The Board Intelligence Think Tank, in partnership with the ICAEW, Accounting for Sustainability and Odgers Berndtson, have launched a research inquiry into the CFO’s role in creating a fairer future. We’re bringing together CFOs at our events, interviewing leading CFOs and developing thought leadership. 

Social challenges like the cost-of-living crisis and climate change are fast becoming issues that directly impact the bottom line. Navigating these risks and making our businesses resilient to them is increasingly part of the CFO's job. Stakeholder expectations are higher, investors are focusing on ESG, and the modern CFO’s role is rapidly changing away from solely financial matters.

We want to hear from you. You can get involved in the inquiry by responding to our survey.

“The CFO is critical. If you don’t have the CFO’s buy-in, there’s no point in trying to start doing purpose . . . the finance department can block things every which way they want.”

~ Dame Carolyn McCall, CEO, ITV plc

Dr Scarlett Brown

Director, Board Intelligence Think Tank

Get involved

How can and should the CFO be involved in creating a fairer future? Is your role aligned with your own — and your company’s — purpose and values? Or is it irresponsible to spend shareholder funds on philanthropic aims? Complete the survey to let us know your views.

“Twenty years ago, few CFOs were spending time thinking about issues like climate or social justice. Today that is simply no longer the case.”
~ Sally Lake, Group Chief Financial Officer, Beazley plc
Take the survey

Ideas from our CFO Community
Alison Dolan: “Look to yourself to embrace new things.”
Alison Dolan, CFO at Rightmove, discusses the…
Louise Britnell: “Rampant short-termism is a real and credible danger to making progress.”
Louise Britnell, CFO at The Co-operative Bank…
Duncan Magrath: “Lead by example and by doing the right thing.”
Duncan Magrath, CFO at Alfa Financial Software,…
Brad Greve: “Businesses need talent, communities need fair representation, and everyone needs a chance.”
Brad Greve, CFO at BAE Systems, shares insights…
Candida Davies: “We don’t just want to deliver on time, we want to be sure we did it in the right way.”
Candida (Candy) Davies, CFO at RWS Group,…
Peter Burrows: “One of the greatest challenges is making sense of that data so you can communicate it.”
Peter Burrows, CEO of Cambridge Building Society,…
Declan Hourican: “We can't fight fraud on our own, we need all stakeholders to help us tackle it.”
Declan Hourican, CFO at TSB Bank, highlights…
Andy Morrow: “If you have a business that is anti-societal then that’s a problem.”
Public Digital's CFO, Andy Morrow, shares his…
Romaney O'Malley: “Ensure you’re getting an outcome that’s good for everyone, and not just your bottom line.”
Romaney O'Malley, bolttech's Group CFO, shares…
Clare Swindell: “Take a broad strategic view of your business beyond the typical CFO agenda.”
Camelot's Co-CEO, Clare Swindell, shares insights…
Sarah Pollard: “It's not just a question of capturing data but it's knowing what your destination is.”
Sarah Pollard, CFO at PZ Cussons plc, explains…
Jeff Davies: “We’ve got clarity on what it looks like to be doing the right thing.”
Here, Jeff shares the importance of prioritising…
Fay Cooke: “The power to instigate change lies with corporates.”
Here, Fay shares her perspective on the CFO's…
Jenny Hanlon: “I relish not being the CFO you would expect to meet.”
Here, Jenny shares her thoughts on how to best…
Joel Ripley: “The perennial challenge is taking data to information, to insight, to action.”
Here, Joel shares how CFOs can contribute to a…
Sally Lake, CFO, Beazley PLC: “The scariest thing for CFOs today is also the most exciting thing — it’s change.”
Sally Lake, Group Finance Director at Beazley…
Patrick Butcher: “Our superpower as a species is our ability to cooperate.”
In our latest CFO interview, Patrick Butcher,…
Stuart Jackson, CFO, Octopus Energy: “Let things go and see what flourishes.”
Stuart Jackson, CFO and co-founder of Octopus…
Andy Boteler, CFO, Riverford: “Net zero is a chance to say yes.”
Andy Boteler, CFO at Riverford Organic Farmers,…
Inspiration and guidance

Join the Think Tank community

Sign up to hear more about the Think Tank research and insights, including:

  • Interviews with inspiring leaders.
  • Upcoming events.
  • Future research and thought leadership.
  • Guides and practical advice to tackle tomorrow’s challenges.

“The sooner you start to think about your legacy and what you’ll be remembered for, the more likely you are to start thinking about things that have lasting impacts into the future.”
~ Steve Holliday, Chair of Cityfibre and Vice Chair of Business in the Community
Close