Every year at the start of January, as New Year’s resolutions go into effect, scarfing down kale, chugging green smoothies, and training for a marathon suddenly seem like worthwhile activities.

For CFOs, though, a new year means more risk management and less kale. We emailed CFOs to ask what they thought their fellow finance chiefs should pay attention to in 2024—here’s what they had to say.

Interviews have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Sean Brecker, CFO at Oura

Financial leaders should recognize that we are going into an election year, which will add even more uncertainty to an already uncertain operating environment, given ongoing macro and geopolitical volatility. I don’t believe it will be business as usual—everything from how you finance a company to how you conduct marketing could be impacted. It will be important for financial leaders to keep this in mind and to think about the world through risk-adjusted lenses.

For more CFO 2024 predictions, click here.—NP

The grow-at-all-costs mindset of boom times has inevitably fizzled. Now CFOs face a new mission: growing efficiently. That’s where Oracle NetSuite comes in.

With recession predictions slowing, more finance leaders are getting the green light from CEOs and executive boards to focus on growth. Oracle NetSuite’s 7 Steps CFOs Can Take for Efficient Growth digs into how to build sustainable systems—and long-term success.

Oracle NetSuite’s team of experts compiled everything finance leaders need to know about planned growth strategies. In the full guide, you’ll find:

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As part of our look at the trends and tools that finance pros should be thinking about in 2024, we spoke to Adam Turteltaub, chief engagement and strategy officer for the Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics and Health Care Compliance Association, about what compliance risk might look like in the next 12 months, what organizations should be investing in, and what happens if the economy goes south.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How do you see organizations, broadly speaking, investing in compliance in 2024?

Compliance is going to be under a lot of scrutiny, just like everything else is, whether the recession comes or not. Businesses expect it to and are scrutinizing their budgets. Compliance, like every other part of the organization, is going to justify the dollars that are allocated to it.

What’s ironic is when the economy tends to turn down, and when layoffs are happening, or budgets are tightening, is when compliance risk goes up. Organizations need to recognize the fact that when times are tough, people are going to be tempted more than ever to cheat to get to the numbers. That’s when you need a stronger compliance function, not a weaker one.

Click here for more on compliance trends for 2024.—DA

Today’s top finance reads.

Stat: 11.1%. That’s the London Stock Exchange Group’s (LSEG) estimate of earnings growth for S&P 500 companies in 2024. That’s a solid boost over 2023’s growth of 3.1% but interest rate uncertainty could dampen corporate revenue. (Reuters)

Quote: “It used to be that any company with good traction and a strong founder could raise money. But now you need to have something really special.”—Nicole Quinn, partner at Lightspeed, on the fundraising challenges for startups, which saw steep declines in venture capital over the last two years. (Business Insider)

Read: The Small Business Administration is coming to collect those Covid-era loans. (the Washington Post)

Back to business: As recession fears recede, leaders aren’t just waiting for the economic storm to pass—they’re investing in efficient growth. Oracle NetSuite’s guide explores how leaders can sustainably drive revenue. Get it here.*

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