How the real-world experiences of finance leaders align with Gartner’s 2025 priorities
Gartner has identified five key storylines that will shape the way finance technology is bought and sold in 2025. From AI adoption to talent transformation, these themes reflect the evolving demands placed on modern finance functions.
But what do these priorities look like in real life?
In 2024, we posed a simple question to finance leaders on The CFO Playbook, :
“What does ‘Liberate Finance’ mean to you?”
The responses were anything but simple. They revealed the practical realities, frustrations, and aspirations that shape the finance function today. In their own words, CFOs and finance leaders described a world where transformation is personal, automation is liberating, and finance has a voice far beyond the numbers.
Here’s how their views align with Gartner’s top five finance technology themes and what businesses can learn from those already living them.
1. AI and Automation: From Process to Possibility
Gartner’s priority: Integrate AI into strategic finance operations to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency.
That could be an automation tool… so that you can liberate your team.
—Huiming Chen
Automation was never the goal. The real outcome is time. Time for the finance team to shift focus from repetitive tasks to strategic thinking. Chen’s view reflects a common theme among modern finance leaders: that automation is not about replacing people but unlocking their value.
Through systems and data, a lot of the boring stuff… can be automated.
—Helen Ashton
When automation takes over admin, finance can step into a more creative, more challenging role, one that influences direction rather than documents history.
2. Transformation Is Cultural, Not Just Technical
Gartner’s priority: Navigating the complexities of finance transformation initiatives requires strong change management and strategic alignment.
I would just love that complete rebrand to happen, but I do not think it has happened yet.
—Mark Freedman
Transformation is not just about adopting new systems—it is about redefining what finance means inside the business. For many leaders, that rebrand remains unfinished.
We need to change the expectations of what finance can do.
—Helen Ashton
Throw the playbook out… you do not need to be stuck in the old ways.
—Mehjabeen Patrick
Together, these quotes highlight the human side of transformation. Real change happens when perceptions shift, when finance stops being seen as the function of “no” and starts being recognised as a source of challenge, value, and clarity.
3. Data and Insight: From Retrospective to Real-Time
Gartner’s priority: Advancing data management and analytics for actionable insight.
Ensure that great business decisions are made using the data we have.
—Baron Anyangwe
Finance leaders want better tools, but more than that, they want better conversations. Conversations backed by real-time data and visible patterns, not end-of-month surprises. Data becomes insight when it is trusted, timely, and tied to decisions. Knowing when to use this insight to challenge, where to optimise, and how to make better decisions at speed.
We have got to be showing our other executives why the dollar invested in finance is returning value…
—Myles Corson
4. Planning for Agility, Not Just Accuracy
Gartner’s priority: Enhancing financial planning and budgeting through technology to improve forecasting.
You have got to be quicker, you have got to be more nimble.
—Helen Ashton
Planning has long been the cornerstone of financial management, but today, it is speed and adaptability that matter most. Finance needs to respond in real time, support faster decisions, and shape strategy with confidence.
Tools that provide visibility not just at the end of the month but at the point of spend, are critical. With greater automation and access to data, finance teams can move from gatekeepers to enablers, from guardians to guides.
5. Empowering a Modern Finance Workforce
Gartner’s priority: Building a tech-savvy finance team to drive innovation.
Liberate finance for me is about empowerment and accountability.
—Huiming Chen
Empowering finance teams is not about handing over control – it is about enabling smart, responsible autonomy. Chen articulates this dual responsibility: equip people with the tools and frameworks they need, then trust them to act.
None of this is possible without the strong talent and support of the people around you.
—Chris Striano
We want to be at the heart of strategy and decision making.
—Myles Corson
The finance leaders shaping the future are not just technically skilled; they are collaborative, strategic, and comfortable leading change. And they are building teams to match.
Final Thought: A Human Lens on a Tech-Driven Future
Gartner’s top five finance tech priorities offer a clear view of the function’s future. But it is the voices of those leading the change that bring these trends to life.
Finance will continue to evolve through AI, analytics, transformation and new tools. But the real transformation, the one that makes it all work, starts with people. People who are rethinking what finance can be, and showing how liberation is not about lost control, but value gained.
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