Almost half of UK finance professionals say they do not want to become a chief financial officer, according to research from Robert Walters, raising questions about the future leadership pipeline.
In the firm's survey, 48% said they did not want the top finance job and 26% said they definitely did. Work-life balance was the leading deterrent, cited by 61%. A further 72% said their current role was not giving them the experience needed to become a CFO.
Board-level exposure and leading transformation were the hardest capabilities to build for 76% of respondents. Asked what would best prepare them, half chose mentoring from leaders; 21% selected cross-functional career moves, 18% broader responsibilities and 11% formal training.
Andrew Powell, Chief Commercial Officer at Robert Walters, said in the research announcement:
“Employers need to give promising finance leaders the chance to build that experience before they are being considered for the top job.”
Robert Walters said the CFO remit has expanded beyond traditional finance into strategy, transformation, technology and AI. It urged employers to provide aspiring leaders with wider business experience earlier in their careers.
Source: Robert Walters, Beyond the Numbers: What it Takes to Hire the Right CFO, announcement dated 24 September 2026.
