CFOs focus on cash flow as AI use rises in finance

American Express has found that global finance leaders are placing greater emphasis on cash flow and finance management, according to a survey of 999 senior finance executives across 14 countries.

The research suggests a shift in how chief financial officers and other senior finance leaders are spending their time as economic and geopolitical pressures persist. Rather than spreading efforts across every external threat, respondents said they are focusing more on internal financial controls and day-to-day operational priorities.

Three-quarters of those surveyed, or 74%, said cash flow and finance management now take up more of their role, up from 65% a year earlier. Over the same period, responsibility for geopolitical and economic risk planning fell to 30% from 42%, while scenario modelling dropped to 24% from 41%.

That shift appears set to continue. Half of respondents said cash flow management would be most likely to demand their attention over the next 12 months, making it the leading priority tested in the survey.

Working capital

Pressure on working capital remains widespread. Some 94% of respondents reported some level of strain, while 55% identified growing working capital as a strategic priority.

Finance teams are responding by placing more weight on forecasting and automation. The share prioritising improved forecasting to address an actual or potential shortage of working capital rose to 44% from 32% year on year. The proportion increasing automation rose to 43% from 32%.

Automation is also becoming more prominent in payments operations. More than eight in 10 respondents, or 82%, said their organisation was making significant investment in automating business-to-business payments.

Respondents linked payment automation to several operational benefits, including improved liquidity, greater efficiency, faster payments and lower costs. The findings indicate that finance leaders view changes in treasury and payments processes as a practical response to tighter conditions rather than a standalone technology project.

Ruchi Sharma, Vice President, UK Commercial, American Express, outlined that view.

"Economic and geopolitical headwinds aren't going away, but finance leaders are changing how they respond to them. CFOs have spent the past few years strengthening their ability to navigate uncertainty and are now putting greater emphasis on the areas where they can have the most direct impact - cash flow, working capital and forecasting. It's not about ignoring external risk; it's about building resilience by focusing on what businesses can control and improve," Sharma said.

AI focus

Alongside that shift, the survey found that artificial intelligence is becoming more prominent in finance departments. The proportion of respondents naming AI implementation as a top digital transformation priority rose to 57% from 39% a year earlier.

Three-fifths of respondents, or 59%, said AI was already producing measurable improvements in areas such as cash flow, forecasting accuracy and working capital management. That places the technology within core finance processes rather than at the margins of experimentation.

At the same time, the findings point to a gap between adoption and confidence. AI was the area finance leaders felt least confident adapting to, despite the increase in investment and use. More than a third, or 38%, also cited the rapid evolution of AI technology as the main barrier to achieving their strategic goals.

The contrast suggests that finance chiefs are willing to expand AI use while remaining cautious about governance, oversight and implementation risks. For many, the appeal appears to lie in targeted applications that support forecasting, payment workflows and liquidity planning, rather than broad transformation programmes.

The survey covered senior finance executives, vice presidents and chief financial officers at large organisations. Respondents came from markets including the UK, the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, China, India, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia, spanning a range of industries.

Sharma said the survey showed finance teams were taking a measured approach to AI as part of wider efforts to strengthen financial management. "Technology is becoming central to how CFOs strengthen the fundamentals of finance. The research demonstrates they are seeing tangible benefits from AI but also taking a pragmatic approach - firstly proving its value in core finance processes, building confidence and governance around it, and progressing from there," Sharma said.