Beyond the numbers: How finance leaders can increase their visibility

No longer confined to the back office, today’s Chief Financial Officers and Finance Directors should be strategic partners who help shape decisions, influence performance and drive growth. But to do this effectively, finance leaders must become more visible throughout the business.

We explore why visibility matters, the benefits it brings, how finance leaders can increase their presence (even in a hybrid environment) and how they can encourage their teams to do the same.

Why visibility matters for Finance leaders

Modern CFOs are expected to collaborate with departments across the business, offering insights and guidance that help steer the company forward. Visibility is what unlocks that level of influence.

Being more visible allows finance leaders to:

• Build stronger relationships with peers, teams and key stakeholders
• Spot risks and opportunities earlier by staying connected to the business
• Enhance trust through open communication and consistent engagement
• Break down silos by translating financial data into meaningful action

Without visibility, finance risks becoming disconnected from daily operations and excluded from the strategic conversations where its input matters most.

The benefits of being more present in the business

When finance leaders take an active role across the organisation, both their function and the business as a whole see measurable gains.

• Improved decision-making: Being involved in conversations early allows finance to provide timely insights and help guide choices before they’re set in motion. This reduces surprises and leads to better outcomes.
• Stronger business partnerships: By building regular contact with other departments, finance leaders become seen as trusted advisors rather than barriers to spending or risk.
• Better performance management: Leaders who understand how teams operate can shape metrics that align with real business goals. This makes performance reporting more relevant and more likely to drive action.
• Positive cultural influence: Visible leaders have the power to shape organisational culture. Finance leaders who are engaged and business-focused can shift how the finance function is viewed as more collaborative and forward-looking and less transactional.
• Leadership development: The more visible a finance leader is, the more they build their own leadership presence. This positions them for broader roles, including COO, general management or even CEO.

How finance leaders can be more present

Becoming more visible doesn’t mean being everywhere or taking on every meeting. It means being deliberate and strategic in showing up where it counts.

• Spend time with the business: Join team meetings, listen in on sales calls or visit frontline operations. These experiences deepen your understanding and help build trust across departments.
• Communicate in business terms: Skip the finance jargon. Speak clearly about how financial performance links to business outcomes and make insights practical and easy to act on.
• Take on cross-functional projects: Get involved in initiatives beyond finance, such as technology upgrades, customer experience or sustainability efforts. This broadens your influence and adds value beyond the numbers.
• Share insights proactively: Don’t wait to be asked. Present data in ways that highlight trends, flag risks or reveal opportunities, especially before key decisions are made.
• Be consistently present: Engage across different settings, whether in formal meetings, casual conversations or online spaces. A steady presence builds familiarity and connection.

How to be visible in a hybrid setting

Even in a hybrid setting it's possible for CFOs and FDs to increase their visibility in the business.

• Show up where the work happens: For hybrid leaders, this may mean intentional travel or alternating in-office days to align with key teams.
• Be present virtually, not just available: Being in back-to-back Zooms isn’t the same as being engaged. Turn your camera on, ask real questions and make time for informal conversations, especially with remote colleagues.
• Communicate proactively and often: visibility isn’t just physical, it can also be about narrative. Share financial insights in clear, compelling language. Use dashboards, town halls or internal newsletters to bring transparency and perspective.
• Make time for the informal Whether it’s grabbing a coffee with a product lead or hopping into a team Slack channel, casual interactions build familiarity. These are often where influence is born.

Helping the finance team step forward

Finance leaders can set the tone, but for lasting impact the entire finance team needs to be more connected to the business. Encouraging this mindset has clear advantages.

Why it matters:

• Team members develop a better grasp of how the business works
• They gain commercial awareness and build empathy for colleagues outside finance
• Cross-functional collaboration improves
• The team becomes more engaged and better prepared for future leadership roles

How to encourage visibility:

• Set clear expectations: Make business engagement part of performance goals. Be specific about what good visibility looks like and how it contributes to success.
• Create opportunities: Encourage staff to attend cross-functional meetings, participate in projects or shadow other departments to broaden their perspective.
• Support with training: Offer development in areas like storytelling with data, stakeholder management and communication. Confidence builds with the right skills.
• Recognise contributions: Highlight examples where finance team members made a difference by being involved. Celebrate the impact and share those stories.
• Lead by example: When leaders talk about their own involvement in the business and what they’ve learned, it encourages others to follow suit.

Finance leaders have a unique opportunity to drive impact beyond the numbers. But to do so, they must be visible, present in the right rooms, involved in the right conversations and connected to the right people.

By stepping into the wider business and encouraging their teams to do the same, finance leaders can transform their role from financial gatekeeper to strategic partner. Visibility is about being valued, understood and influential where it matters.

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