From Ratios to Realities: CFO Rethink

Pankaj Gupta, Chief Financial Officer, Pramerica Life Insurance suggests how CFOs can find better information, think better and make better recommendations:

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Ravi Lalwani: Describe briefly 3 new challenges that CFOs are likely to face in 2025. What will help them solve each of those challenges – new knowledge, innovation, more IQ, more EQ, consultants, AI, or something else?

Balancing growth investments with solvency and profitability: In the life insurance industry, the push for customer-centric digital innovation and channel expansion is capital-intensive. Balancing this with solvency norms and long-term profitability is something brands strive for. This demands a sharper integration of financial planning with strategic foresight – and here and scenario planning will be invaluable.

Navigating evolving regulatory and tax environments: 2025 is likely to see further evolution in tax benefits, accounting norms (like IFRS 17), and regulatory frameworks. Staying ahead of these changes will require continuous knowledge upgradation, close regulator engagement, and agile finance teams trained in both compliance and interpretation.

Leading cross-functional value creation, not just financial reporting: The CFO role is no longer confined to numbers. We are increasingly expected to play a role in sustainability, digital transformation, and even customer analytics. Here, EQ becomes as important as IQ – we need to collaborate, influence and lead beyond finance silos to create enterprise-wide value.