Temporary finance chiefs remain the most-sought after interim leaders, topping the list of on-demand talent need requests in 2025, a recent report by Business Talent Group, a Heidrick & Struggles company, found. Amid skyrocketing requests for overall on-demand talent, requests for C-suite leadership made up the majority — while requests for interim CFOs made up 51% of all C-suite leadership asks, the report found.

This marks a continuation in an ongoing trend, with demand for interim finance chiefs seeing a surge in 2023, followed by a smaller, but still significant jump in requests in 2024, CFO Dive previously reported, citing past BTG reports. As companies in 2025 continue to face economic uncertainty, that demand for interim CFOs is “definitely not slowing down,” said Sunny Ackerman, global managing partner for on-demand talent at Heidrick & Struggles, an executive search firm.

“I think it highlights a bit of the need, the essential role that I'd say finance leaders play in organizations to help them navigate big transitions or restructures,” as well as economic headwinds, Ackerman said in an interview about the rising spotlight on interim CFOs.

Finance, strategy go ‘hand in hand’

The demand for interim leadership at all levels has continued to skyrocket over the past few years — growing 310% since 2020, the report found.

The jump comes as businesses continue to navigate a challenging macroeconomic environment, while simultaneously looking to prepare for long-term growth. Companies today are also taking a second look at how they engage their employees, whether on-demand — those hired for short-term projects or specific initiatives — or permanent, Ackerman said.

The ability for business to “plug talent in quickly to either, support an executive or support an interim project is something that more organizations are now starting to realize is a real benefit in terms of talent acquisition,” Ackerman said of the jump in interim leadership demand. 

Ackerman has served in her current role at the Chicago, Illinois-based company since February 2024, according to her LinkedIn profile. Her previous experience includes serving as president and divisional CEO, Americas for life sciences and engineering talent platform SThree, as well as serving as president, Americas for Frank Recruitment Group.

Ongoing economic headwinds are also putting financial skills under a spotlight for companies, the report found. Financial controls, accounting and audit topped the list of skills currently in demand, while financial planning, analysis and modeling was the third-most requested skillset.

“I do think [with] the growing economic uncertainty, or just the volatility right now, the demand for executives that can help with things like financial controls and quantity is so big right now,” Ackerman said.

The growing focus on financial leadership comes as the finance function has continued to evolve, turning from “more of that financial gatekeeper to more an important strategic partner in an organization,” she said. “And they're really instrumental for not only driving finance function, but driving transformation, and strategic decision making in a business.”

Requests for strategic leadership have also increased, growing 71% YoY, according to the report. Finance and strategy also tend to work “hand in hand,” Ackerman said, with executives such as the chief strategy officer often reporting to the CFO.

Honing AI, tech skills

While finance topped the list of on-demand talent asks, companies are also looking for potential hires with artificial intelligence and machine learning skills, the report found. Demand for experts AI and machine learning skills rose by 46% YoY, while 42% of executives pointed to a “lack of leaders who can bridge AI and business strategy as their biggest barrier to tech progress,” according to the report.

The focus surrounding AI comes as businesses are continuing to experiment with the emerging technology, such as AI agents which can perform a number of workplace tasks, CFO Dive previously reported. However, for some, the shine of the new technology has dimmed slightly in the face of cybersecurity, fraud, and costs concerns — a key focus for finance chiefs especially.

“I think anybody in the finance function’s looking at that to say, ‘that sounds great, but what is that really going to do to the business, to make it more effective, more efficient, faster, better for customers?” Ackerman said of AI.