While Irish CFOs report that the scope of their activities is widening, efforts to build up ESG skills are lagging.

A survey of 151 CFOs and finance leaders found 59% claim they are satisfied in their roles at the moment and 40% say they are either happy or excited in their current job.

The research by EY shows CFOs are increasingly playing a strategic role in their organisations beyond the narrow confines of the traditional finance function.

However, despite more than half reporting an increased focus on ESG and non-financial reporting, only 15% of financial leaders see building skills in non-financial/ESG reporting as a priority for the next five years, and just 6% aim to increase the sophistication of their non-financial reporting over the same period, down from 15% in 2022.

The research suggests a need to upgrade skills in the finance function’s non-financial/ESG performance monitoring and reporting capability.

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