Four Finance and Accounting Trends Reshaping Careers Today

With mid-year now in sight, it's a good moment to consider what the coming months may bring. While precise prediction is impossible, research can reveal the trends most likely to shape the year ahead. A survey of nearly 1,500 finance and accounting professionals in managerial and leadership positions by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), highlights four significant trends that are set to impact the finance profession in 2026:

1. AI will transform the finance function – but future readiness is key

There are concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) is a bubble about to burst. Nevertheless, 88% of survey respondents believe AI will be the technology trend that most affects the finance profession over the next 12 to 24 months. This finding reflects the explosion of interest in AI technologies in recent years and organisations investing in AI projects. The next two most significant technology trends are data analytics (59%) and cybersecurity (54%), both of which have grown in importance over the past couple years. Together, these three technological developments are viewed as foundational for the transformation of finance functions.

Yet while AI and other emerging technologies are expected to have a transformational impact in 2026 and beyond, organisations are not yet ready to handle them. Just 8% of respondents think their organisation is “very well prepared” for AI, with 39% rating their preparedness as either “not at all prepared” or “slightly prepared”. Finance professionals can play a critical role in closing this readiness gap by building the skills and knowledge needed to effectively deploy and leverage AI and other emerging technologies.

2. Human capital, skills and talent will be recognised as enablers of technological adoption

We hear a lot about AI replacing jobs, but our analysis of the survey suggests that rather than replacing human capital, skills and talent, technological progress is fundamentally human-driven. Advances in technology are being shaped by people’s leadership and skills, as well as organisational strategies. Skills shortages are highlighted as the top barrier to technology adoption, cited by 50% of respondents. The reality is that unless organisations have visionary leaders and skilled employees, they will struggle to adopt the new technologies that could transform their business models.

A lack of human skills is also the main barrier to organisational productivity (cited by 41% of respondents). Other human-related factors are hindering improvements in productivity, emphasising the importance of empowering and upskilling people. These factors include low motivation (37%), ineffective leadership (29%), unhealthy workplace culture (28%), poor change management (26%), and inadequate communication (25%).

When launching productivity initiatives, finance functions should balance technology and process improvements with the human factors that drive engagement and effectiveness. Our research shows that this balance is sometimes missing: when asked about CFO-led productivity initiatives in their organisation within the past 12-24 months, 59% of respondents cited implementing new systems or software. Next came automation of accounting and finance tasks (48%) and new ways of budgeting, pricing and reporting (46%).

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Finance leaders are also likely to place greater emphasis on adaptability and cross-functional collaboration as operating environments become increasingly unpredictable. Economic volatility, regulatory scrutiny, changing customer expectations, and faster business cycles are placing pressure on finance teams to deliver insights with greater speed and accuracy. This will require professionals to work more closely with technology teams, operations, compliance, and business leadership to support enterprise-wide decision-making. Organizations that encourage experimentation, continuous learning, and agile working practices are expected to respond more effectively to disruption. In this environment, finance functions will increasingly be assessed not only on financial stewardship, but also on their ability to contribute strategic insight, operational resilience, and long-term business planning.

3. Human-machine collaboration will increasingly power the finance function

The research highlights the critical role of human-machine collaboration in finance going forward. Generative AI (GenAI), in particular, is an invaluable tool that can be used for a range of activities from automating financial analysis and reporting to detecting fraud, bringing financial data to life through storytelling, and creating dynamic dashboards that update in real time.

Nearly half (56%) of respondents say their finance team currently has a skills gap in GenAI, which likely reflects the recent emergence of the technology. A priority for finance functions in 2026 will therefore be building capacity in GenAI and other emerging technologies, further accelerating the evolution of finance professionals from record-keepers to forward-looking, data-driven advisers.

The importance of the ‘human’ element in human-machine collaboration is underlined by respondents’ emphasis on interpersonal skills. A third (33%) believe that their finance teams need to enhance their communication, influencing and critical thinking skills while 32% highlighted business partnering skills as a key growth area. These skills are all essential for navigating complexity and driving informed decision-making in the age of AI.

4. Organisations will focus on plugging the skills gap

With skills being at a premium, organisations will need to take a proactive approach to plugging their skills gaps in 2026. As the research shows, internal training programs are the most common solution for upskilling people (cited by 62% of respondents), followed by external training programmes (45%).

Many organisations do not believe that upskilling alone will enable them to plug their skills gaps, however. Just over a third (35%) hire in external talent, seeing this as a practical way to drive innovation and complement their internal capabilities. Unfortunately, external hires do not help to solve the broader industry-wide skills shortage, which is why organisations should continue to prioritise internal development. Finance leaders should ensure their teams benefit from flexible, practical; just-in-time learning that is relevant to their daily work, as on-the-job learning ranked highest (61%) among respondents when asked about the most effective approach to technology upskilling.

Expect the unexpected

No one knows exactly how 2026 will play out, but we would be wise to expect more uncertainty, along with some unanticipated developments. To succeed in this volatile business landscape, organisations should embrace the transformative potential of AI and data-centric technologies while investing in human and organisational preparedness, including new technology skills. Finance teams can enable this endeavour by channelling strategic investment into practical, accessible and continuous upskilling programmes and collaborative projects that bridge the AI readiness gap and unlock productivity gains.

About the author:

Venkkat Ramanan FCMA, CGMA serves as the Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA & CIMA). The Association combines the strengths of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

Venkkat takes the lead for the Association’s vision, strategy and growth for the Asia Pacific region, covering South East Asia, Australasia, India and the MESANA countries. Venkkat is a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) by profession and a Fellow member of CIMA. Besides receiving an executive education from INSEAD, he is also a Master NLP and Certified Performance Coach.