Banking continues to evolve at pace. For the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in a bank, 2025 presents a unique confluence of regulatory change, digital disruption, risk pressures and capital demands. The role is no longer just about numbers and compliance: it is about shaping strategic capital deployment, strengthening resilience, and seizing growth in an environment of tightening margins and shifting customer expectations.

In this article we explore the key priorities that bank CFOs are focusing on this year, and how they can steer finance functions toward sustainable performance.

1. Capital and Liquidity Resilience

Banks face heightened regulatory expectations. According to EY, one of the leading priorities for financial institutions in 2025 is ensuring that capital and liquidity frameworks are robust enough to weather disruption. EY

CFOs must monitor risk-weighted assets, leverage ratios and liquidity coverage with precision. With interest rates elevated and loan growth under pressure, banks must optimise capital use and cost of funds. Strong capital efficiency enables banks to stay competitive, fund lending initiatives, and absorb unexpected shocks.

2. Digital Transformation and Data-Driven Finance

Finance functions in banks are undergoing a major upgrade. CFOs are investing in automation, advanced analytics and straight-through processing to reduce cost, increase speed and improve accuracy. Insights from PwC suggest modern finance leaders increasingly rely on data and predictive analytics. PwC

For banks this means deploying real-time dashboards, embedding AI in forecasting and risk monitoring, and linking financial metrics to business performance. The digital CFO ensures finance is agile, not just compliant. As in the banking industry commentary from Grant Thornton shows, the themes for 2025 include digital readiness and operational agility. Grant Thornton UK

3. Risk, Credit and Asset Quality

Credit loss pressures are still present, and banking CFOs cannot assume a benign environment. Forecasting asset-quality degradation, provisioning needs and stress-test scenarios are front of mind. The controls framework must capture emerging risks from digital lending, climate exposure and geopolitical shifts.

Regulators are also expecting stronger governance and risk frameworks. CFOs must ensure that finance, risk and operations are aligned and that throw-away buffers are minimal but adequate.

4. Cost Efficiency and Operational Precision

With margin compression and higher funding costs, cost discipline is essential. Banks must optimise operating expense, automate manual workflows and rationalise legacy systems. The finance leader is tasked with quantifying the return on tech investment and driving productivity.

Part of this is reshaping the finance organisation itself. CFOs need to embed flexible models, enable remote interfaces, and integrate finance with business units. Tools and talent must now support faster decision-making rather than simply reconciling historical data.

5. Growth-oriented Strategy and Business Model Innovation

For bank CFOs, growth is no longer about volume alone. It’s about profitable, asset-efficient growth. Whether it’s expanding into new segments (digital banking, embedded finance) or entering markets via partnerships, CFOs must evaluate strategic opportunities through the lens of capital, risk and execution.

A recent insight from Boston Consulting Group emphasised that finance functions must be built “for growth and purpose”. BCG Bank CFOs are thus engaged in portfolio reviews: which assets to grow, which to exit, and how to invest for the future while maintaining discipline.

6. Regulatory & ESG Pressures

Banking is one of the most regulated industries. In 2025 regulatory themes include real-time data reporting, climate-risk disclosure and digital operations oversight. Banks must prepare for tighter supervision, and CFOs play a central role in aligning finance with compliance.

Moreover, ESG is no longer optional. Investors and customers expect transparency in how banks manage environmental and social risk. Although some banks are reportedly scaling back dedicated sustainability teams, the underlying requirement for embedded ESG governance remains strong. Financial Times

7. Talent, Culture and Finance Agility

Today’s bank CFO must build a finance function that is resilient, data-literate and business-facing. That means attracting talent with analytics, automation and strategic mindset. It also means shifting culture — finance must partner with business units, not just report to them.

Survey data from Protiviti indicates CFOs are prioritising agile decision-making and cross-functional collaboration. protiviti.com For banks, this could mean co-location of finance and business teams, product-finance hybrids and continuous learning.

8. Stakeholder Communication and Investor Confidence

Bank CFOs are serving multiple stakeholders: shareholders, regulators, internal business units, and sometimes public entities. Transparent, timely, data-driven reporting that links strategy to performance is essential. CFOs must effectively articulate capital plans, risk exposures, and digital transformations to markets.

The narrative banks present to investors now carries weight — with regulatory and strategic pressures making every mis-statement costly. CFOs must maintain credibility and relevance.

Putting It All Together

In a single year, the bank CFO’s agenda spans capital, technology, risk, efficiency, growth and communication. The challenge is sequencing — deciding where to focus first and how to manage dependencies. For example, digital investment must align with operational cost reduction; risk frameworks must support new growth models; and capital must enable transformation.

A successful CFO in 2025 will adopt a framework of five imperatives:

1. Solid capital & liquidity base

2. Connected, data-enabled finance operating model

3. Risk-aware growth strategy

4. Lean, agile operations

5. Transparent stakeholder engagement

When these elements align, a bank positions itself not merely to endure disruption but to lead through it.

Conclusion

For bank CFOs, 2025 is a year of transition and opportunity. The external environment is complex — but complexity brings clarity: those who sharpen discipline, adopt digital methods, manage risk proactively and articulate strategy clearly will set themselves apart.

The CFO is shifting from watchdog to strategist. By focusing on capital efficiency, technology, risk and stakeholder alignment, banks can push through margin pressure, regulatory hurdles and competitive threats. What matters most is that finance leads transformation rather than reacts to it.

Banks that succeed will have CFOs who not only ensure compliance but drive value, innovate business models and anticipate what comes next.