What priorities have German CFOs and financial leaders set for the next 12 months? What changes do they envisage? How happy are they in their current position? In which areas of finance are German companies currently recruiting? Read our factsheet to see how the views and plans of financial leaders in Germany compare with the rest of the world.

1. GLOBAL INSIGHTS
CFO & FINANCIAL LEADERSHIP
BAROMETER
As priorities return to core value creation,
what’s top of mind for GERMAN CFOs & FINANCIAL LEADERS?
To SUCCESSFULLY DEAL with a broader remit, German financial leaders must combine STRATEGIC
THINKING with excellent SKILLS IN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, communication and change leadership
Today’s German CFO unites in-depth financial expertise with additional capabilities in IT,
legal, HR and procurement – DO YOU HAVE THE TALENT YOU NEED?
GERMANY
Process optimisation 71.6% 59.6%
Cost optimisation 59.1% 61.1%
Cash & liquidity management 40.3% 48.2%
ERP implementation 30.7% 23.3%
Mergers & acquisitions 27.3% 21.4%
Financial risk management 21.0% 30.8%
Transfer pricing 15.3% 12.7%
Implementation of new policies 48.9% 50.0%
Software implementation(s) 47.2% 47.0%
Centralisation 36.4% 23.9%
Shared service centers 29.5% 25.5%
Outsourcing 15.9% 13.6%
Insourcing 8.5% 6.4%
Decentralisation 4.0% 7.4%
No significant changes 19.3% 18.8%
The figures on this infographic are based on responses from 176 German financial leaders.
Legal
38.5%
Global: 36.5%
Human Resources
44.2%
Global: 33.7%
Procurement
& Supply chain
28.8%
Global: 23.6%
IT
57.7%
Global: 41.1%
Administration
51.9%
Global: 57.6%
Finance
100%
Global: 100%
In the current scope of German CFOs
Changes planned over the next 12 months
Top priorities over the next 12 months
Global:
As their roles become
broader and more strategic,
GERMAN FINANCIAL
LEADERS are GENERALLY
HAPPY in their position
HAPPY
65.9%
Global: 75.0%
UNHAPPY
34.1%
Global: 25.0%
Almost 3 out of 4 German
companies find it
difficult to hire the right
financial talent – ARE YOU
RECRUITING THE TALENT
YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS?
NOTEASY
72.7%
Global: 65.9%
EASY
27.3%
Global: 34.1%
Where do German CFOs see themselves in two years’ time?
Once regarded as a stepping-stone to CEO,
the CFO role is now A CAREER AMBITION in its own right
Same
position with
a larger remit
42.3%
Same
position
38.5%
Interim
manager
Global: 2.7% Global: 1.7%Global: 24.0%Global: 43.1%
1.9%
CEO or
Managing
Director
1.9%
= ==
Please, note that figures marked in orange or green are significantly below / above the global average.
As their own role diversifies, more than half of German
financial leaders are ACTIVELY looking TO RECRUIT
experts to take on core finance functions
Controlling
31.2%
Global: 24.9%
Accounting
19.3%
Global: 23.0%
Cash management
7.4%
Global: 8.5%
Risk management
8.5%
Global: 6.3%
Financial planning
& analysis
8.5%
Global: 19.8%
Global:
German financial leaders are mostly recruiting for…