David Wray

We are transitioning into a new economic era; one characterized by dramatic changes in global trade, government roles, and economic policies. It is the result of many elements: geopolitical tensions, post-COVID-19 effects, a rise in inflation and growing effects of climate change. How is it materializing for businesses? Businesses are...

On park benches and sidewalks in cities from New York, to London, and beyond conversations inevitably veer into vigorously discussing “the upside-down world” we find ourselves within. While the rhyme or reason for the global dynamic may differ across populations or citizens, the view that things must change for the better is universal.

As we begin 2024, companies continue to face international headwinds and difficulties that require out-of-the-box problem solving skills. These challenges include a plethora of economic and strategic challenges in addition to the growing stakeholder pressures in ESG matters. We find ourselves within a business environment ill-suited for the...

Every day we read something in the media about greenwashing, ESG metrics, and the growing reporting burdens on companies. It is enough to challenge even the heartiest change agent! But is it really that difficult to produce a meaningful ESG report which tells a truthful story?

An exciting new dawn is upon us following the creation of an international non-profit organization designed to bring together finance executive associations from around the world to collaborate on matters of mutual interest within the finance community.

The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, more fondly known as COP27, yielded much optimism peppered with a few ongoing concerns. Let me explain…

New York City recently hosted Climate Week, an annual event designed to unite the world on climate mitigations and actions. One event, hosted by Climate Works Foundation, focused on Carbon Call whose aim is to “mobilize collective action, investment, and resources from scientific, corporate, philanthropic, and intergovernmental organizations...

It’s no secret that many traditional professions are undergoing profound change. Finance, for instance, is growing well beyond simply accounting, auditing and financial reporting. Evolution is inevitable, however the last two-years have turbo-charged the profession’s change through technology, geopolitics, climate change and of course the...

Alphabet soup, sustainability standards and the data lifecycle - this sounds like a low budget B-rated Hollywood film! However, these concepts are the foundation for common CFO pain points around the world. In virtually every meeting on the topic, we quickly observe enthusiastic head nodding acknowledging that the real sustainability...

Covid-19 has accelerated digital transformations by years, according to McKinsey. Sustainability is an area crying out for the benefits of digitization, and now rapidly whipping up winds of change towards companies. “La Bise” is gathering momentum as Europe takes a leadership role in establishing a framework for reporting on...

The pandemic that continues to devastate the world has also unleashed unprecedented economic support programs by most nations around the globe. A myriad of initiatives have been launched to minimize the severe economic side-effects of the public health actions.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a sexy new toy that has finance professionals everywhere quite excited! While the field of data science is driven by exciting possibilities, the finance discussions surround transparency and ethics in decision-making.

From a governance and compliance lens, finance professionals face many challenges both old and new. The key challenges lie in the pace of regulatory change, technology innovation and increasing media scrutiny. Compliance initiatives are typically reactive to regulatory requirements with little, if any, integration between functions or between...

Finance is under pressure to deliver more value than ever and do so in an age where the business itself is facing digitalisation! Read on to understand not only what is driving the change but to understand how finance leaders need to rethink their vision in order to meet the expectations of all stakeholders. Finance’s digital evolution may be...