CFO Strategy & Leadership Training in Sydney

Programme Overview

The chief financial officer now sits at the centre of decisions that used to belong to others. Boards expect the CFO to shape strategy and capital allocation, regulators expect reliable sustainability and risk information, and finance teams expect leadership through automation and new ways of working. The technical core of the role, sound accounts and controls, remains the foundation, but it is no longer enough on its own.

The CFO Strategy & Leadership Training in Sydney is a five-day programme for current and incoming CFOs, finance directors and senior finance leaders in companies, state-owned enterprises, ministries and public agencies. It covers the strategic, financial and personal sides of the role: value and capital allocation, treasury and risk, reporting and assurance, technology, and the leadership of people and stakeholders.

The ethical side of the role is under international review. The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) launched a Role of CFOs workstream in September 2025 to examine how the job has changed and the pressures CFOs face, from meeting financial and sustainability targets to managing AI and data risks, with roundtables held in 2026 and a report to the Board planned for September 2026.

Australia provides a strong set of current examples. Mandatory climate-related financial disclosure under AASB S2 began for the largest entities with reporting periods starting on or after 1 January 2025, with further groups following from 1 July 2026 and 1 July 2027. APRA’s operational risk standard CPS 230 commenced on 1 July 2025. In the public sector, the Commonwealth Performance Framework under the PGPA Act requires entities to report results against their corporate plans and Portfolio Budget Statements.

Participants use these reforms, together with published survey evidence on AI in finance, as case material. The aim is a finance leader who can link strategy to numbers, manage risk with confidence and lead a team through change.

The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability

• Defining the CFO’s mandate and priorities
• Finance business partnering with operations and policy units
• Value-based management and value drivers
• Capital allocation and investment appraisal
• Capital structure, funding and cost of capital
• Treasury, liquidity and cash management
• Enterprise and financial risk management
• Operational resilience and third-party risk
• Internal control and assurance
• Climate-related financial disclosure
• Performance measurement and balanced scorecards
• Public sector performance reporting
• Budgeting, forecasting and scenario planning
• Finance function design and operating models
• Use of AI and automation in finance
• Data governance and cyber risk in finance
• Ethics and professional judgement under pressure
• Board and audit committee reporting
• Investor and stakeholder communication
• Leading and developing finance teams
• Change leadership and culture

Each day combines strategy, finance and leadership, so participants practise making and explaining decisions rather than only learning techniques.

The Growing Importance of Strategic Finance Leadership

Three changes are reshaping the CFO’s agenda. First, reporting has widened: Australia’s Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure and Other Measures) Act 2024, which received Royal Assent on 17 September 2024, phased in climate-related financial reporting in the Corporations Act, and similar requirements are spreading internationally. Finance now owns data on emissions, scenarios and transition plans as well as profit and cash.

Second, technology is moving into everyday finance work. Gartner’s surveys of finance leaders found that 58% of finance functions used AI in 2024, up from 37% in 2023, and 59% in 2025. Most adopters reported low or moderate impact so far, which shows that leadership, data and process design matter as much as the tools.

Third, accountability for results is rising in the public sector. The Australian National Audit Office’s 2024-25 audits of annual performance statements covered 21 major entities and found that only around 1% of measures assessed efficiency, while outcomes were measured far less often than activities and outputs. For public sector CFOs, performance information is becoming as important as the financial statements.

Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:

• Translating strategy into financial targets and resource plans
• Allocating capital across competing priorities
• Evaluating investments with clear, tested assumptions
• Managing liquidity, funding and interest rate exposures
• Building risk appetite statements boards can use
• Overseeing operational resilience and material service providers
• Leading climate-related disclosure and its controls
• Designing performance measures that capture outcomes and efficiency
• Using AI and automation responsibly in finance processes
• Protecting financial data and systems
• Maintaining ethical standards under commercial or political pressure
• Explaining complex financial matters to boards, ministers and investors
• Building and retaining capable finance teams
• Leading change across the organisation

Strong strategic finance systems help organisations:

• Invest in the projects that create most value
• Keep enough liquidity through shocks
• Meet new reporting obligations with reliable data
• Satisfy auditors, regulators and oversight bodies
• Show results for public money
• Reduce exposure to fraud and error
• Make faster, better-informed decisions
• Attract funding on better terms
• Retain trust with investors, financiers and citizens

The programme treats these demands together, because in practice they compete for the same CFO’s time, budget and team.

Who Should Attend This CFO Strategy & Leadership Training?

This programme is designed for:

• Chief financial officers and finance directors
• Deputy CFOs and heads of finance preparing for the top role
• Financial controllers and chief accountants
• Treasurers and heads of treasury
• Heads of financial planning and analysis
• Chief financial officers of ministries, departments and agencies
• Finance directors of state-owned enterprises
• Finance leads of donor-funded programmes and PIUs
• Heads of risk and internal control
• Chief audit executives working closely with finance
• Sustainability reporting leads in finance
• Finance transformation and systems leads
• Investor relations managers
• Senior financial analysts moving into leadership
• Board and audit committee members with finance responsibilities

A mix of private and public sector participants is encouraged, since many of the hardest questions, such as capital allocation, performance and risk, are shared.

CFO Strategy & Leadership Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this CFO Strategy & Leadership Training, participants will be able to:

• Define the scope and priorities of the CFO role in their organisation
• Link strategy to financial objectives and performance measures
• Apply value-based management tools to strategic choices
• Assess investment proposals and capital structure options
• Design a treasury and liquidity policy
• Set out a practical risk appetite and resilience framework
• Plan the finance role in climate-related disclosure
• Strengthen performance reporting for boards or Parliament
• Prioritise AI and automation use cases in finance
• Recognise and respond to ethical pressure
• Lead and develop a high-performing finance team
• Communicate financial results and plans to different audiences

Each objective is practised through a workshop and recorded in a personal CFO action plan that grows over the week.

Programme Contents and Structure

CFO Strategy & Leadership Training Methodology

The programme is designed for experienced professionals. Short inputs are followed by case work, peer challenge and personal application, so most of the time is spent on decisions rather than slides.

The programme combines:

• Short expert briefings on each theme
• Case studies built on Australian reforms and public audit findings
• Financial modelling exercises on value and liquidity
• Board and committee simulations
• Peer challenge sessions
• Leadership self-assessment and feedback
• Group work on participants’ own organisations
• Structured discussion of ethical dilemmas
• Review of published evidence on AI in finance
• Templates for mandates, risk appetite and roadmaps
• A personal CFO action plan built daily
• An exposure visit to a finance or public sector organisation, where available

Public sector participants work with the Commonwealth Performance Framework and audit findings, while private sector participants focus on capital markets, investors and prudential requirements. Both groups learn from each other’s practice.

Technical Visits and Site Programme

Where schedules allow, the programme includes an exposure visit to an organisation in Sydney’s finance or public sector, so participants can see how a finance function organises strategy, reporting and risk in practice. Visits are confirmed with host organisations close to the programme date and depend on their availability; when a visit cannot be arranged, a guest session with a practising finance leader is offered instead.

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of this CFO Strategy & Leadership Training, participants will be able to:

• Lead the finance function with a clear mandate and priorities
• Make and defend capital allocation decisions
• Manage liquidity and financial risk with board-approved limits
• Oversee operational resilience and key service providers
• Prepare their organisation for climate-related disclosure
• Improve performance measures and reporting
• Select and govern AI and automation use cases
• Handle ethical pressure with confidence
• Present finance strategy clearly to boards and stakeholders
• Lead and develop their finance team through change

Participants return with a written mandate, a transformation roadmap and a personal development plan ready to discuss with their chief executive or board.

Institutional Application of CFO Strategy & Leadership Training

This programme supports organisations in strengthening:

• Finance strategy and mandate
• Capital allocation governance
• Treasury and liquidity policy
• Risk appetite and reporting
• Operational resilience arrangements
• Internal control and assurance
• Climate-related disclosure readiness
• Performance measurement and reporting
• Finance data governance
• AI and automation governance
• Board and audit committee reporting
• Finance team capability and succession

Participants return with practical tools to improve:

• CFO mandate and priorities
• Investment appraisal templates
• Liquidity stress testing
• Risk appetite statements
• Service provider risk registers
• Disclosure data maps
• Performance measure design
• Board presentation structure

Organisations can review their governance and finance technology before or after the programme with the free governance audit and digital readiness assessment.

Regional Relevance & Application

Pacific

Australia’s phased climate reporting regime and APRA’s CPS 230 give Pacific finance leaders a close and current reference. Public sector CFOs can also compare their reporting with the Commonwealth Performance Framework and the ANAO’s audit findings.

Asia

IESBA held a CFO roundtable in Hong Kong in May 2026 and planned focus groups in Shenzhen and India, reflecting the weight of Asian finance leaders in the debate. Participants from Asia face similar questions on sustainability reporting, AI adoption and pressure from targets.

Africa

A Nairobi roundtable in April 2026 brought African finance leaders into the IESBA review. CFOs of African SOEs, ministries and donor-funded programmes can apply the capital allocation, liquidity and performance sessions directly to their reporting to boards and financiers.

Europe

European CFOs work with mature sustainability and governance requirements, and IESBA’s Milan roundtable in March 2026 drew on that experience. The disclosure and assurance sessions help European participants compare their practice with Australia’s approach.

Middle East

Finance leaders in Middle East governments and state-owned groups are managing large investment programmes and finance transformation. The value, treasury and AI sessions support decisions on capital priorities and modern finance operating models.

Across regions, the same pressures recur: more reporting, faster technology change and higher expectations of judgement. The programme gives finance leaders a shared set of tools to respond.

Host Country Profile – Australia

Sydney is Australia’s largest city and its main financial centre. The central business district hosts the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Securities Exchange, and Business Events Sydney reports that 63% of the top 100 ASX-listed companies and 15 of the world’s top 20 investment banks are based there, with the city generating almost half of Australia’s financial services output.

Australia is a useful benchmark for finance leaders because several reforms that other countries are considering are already in force. Climate-related financial disclosure under AASB S2 is phasing in by entity size, APRA has applied CPS 230 to operational risk and service providers, and the PGPA Act framework requires Commonwealth entities to publish annual performance statements that the ANAO audits for major entities.

Most international participants need a visa or electronic authority before travel. Australia offers business visitor options including the Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601), the eVisitor (subclass 651) for many European passport holders and the Visitor visa (subclass 600) Business Visitor stream, each covering short business visits such as conferences. Risalat advises registered participants on the right option and provides an invitation letter; early February falls in the southern hemisphere summer.

CFO Strategy & Leadership Training Deliverables

Participants receive a complete service from registration to follow-up, so they can focus fully on the programme.

Before the Programme

• Participant Pre-Assessment
• CFO Leadership Readiness Assessment
• Strategic Finance Resource Pack
• Preparatory Reading Materials
• Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory

During the Programme

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with Breakfast
• Welcome Networking Dinner
• Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
• Comprehensive CFO Strategy & Leadership Training Manual
• CFO Mandate Template
• Investment Appraisal and Capital Allocation Model
• Liquidity Stress Testing Workbook
• Risk Appetite Statement Template
• Climate Disclosure Data Map
• AI Use Case Scoring Tool
• Board Presentation Framework
• Practical Workshops & Simulations
• Group Discussions & Peer Learning
• Daily Lunch and Refreshments
• Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
• Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Entertaining City Tour

After the Programme

• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
• Post-Training Reference Materials
• Personal CFO Development Plan
• 12-Month Finance Transformation Roadmap
• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Programme Report

Companies, state-owned enterprises and public agencies can also ask for an in-house version for their finance leadership team. Request a proposal and Risalat will design it around your strategy, systems and reporting obligations.

Common Challenges in Strategic Finance Leadership, And How This Training Helps

How can a CFO move beyond reporting into Strategy & Leadership

The first day defines a clear mandate and decision rights, and the second day links strategy to value drivers and capital allocation, giving the CFO a structured role in strategic choices.

How do we choose between competing investment proposals?

Capital allocation and investment appraisal sessions on the second day provide consistent criteria, tested assumptions and a portfolio view.

How can we prepare for climate-related disclosure without overloading finance?

The fourth day maps the data, owners and controls needed under AASB S2 and shows how to phase the work alongside existing reporting.

How do we manage liquidity and service provider risk in a shock?

The third-day stress test combines treasury actions with resilience planning drawn from APRA CPS 230.

How can AI deliver real value in finance?

The fourth day reviews survey evidence that most adopters still see limited impact, then scores use cases on value, risk and data readiness so effort goes where it pays.

How do public sector CFOs improve performance reporting?

The second-day case study on ANAO audit findings shows how to design measures of efficiency and outcomes that can be supported with reliable data.

How should a CFO respond to pressure to meet targets?

Ethics sessions on the first day use the issues raised in the IESBA CFO review to practise recognising and handling pressure.

How can finance results be explained clearly to boards and ministers?

The fifth day builds storytelling and board reporting skills, tested in the capstone board presentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should attend this CFO programme?

CFOs, finance directors, deputy CFOs, controllers, treasurers and heads of FP&A in companies, state-owned enterprises and public agencies, including those preparing for a first CFO role.

Does it cover Australia's climate reporting rules?

Yes. The fourth day covers AASB S2 climate-related disclosures, the phased groups and timing, and the data and controls finance needs to prepare.

Is the programme relevant to public sector CFOs?

Yes. Sessions use the Commonwealth Performance Framework under the PGPA Act and ANAO audit findings on performance statements alongside private sector cases.

Is there a site visit?

An exposure visit to a finance or public sector organisation is included where available; visits are confirmed with host organisations, with a guest practitioner session as an alternative.

Can the programme be run in-house?

Yes. Organisations can request a tailored version for their finance leadership team through the Risalat proposal form.

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