Corporate Finance & Accounting Talent Study (2026)

Corporate finance and accounting organizations entered 2026 facing a rapidly evolving workforce landscape. While hiring activity has strengthened compared to the previous year, organizations continue to face persistent talent shortages, changing workforce models, expanding technology adoption, and growing demand for specialized finance expertise. At the same time, artificial intelligence has moved from experimentation to practical implementation, fundamentally reshaping how finance departments operates and the skills required for future success.

To better understand these changing dynamics, Controllers Council conducted its annual Corporate Finance & Accounting Talent Benchmark Survey and Study. More than 350 Controllers, CFOs, Chief Accounting Officers, Vice Presidents of Finance, and other related executives participated from organizations across North America participated in the study, representing a broad cross-section of industries and company sizes.