OneStream Global Study Finds Women Take Longer to Reach CFO Seat; But, Once There, Deliver Performance Returns, Lead in Digital Adoption

Leading enterprise finance management platform, OneStream, today released the findings from a global study of 1,146 finance leaders, professionals, and business executives. The research explores the measurable business value of diversity in finance leadership, the routes to achieving the CFO role, barriers women face on the path to CFO, and the accelerators that help them advance.

The report – entitled “The Glass Chair” – shows that women CFOs are not only driving strong business results but are also helping shape the skills and capabilities required for the future of finance leadership. Companies led by women CFOs deliver an average 4.5% annualized shareholder return, outperforming industry benchmarks by approximately 0.2% per year across Europe, the UK, and the US.

Part of the ongoing Finance 2035 Initiative, the study found that women are prioritizing the capabilities most critical for tomorrow’s CFO role. Eighty-three percent of women CFOs say automation – especially AI — is enabling different types of expertise to enter the role, and three-quarters identify digital literacy and strategic leadership as essential skills for the future.

“The data is clear: advancing women into CFO roles isn’t just about equity – it’s about business performance,” said Pam McIntyre, Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller, OneStream. “Women CFOs outperform industry benchmarks, especially when appointed to underperforming organizations, in part because they bring a broad range of operational experience and digital progress. At a time where CFOs are being asked to do more and navigate increasing complexity, women leaders are showing that endurance in the face of challenges drives stronger business outcomes and a more resilient, modern finance function.”

Broader Experience, Deeper Impact

The research reveals that women take longer to reach the CFO seat — averaging 18 years at Global Fortune 500 and 20 years in the FTSE 100. Along the way, they change roles and companies more frequently, and according to LinkedIn analysis, 35% of women CFOs in the sample group have backgrounds that reflect a non-linear career trajectory, including operating or cross-functional roles outside of core finance.

As a result, women often have a broader enterprise-wide perspective, deeper operational acumen, and stronger leadership experience. This positions them to balance financial strategy with people development, risk management, and cross-business collaboration — all qualities critical to the modern CFO.

Skills that Define the Future CFO 

The research shows that women CFOs are more likely to align with leadership personas that emphasize financial governance, strategic planning, and team development, defined as:

• The Strategic Architect – balancing long-term finance planning with executive team development
• The Financial Guardian – emphasizing transparency, governance, and risk management

These qualities align directly with the skills most needed for today’s CFOs, as today’s finance leaders embrace AI and automation to free up capacity for strategic guidance and decision-making. These traits also align directly with the modern CFO must demonstrate three core skills to steer strategic direction: governance, people leadership, and strategic foresight.

The research also highlights a powerful opportunity: while 73% of women are eager to build AI skills, only 24% expect to rely significantly on AI tools today. Women finance leaders’ focus on transparency, governance, and risk management offers one reason why they’ve been slower to adopt more generic AI toolsets, which lack the context, accuracy, and transparency required for effective financial decisions and performance.

Closing this gap in AI transparency and accuracy is one of the fastest ways for women to build confidence and competence in AI adoption across finance — and an accelerant to empowering women leaders who already demonstrate competencies in other areas critical to the future CFO role. 

The Rising Value of Women in Finance Leadership

While women CFOs bring the diverse skillsets, resilience, and enterprise-wide perspective that the modern CFO role demands, many cited several structural barriers that slowed their progression, despite them being capable for the CFO role. These include economic downturns disrupting organizational structures, complex workplace politics, limited access to mentorship, challenges balancing work and personal life, and skills gaps within finance teams.

These barriers delay advancement and in doing so, postpone the value businesses could be capturing sooner. Companies that prioritize breaking down these obstacles will unlock leaders who not only deliver higher returns, but also bring broader skillsets needed to steer finance into the future.

To access the full findings of the research and download a complimentary copy of The Glass Chair report, please visit www.onestream.com/women-in-finance