oversight, judgment, and consistency, and continually test alignment with strategy. To…

In an era when investors are scrutinizing every line of proxy and every dollar of dilution, public companies are increasingly turning to voting forecasts to navigate the choppy waters of proxy season. Built on data, governance insights, and disciplined scenario analysis, these probabilistic predictions are incredibly accurate, but they do not promise results; they are powerful decision support tools. They help boards, general counsel, and corporate secretaries chart a course that aligns management's strategic goals with those likely to be approved by shareholders. Purpose: To provide a sensitivity analysis of shareholder votes regarding the potential outcomes of voting items such…

Incorporation law has important legal implications for public companies and their directors, officers, and shareholders. why? This is because the major legal issues affecting corporate governance are typically regulated by the laws of the state of incorporation. Although most companies prefer Delaware, there are many differences between the states, so evaluating the best company for your company requires a case-by-case analysis. This article focuses on four areas that frequently impact shareholder litigation and provides representative examples of how they vary from state to state. Book and Records Requests Stockholders often use their right to request “books and records” to investigate…

Board engagement with AI is no longer a distant strategic consideration. As generative AI accelerates the pace of change across industries, future-ready boards are already beginning to adjust how they govern, recognizing that traditional oversight models are too slow and reactive for an AI-driven world. Their challenge is no longer whether to engage or not, but how to proactively help their organizations move faster without losing control, consistency, and trust. However, most boards are not designed for this environment. Many people are hearing the same advice: add more AI experts, approve a roadmap, get educated on AI, and start an…

Atsushi Kitamura manages a myriad of challenging responsibilities as CFO of global life science company Astellas Pharma, namely balancing global complexity with strategic clarity. Kitamura has honed his leadership skills through a career spanning industries from food services to consumer goods to car electronics—and by sticking to his principles. “I always set my principle, which is Genba, Genjitsu and Genbutsu. It’s in Japanese, but translated into English, [it means] go to the real battlefield, reality, and focus on the real issues, speak to the real people, don’t just sit down in a meeting in the office…spend time in the real…

Anshuman Yadav is a Chicago-based finance leader who provides fractional CFO services to companies. He has worked in AI, M&A as a startup founder and for large organizations. In other words, in the midst of today's most pressing financial situation. No matter what stage of growth an organization is in, whether it's acquiring funding or allocating funding, Yadav has learned a clear message for finance leaders: That means “be bold.” What are the principles you use to make capital allocation decisions today, whether you're a large technology company or an early-stage startup? I treat capital allocation as a reflection of…