Modern CFOs can no longer rely on the same playbooks that worked for their predecessors. For them, changes in global economic conditions are happening all around, which will go on. In response, CFOs will need to design and put into practice this integrated, proactive approach to risk management ensuring that they can thrive rather than just survive. Companies which tend to be reactive and follow the industry leaders often miss the opportunities that crises present. The recommendations below will focus on cultural and organization-wide initiatives that CFOs can take.

Embrace a Risk-Aware Culture

Risk-management needs to be part of the company culture which is initiated and practiced by the leaders. Effective risk-taking which considers the wider impact of their decisions must be celebrated and supported. CFOs must engage in open communication and institute practices that empower employees to identify and report risks while also encouraging initiatives which mitigate it. 

There should be a clear and comprehensive framework for risk management including:

• Delineation of clear roles
• Responsibilities allocated to individual stakeholders
• Accountability for different aspects of risk management.

The risk management framework will only be effective if it aligns with the strategic objectives of the company and further aids in the decision-making process.

After embracing the culture comes cultivating it – which requires leadership commitment and ongoing education and training initiatives. These can be internal training sessions or can utilize external experts who would communicate the importance of risk management and help management reward those taking the most initiative in identifying and mitigating risks. Management recognition of leaders in risk management could be very useful in motivating employees.

Conduct Comprehensive Risk Assessments

Risk assessments need to consider internal and external factors, be specific to the organization (no cookie-cutter short-term fixes), and be part of a broader framework that is tied in to strategic business objectives. 

If risk is considered a standalone priority with no wider business impact, it will not receive the buy-in of the middle-management who are critical to the success of any risk-management program. Internal risks may include operational inefficiencies, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, talent retention challenges, or compliance issues, while external risks can range from economic downturns, supply chain disruptions, and competitive threats to regulatory changes, geopolitical instability, and environmental factors.

Risks must be assessed on a scale of both their livelihood and the potential impact they may have on the organization. Here, we must consider the framework popularized by the “Black Swan” concept where those risks which are unlikely but could potentially be disastrous to the business must be prioritized over risks that are less dangerous. 

Strengthen Financial Resilience

Financial resilience refers to the capacity of businesses to react to a shift in economic or market conditions that could harm them. This means that companies should be able to diversify revenue streams across what they produce and sell. Similarly, diversifying the markets they play in can allow companies to suffer less when growth in their primary markets slow down. 

Sector-specific downturns and localized economic shocks can be weathered if a company is nimble enough to focus on markets which are doing better providing a buffer compared to competitors. The capital structure must contain enough liquidity to prevent business interruption. Modern finance once again recognizes the critical role of cash in business and contingency measures must be put in place to meet key obligations.

Other ways to finance (such as asset-backed loans or securitization), hedge using forward contracts and futures to cover currency risk; all these can be used to decrease risk. For businesses that depend on debt for operations, and the debt conditions are too tight, then amending them can greatly affect their financial strength.

Optimize Cost Structures and Operational Efficiency

The company’s cost structures and operational processes must be reviewed critically especially during highly volatile economic conditions such as the ones we face today. Companies need to identify areas of cost optimization and implement operational initiatives to streamline operations and enhance productivity. These must be applied to drive operational efficiencies, improve decision-making processes and reduce administrative burdens. 

However, companies must take a measured approach towards implementing these policies. Short-term efficiency should not come at the expense of long-term competitiveness. Thus, critical buffers and competencies must be guarded.

Foster Agility and Adaptability

Agility and adaptability are essential to take advantage of the range of emerging opportunities from AI to lithium-ion batteries to different sources of energy. A culture that rewards calculated risk-taking with an eye of innovation is crucial. Regular reviews of strategic plans, risk mitigation strategies and contingency plans can be very useful if paired with employee upskilling to allow the company to take advantage of new opportunities. 

Companies should also consider growing inorganically as a proactive attitude towards partnerships and acquisitions which can unlock new markets and capabilities which may take a long time to develop organically.

Strengthen Governance, Compliance, and Ethical Conduct

Compliance and governance procedures must be strong from the beginning. Establishing a strong framework of corporate governance is necessary in order to keep the company going for a long time, and it should be implemented across all levels of the organization.

Companies should always follow the best practices and standards in their corporate governance as these are ever-changing. The largest changes occur with regulation and compliance standards being changed. 

However, leading companies don’t just adopt new regulations they also stay on top of innovations in this area since public companies’ investor perception is highly affected by it. A failure in corporate governance is not only a legal problem but also poses great risk to how investors or market participants view the firm.

However, the challenge with such an approach lies in that it’s easier said than done especially if we were to compare implementing controls during startup phase versus when dealing with large-scale operations. It is also a pre-requisite to ensuring external investors are interested in partnering with the company. 

Leverage Technology and Data Analytics

The top companies in any industry today have embraced data-backed risk management and enhanced their capabilities significantly by investing in advanced analytics tools, predictive modeling techniques and incorporation of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms in all areas of their business. 

This allows them to identify emerging risks based on macro and localized events, forecast the potential impacts on their business and decide how best to respond to them.

Given the multitude of options offered by emerging technologies, companies would do well to incorporate real-time monitoring and reporting across all functions of the business. This will also necessitate significant investments in cybersecurity and data privacy to ensure the safety and compliance of data handling. 

Cultivate Resilient Supply Chains 

All businesses have realized the importance of robust supply chains over the past year. The twin impacts of rising costs of fuel and the global shipping route disruption means that businesses in all industries have had to grapple with supply chain shocks. In this CFO guide, it must be clear that the bottom line can get severely impacted with every new disruption. A thorough risk assessment of the supply chain to identify potential vulnerabilities, points of singular supplier dependence and exposure to geopolitical, environmental, or transportation risks is an essential annual exercise.

Other options for improving the risk profile of supply chains are to invest in nearshoring or reshoring critical operational areas, leveraging real-time tracking and monitoring systems and investing heavily in data analytics to improve supply chain visibility, improving inventory management by giving a better overview of the system and enhancing responsiveness to fluctuations in demand.

Takeaways & The Sustainable Path Forward

Internal control is not just a “nice to have” , it is a critical part of business strategy. And, the need for proactive and comprehensive risk-management is no longer an optional activity for fractional CFOs but a core part of their job. In order to truly insulate the company against major risks and safeguard the financial stability and reputation of companies, CFOs must institute risk-management practices across different departments of the organizations. 

A risk-aware culture which proactively identifies and manages risks while empowering employees to take calculated risks themselves is the only sustainable path forward.

While new tools and technologies are seemingly cropping up everyday, organizations need to be keenly aware of the importance of investing in their culture and being proactive. Encourage a growth mindset within employees and consistently challenge how things have been done in the past.

This article is written by Shamsul Nawed Nafees, CFA –  ex-PwC consultant who led their strategy consulting unit in Bangladesh. He now heads internal controls and strategy at Hishab Technologies, Bangladesh’s first Generative AI startup with Bengali LLM capability. Nawed is an MBA student for the class of 2026 for the Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.