Finance Alliance research shows that a growing majority of finance leaders are now expected to influence strategy, operating models, and enterprise decision-making alongside traditional responsibilities such as reporting, control, and governance (Finance Alliance State of Finance Transformation Report). This keynote examines how the CFO role is changing in practice as expectations expand faster than the structures designed to support them. It focuses on how CFOs decide where to lean in, where to redesign the function around themselves, and how to sustain authority, credibility, and pace without becoming the default escalation point. Key takeaways: - Clarify which expectations now define modern CFO leadership beyond financial stewardship. - Identify where direct CFO involvement creates the most enterprise value, and where systems, teams, or guardrails must take over. - Understand how leading CFOs balance operational rigor with broader influence across growth, risk, and performance. - Reframe how finance shows up across the business as the role continues to widen.