CFOs See Silver Linings to Coronavirus Crisis

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The coronavirus pandemic has spurred unexpected improvements at U.S. companies and pushed CFOs to reprioritize technology investment, according to a Grant Thornton survey.

The accounting firm reported that more than 60{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} of CFOs cited improved flexible and remote work environments as an upside of the pandemic, with 40{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} also noting improved collaboration, improved business processes, and an ability to better focus on strategy.

Amid the shift to remote work, 61{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} of finance chiefs indicated that they expect to increase investment in cybersecurity in the next year. When asked to name the three biggest challenges facing their companies, 46{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} indicated cybersecurity risks, 46{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} chose technology upgrades, and 30{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} said remote workforce issues.

Fifty-three percent of respondents are prioritizing long-term foundational technology infrastructure investment over technology that addresses immediate business needs (47{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca}).

“A year ago, CFOs were scrambling just to survive, but sometimes a crisis can accelerate positive change,” Chris Schenkenberg, regional tax business lines national managing partner at Grant Thornton, said in a news release.

The survey also revealed that many CFOs plan to cut travel and real estate expenses in the coming year and beyond and more than half plan to increase investment in their companies’ DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) practices.

CFOs skewed negative on taxes, with 39{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} saying the Biden administration’s tax plans will negatively impact their businesses. Among companies with more than $1 billion in revenue, 55{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} expect tax changes to have a negative impact, while only 29{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} of companies with revenues between $101 and $500 million felt the same.

Indicating the special purpose acquisition company boom of 2020 will continue, 84{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} of private company respondents said SPACs have increased their interest in going public. When asked whether a SPAC or a traditional IPO would be their choice, respondents were almost equally split, with 49{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} choosing a SPAC and 51{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} choosing an IPO.

More than two-thirds of CFOs, however, expect increased SPAC regulation from the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2021 while 55{f08ff3a0ad7db12f5b424ba38f473ff67b97b420df338baa81683bbacd458fca} believe SPACs leave new public companies overvalued.