CFO to CEO: The pathway is shifting

The pathway to CEO is shifting, and the CFO is increasingly at its centre. Now in its second year, the Future CEO report, produced in collaboration between Livingston James and EY, captures the views of more than 200 CEOs, non-executive directors and senior leaders across Scotland’s private, public and third sectors. The research explores succession readiness, board priorities and the capabilities that will define the next generation of chief executives.

A clear theme this year is the growing prominence of the CFO-to-CEO transition.

As organisations navigate economic volatility, AI adoption, regulatory scrutiny and heightened stakeholder expectations, boards are placing greater value on leaders with strong financial discipline, governance acumen and enterprise-wide perspective.

The modern CFO is no longer solely the steward of performance and risk, but a strategic partner shaping long-term value creation and organisational resilience.

While confidence in internal succession has improved, many boards still lack a “ready-now” successor, reinforcing the importance of deliberate leadership development and exposure beyond the finance function.

For ICAS members, the message is clear: The skills developed within the finance leadership pathway are increasingly aligned to the demands of the Future CEO. 

Read the report

This blog is one of a series of articles from our commercial partners. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of ICAS.

Livingston James is a sister business of Rutherford Cross, an ICAS commercial partner, and part of the Livingston James Group.