Is your finance function ready for what’s next?

11 Jun 2026

 By Lauren McCluskey, AAB 

The desk of the CFO is a strange and wonderful place, akin to Mary Poppins’ bag, but in a growing business, it’s also where the question “are we ready for what’s next?” gets answered every day. From compliance and audit through to funding rounds, acquisitions, and investor engagement, the modern finance function sits at the centre of growth and decision-making. 

As businesses scale and enter more complex environments, whether that’s group reporting, external investment, or transaction preparation, the demands on finance increase significantly. The question is no longer just whether the finance function works today, but whether it is built for what comes next. 

Is your finance leadership equipped for growth, complexity, and scrutiny?

A CFO is expected to cover a wide and increasingly complex remit: finance, compliance, audit, funding, acquisitions, investor relations, and more. At the same time, they must lead teams, ensure succession planning, and maintain operational control. 

In many growing businesses, the CFO is also the most senior finance professional in a largely non-finance environment. This naturally creates pressure on bandwidth, with limited capacity to move beyond day-to-day execution into strategic leadership. 

Questions to consider: 

• Do we have the financial leadership capacity to support our growth trajectory?  
• Are we prepared for increased scrutiny from investors, lenders, or potential acquirers?  
• Can our finance function handle increasing complexity (group structures, reporting, entities)?  
• Are we focused on strategy, or consumed by operational delivery?  

Is your current finance structure limiting your ability to scale?

For many growing businesses, the challenge becomes one of capacity rather than capability. Leadership teams, often founders, find themselves stretched across multiple critical responsibilities, including finance. 

At this stage, finance can shift from enabling growth to constraining it, particularly where reporting demands, compliance requirements, or fundraising activity intensify. 

Questions to consider: 

• Is our current structure limiting our ability to scale effectively?  
• Are financial decisions becoming reactive rather than planned?  
• Where are we most exposed during periods of accelerated growth or transactions?  
• Are we building a finance function that scales with the business - or one that holds it back?  

When does it make sense to rethink the traditional CFO model?

The CFO role is deeply embedded within a business, and at its best, the CEO–CFO relationship is a critical partnership, aligned on strategy, risk, and decision-making, while also providing constructive challenge. 

For many organisations, the challenge is not whether they need CFO-level expertise, but how to access it in a way that is flexible, scalable, and aligned to evolving needs. 

Traditionally, outsourcing finance meant a more detached, transactional model, often focused on reporting cycles and KPIs, with limited integration into day-to-day decision-making. As a result, it could feel disconnected from leadership and reactive in nature. 

However, this model has evolved significantly. The most effective modern approach is not about removing finance from the business but embedding senior expertise in a way that flexes with need, particularly during funding rounds, transactions, and periods of rapid growth. 

Importantly, this also requires a mindset shift. The most effective CFO relationships operate as a true extension of the leadership team, where CEO and CFO are aligned on risk, able to challenge one another constructively, and jointly shape strategic direction. 

Questions to consider: 

• What level of CFO support do we need to reach our next milestone (funding, acquisition, exit)?  
• Do we need continuous leadership, or support around key events and decisions?  
• How quickly could we access experienced financial expertise if required?  
• Would a more flexible model better reflect our stage of growth?  
• Are we ready for a CFO model that is embedded in leadership, not external to it?  

What does ‘good’ look like in a finance function under pressure?

There is no single model for a high-performing finance function. What matters most is clarity around what the business needs to operate and grow with confidence. 

Strong finance functions combine technical capability with cultural alignment. This is critical: success is not defined by structure alone, but by trust, communication, and the ability of leadership and finance to challenge each other constructively. 

Finance teams are not just reporting engines; they are risk partners. They provide insight and guidance that enable sustainable growth. Without alignment on risk appetite between CEO and CFO, even the most technically strong function will struggle to deliver value. 

Increasingly, businesses are achieving this balance by combining internal capability with external expertise, accessing senior leadership in a flexible way rather than relying solely on a single permanent hire. 

Questions to consider: 

• What does “investor-ready” or “exit-ready” look like for our business?  
• Is there alignment on risk appetite across leadership?  
• Can our finance function support external stakeholders with confidence and clarity?  
• Does finance actively support decision-making, or simply report outcomes?  

How do you build a finance function that scales with growth, funding, and change?

Effective finance functions are built on clarity, integration, and adaptability. Clear expectations, defined outcomes, and strong communication are essential. 

Where external or outsourced support is introduced, success depends on integration, not separation. The most effective models operate as part of the leadership team, contributing to decisions in real time rather than acting as a disconnected reporting layer. 

Finance is not about perfection. It is about enabling informed decisions with the best available information and adapting as the business evolves. 

Questions to consider: 

• Have we defined what finance needs to deliver during key events (fundraising, audit, transaction)?  
• Is finance embedded in decision-making, or operating in isolation?  
• Are we prepared for due diligence or investor scrutiny at short notice?  
• Does our finance function scale with the pace of business growth?  

Final thoughts

A strong finance function is not defined by structure alone, but by readiness, readiness for growth, for scrutiny, and for change. 

As businesses scale, the demands placed on finance increase quickly. Many organisations are addressing this by adopting more flexible models of financial leadership, combining internal teams with external expertise through an extended “Office of the CFO.” 

This approach provides access to senior capability when it is needed most, without the constraints of traditional structures. But its success depends on more than structure alone, it relies on alignment, trust, and a leadership team willing to integrate finance into decision-making rather than treat it as a separate function. 

So, the question remains: is your finance function ready for what’s next? If this is a question you're asking yourself, please do not hesitate to get in contact with Lauren McCluskey, a member of our Office of the CFO team, or your usual AAB contact.