European Union High Resolution Question Mark Concept
The first half of 2025 was defined by uncertainty. Amid recurring threats of U.S. tariffs—often followed by sudden walk-backs—investors largely shrugged off the financial risks. Yet for corporate finance teams, the biggest challenge so far this year hasn’t been the tariffs themselves but building resilience in an environment where policy U-turns have become the norm.
Although less than ideal, companies can adapt to tariffs, reroute supply chains, adjust regional exposure, and recalibrate pricing. However, when the rules of the game keep changing without warning or consistency, long-term planning becomes guesswork. Unfortunately, that’s the situation finance teams around the world find themselves in.
Lucanet recently released our 2025 Finance Leadership Panel report. We spoke with seasoned finance leaders across Europe about how they are coping with the rapidly changing external world. Sixty-six percent of them cited economic uncertainty and business volatility as their top concerns—above regulatory compliance, digital transformation, and cost pressures.
Panelist Kathrin Strous, CFO at Zwiesel Kristallglas AG, sums it up succinctly: “One of our biggest priorities right now is the tariff war between the USA and all affected countries.” This sentiment echoes the wider market.
The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) World Uncertainty Index has surged past pandemic-era highs, signaling a systemic challenge that goes beyond cyclical volatility. In response, forward-looking finance leaders are rethinking how their organizations do strategy, forecasting, and scenario planning. Static annual budgeting is giving way to agile, driver-based forecasting and dynamic scenario analyses—often recalibrated monthly, if not weekly.
Our research shows finance leaders moving their scenario planning from generic “best-/worst-case” models to targeted, business-specific micro scenarios based on real-time visibility. These are centered around tariff impacts, supply-chain friction, currency swings, energy futures, and regulatory shocks. Armed with this granularity, finance teams are making faster, more informed pivots when necessary, such as reconfiguring supply chains, adjusting pricing, or reallocating investments across geographies.
Digital Transformation: Key to CFO Strategy
Artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating this evolution. Where it might have taken a finance professional weeks to build a single version of a model in spreadsheets, a skilled user of AI and data engineering can now build and compare multiple scenarios in parallel in just a few minutes. In many organizations, this is transforming scenario planning from a periodic exercise to a continuous capability with evergreen models that update automatically as new data flows in.
“AI enables us to analyze vast amounts of data with precision, identify trends and patterns, and make informed strategic decisions,” explains Christian von Obstfelder, technical controller for IBYKUS AG and a member of our expert panel.
“AI can predict future outcomes and build different scenarios into planning fast,” adds Quincy Vaz, finance manager for Creators of the Outside World B.V.
That’s the ideal, but reality hasn’t always caught up to that vision. Too often, finance teams are still weighed down by fragmented systems, manual reconciliation, and outdated data processes. Forty-three percent of our panel cited “too much manual effort” as a top pain point—even as they try to become more strategic. That’s why top-performing CFOs are investing heavily in digital transformation. More than two-thirds of our respondents listed automation and digitalization as a top priority for the remainder of 2025. Notably, nearly three-quarters are actively investing in data integration—a critical enabler of cross-functional visibility and real-time insight. One in five is planning projects in the next 12 months.
“The role of the CFO in the organization is to improve the effectiveness of finance and to add more technology in the business,” explains panelist Jan Luis, CFO of Dormio Group B.V.
The impact of intelligent, AI-infused software can extend far beyond automation to reshape forecasting entirely. Agentic AI that learns, adapts, and collaborates is becoming the next frontier in forecasting both cash and broader business trends. Such systems simulate outcomes, flag anomalies, and suggest decisions. Most finance leaders agree that CFOs with the right data, governance, and AI-based systems in place are finding that their roles are becoming more strategic.
As panel member Ulrich Kaschke, head of accounting at DVA International, puts it: “What is valued most today in finance is highly trained people with intuition and empathy.” Strategic thinking, ethical judgment, and diverse communication are the human skills that define the finance team of tomorrow. AI, when used responsibly, is their enabler.
The CFO as a Business Unifier
Ultimately, what emerges from our 2025 Finance Leadership Panel is a picture of the modern CFO as a unifying force across the business. Finance is no longer a back-office cost center; it’s the connective tissue driving growth, resilience, and value creation in all corners of the business, from HR to sales, IT, and board-level planning.
Another facet of our findings is that European CFOs are now measured not just on profits and losses (P&L), but also on growth enablement; technological progress; organizational resilience; and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) outcomes. High ESG scores can improve an organization’s access to capital and reduce its borrowing costs—if and only if the data is accurate, integrated, and auditable. As regulatory frameworks like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) evolve, finance leaders are positioned to translate ESG outcomes into measurable financial terms.
The best CFOs aren’t just managing change, they’re driving it. They’ve accepted that disruption isn’t temporary, and they’re building finance teams that thrive on complexity, recognizing the real competitive advantage of facing uncertainty head-on. Moreover, by embedding agility into their planning, using data to inform cross-functional decisions, and using AI-enhanced tools to generate insights rather than just automate tasks, these CFOs are turning volatility management into a strategic advantage.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and there’s reason for cautious optimism right now. While the long-term impacts of tariffs will continue to challenge businesses, they have also spurred innovation. The most forward-thinking CFOs are seizing this opportunity to proactively improve systems and enhance visibility into their businesses, ultimately positioning themselves for success in the long run.
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