The increasing technological dynamism and economic turbulence in the world demand organizations to operate at an accelerating pace. For CFOs, this presents the challenge of efficiently allocating time and attention. As a result, manual processes are increasingly being replaced by digital solutions, creating more space to focus on strategic issues.
During the recent CFO Studio webinar titled "Automate or Stagnate – The Future of Financial Leadership," three influential speakers shared their insights on how organizations can strategically navigate uncertainty, geopolitical shifts, and the growing pressure to innovate.
Martijn ten Kate (Finance Transformation Expert at Billtrust), Vivienne de Leeuw (CFO at Port of Rotterdam), and Erna van Leijden (CFO at Royal NNZ Group) shared valuable lessons and practical advice.
Did you miss the discussion? In this blog, we summarize the key insights. Want to watch the recording? Click here to view the webinar.
The Changing Role of the CFO
Geopolitical and Economic Challenges
Vivienne de Leeuw opened the discussion by explaining how global geopolitical and economic changes have significantly altered her role as CFO. Her employer, the —the largest port in Europe—serves as a reflection of the global economy. Vivienne de Leeuw explained: "There is a lot happening on a global scale right now, such as geopolitical tensions, cybersecurity, and climate issues. These bring challenges, including rising energy costs, increasing complexity around permits, and the impact of globalization on local businesses."
These changes have fundamentally shifted her role as CFO, de Leeuw noted: "These developments and the uncertainty they bring affect the companies operating in the port. We are looking into how we can support the 3,000 businesses here, whether in terms of permits, legislation, or financing."
Another major focus for de Leeuw is sustainability. The Port of Rotterdam aims to be fully emission-free by 2050, which has a direct impact on her role. "Investment decisions are no longer made solely based on financial figures but also on societal impact. Both aspects weigh equally in our decision-making," she explained.
Supply Chain Volatility
The challenges faced by the Port of Rotterdam are also evident at Royal NNZ Group, an international packaging company primarily serving the agricultural sector.
"Supply chain volatility forces me to focus heavily on scenario planning. How can we make the organization more agile? Digital transformation is a key agenda point here," said Erna van Leijden.
"Royal NNZ Group is currently structured as a country-based organization spanning 18 countries. We are transitioning to a regional structure to improve efficiency—shifting from isolated country teams in finance to a networked approach that drives projects forward," van Leijden explained.
"Investment decisions are no longer made solely based on financial figures but also on societal impact." – Vivienne de Leeuw, Port of Rotterdam
From Support Function to Strategic Partner
The traditionally supportive role of finance is gradually evolving into a more strategic, data-driven business partnership. However, there is still work to be done, according to Erna van Leijden: "The mindset within finance teams is shifting from a support function to strategic forward-thinking. For us, this means becoming a strategic business partner for managers in each country."
She also believes finance professionals need to step outside their usual boundaries: "Attend customer and supplier meetings, go to events. Understanding the market dynamics will be crucial when building solid financial scenarios."
Still, van Leijden acknowledges that executing a transformation agenda is a major challenge: "Think about automation, optimizing processes, and starting small across all countries. This isn't something you can do alone—we need partners."
Partners play a crucial role in financial transformation, agreed Martijn ten Kate: "At Billtrust, we engage with various European organizations daily. The common theme? A severe shortage of finance professionals." He emphasized that manual finance processes can be replaced with more efficient workflows through technology like AI and automation.
Setting Strategic Priorities
Long-Term Planning and Roadmaps
Long-term planning is essential for creating value, say both CFOs, who work with clear roadmaps. At Royal NNZ Group, Erna van Leijden follows a three-year strategic plan.
At the Port of Rotterdam, strategic goals are set with a horizon extending to 2050, mainly due to long-term infrastructure projects. Vivienne de Leeuw stressed that focusing on priorities is critical and that digitalization helps free up time and capacity.
Efficiency Through Digitalization
"The strength of our company lies in the enormous commitment and passion of our employees," said Vivienne de Leeuw. "Everyone wants to tackle everything, but this sometimes results in an overloaded agenda. Instead of hiring more people, we want to work smarter through automation. Complex challenges like the energy transition and circularity require specialized expertise, which we must manage strategically."
Erna van Leijden prioritizes accelerating ongoing projects, particularly portfolio growth, efficiency gains, and process optimization. "With a relatively small team, we lack the capacity to execute rapidly, so accelerating our digital agenda is a priority," she said. "E-invoicing is a key initiative where we optimize end-to-end processes."
Order-to-Cash Optimization
Martijn ten Kate believes there is still room for improvement, despite companies having clear roadmaps: "Take the order-to-cash process, for example. Has a clear digital transformation been implemented there? CFOs often struggle to prioritize it over their financial agenda. It's not the most exciting process—creating and sending invoices, issuing reminders."
CFOs often struggle to prioritize automating the AR process, but there are significant benefits including strategic gains.
Yet, there are significant gains to be made, ten Kate emphasized: "Automating repetitive tasks like e-invoicing and cash forecasting reduces human errors and allows finance teams to focus on strategic activities. External partners like Billtrust can help develop optimal solutions to improve working capital and accelerate payments."
He added: "Companies often operate on 18- to 24-month roadmaps to improve order-to-cash processes. While these processes function, there is pressure to work faster and more efficiently."
Key challenges include centralizing data, improving collaboration between finance and sales teams, and managing risks—especially given geopolitical uncertainties.”
Digitalization as the Key to Efficiency
"The ideal scenario is fully automated processes," said Erna van Leijden. "But the reality is that many tasks are still manual. It's time to address that." Royal NNZ Group is currently piloting robotics and AI projects to enhance efficiency, from automated order processing to scenario forecasting based on weather predictions.
The Port of Rotterdam is also leveraging digitalization to streamline operations. A dynamic planning platform was developed for scheduling inland vessels—vital for transporting goods across Europe. With AI and other technologies, loading and unloading times can be better estimated, reducing costly delays.
Vivienne de Leeuw commented: "The biggest obstacle wasn't the technology itself, but convincing companies to participate and share data. This new system improves efficiency, profitability, and environmental impact by minimizing wait times and fuel consumption."
Martijn ten Kate reinforced the importance of transformation projects: "Finance departments often have a significant gap to bridge. In large companies, we frequently encounter an unexpected number of manual processes. Smaller organizations tend to embrace innovations more quickly, as they deal with less complexity."
"AI’s potential is just beginning. With the right approach, the finance department won’t just become more efficient—it will also become a more engaging place to work." – Martijn ten Kate, Billtrust
Challenges increase for companies operating internationally, ten Kate noted. They must onboard new customers, navigate changing payment behaviors, and manage multiple currencies and banking formats.
According to ten Kate, technologies like AI, machine learning, and automation provide valuable support: "AI tools are reshaping business operations, from customer service to financial processes. With Billtrust’s AR software automation platform, we use AI for tasks such as cash allocation, accounts receivable management, and invoicing, leveraging data analysis from large data lakes to enable faster, more informed decision-making. This significantly transforms the role of finance teams, potentially shifting them toward data analysis, making their work more challenging and engaging."
Transforming AR: Lessons Learned from CFOs
- Stay Focused on Goals – Whether it's digitalization or sustainability initiatives, set clear priorities and stick to them, advises Vivienne de Leeuw. Also, carefully consider what truly adds value, rather than just being a "nice-to-have," confirms Erna van Leijden.
- Invest in Technology and People – Accelerate transformation by involving employees and bringing in external experts where needed. Erna van Leijden emphasizes the importance of delegating tasks and engaging employees internally in innovations to boost their enthusiasm and sense of ownership. This ensures that innovation gains support within teams.
- Dare to Experiment – Martijn ten Kate encourages experimenting and learning from mistakes. Small experiments offer valuable lessons and contribute to broader innovations.
- Stay Curious – This helps CFOs understand new technology and implement it within their organizations.
- Combine Efficiency with Social Responsibility – Financial decisions increasingly have a broader impact; keep this in mind.
"Inspiring teams and sharing responsibilities fosters engagement and accelerates change." – Erna van Leijden, Royal NNZ Group
Transforming AR: Lessons Learned from CFOs [Download the infographic]
What’s Your Next Step?
CFOs are in a unique position to drive digital transformation—both internally within their organizations and teams and externally in the broader industries they operate in.
By focusing on automation and innovation, they free up time for strategic value creation. The combination of technology, strategic focus, and human leadership is crucial to continuing innovation in a changing world.
Curious about how your organization can benefit from digital transformation? Or want to learn more about how Billtrust can help optimize processes like order-to-cash? Get in touch with one of our experts today.