ACCA 2025 Greater Bay Area CFO Summit Concludes Successfully, Exploring Strategic Evolution and Breakthroughs

On December 10, 2025, the "2025 Greater Bay Area CFO Summit," hosted by the global accounting professional organization ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), successfully concluded at the Park Hyatt Shenzhen. The summit, themed "The Awakening Era: The Path to Breakthrough and Evolution for CFOs," focused on new trends in the Greater Bay Area's economic development, opportunities under the "15th Five-Year Plan," and the reconstruction of corporate resilience, providing practical pathways and industry consensus for CFOs transitioning from "value guardians" to "strategic leaders."

ACCA Global President Melanie Proffitt outlined the core direction of CFO role evolution in her opening remarks. She stated, "Global economic uncertainty is reshaping industry development. CFOs must break through traditional financial boundaries, not only solidifying the foundation of corporate value and ensuring accurate financial data and controllable risks but also becoming 'strategic hubs' that connect business, markets, and global resources, driving core decisions with financial insights. As China's forefront of international openness, the Greater Bay Area, with its international DNA, mature industrial ecosystem, and innovative policy environment, is the ideal testing ground for CFO transformation and the core soil for cultivating strategic financial leaders."

ACCA Global President Melanie Proffitt delivers the opening remarks

In the morning session, Dr. Anthony Neoh, Senior Counsel and former Chairman of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, highlighted that the Greater Bay Area leverages complementary urban functions to advance financial connectivity, builds trust through corporate governance and professional accountants' roles, and empowers digital innovation to create a new paradigm for "manufacturing + services" globalization. Dr. Shao Yu, Special Senior Researcher at the National Finance and Development Laboratory, elaborated on strategies for global growth under China's new economic cycle, emphasizing CFOs' role as integrators of cross-domain resources. Guo Yi, Managing Director and Global Partner at BCG, shared insights into the globalization of Asia-Pacific and Chinese enterprises, noting how companies can turn unprecedented challenges into strategic opportunities amid a volatile economic landscape. He stressed the need for decision-makers to leverage diverse, dynamic business models to forge global resilience and achieve sustainable growth.

Dr. Anthony Neoh, Senior Counsel and former Chairman of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission; Dr. Shao Yu, Special Senior Researcher at the National Finance and Development Laboratory; and Guo Yi, Managing Director and Global Partner at BCG, deliver keynote speeches

In the afternoon, Feng Hai, Member of ACCA China Expert Think Tank and Assistant to the Chairman of Sany Group, advocated "financial long-termism," urging CFOs to balance short-term performance with long-term value and support strategic decisions with data insights. Dr. Doug Guthrie, Professor of Global Leadership and Executive Director of China Programs at Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University, noted that Chinese companies' globalization has evolved from "going out" to "going up" and "integrating in," with China's model offering unique advantages for sustainable development.

Chen Zhengjie, Director of Policy Insights at ACCA China, shared strategies for CFOs navigating globalization. He emphasized that Chinese companies' global expansion requires systemic capability reconstruction, not mere replication of financial processes. CFOs must build a "compliance + cost + risk" framework, understand local fiscal policies and regulations, optimize global resource allocation, and establish dynamic risk 预警机制. Crucially, they must communicate in local financial languages, adapt to regional business cultures, and drive globalization through financial synergy, becoming "strategic escorts" for their companies.

Feng Hai, Member of ACCA China Expert Think Tank and Assistant to the Chairman of Sany Group; Dr. Doug Guthrie, Professor of Global Leadership and Executive Director of China Programs at Thunderbird School of Global Management; and Chen Zhengjie, Director of Policy Insights at ACCA China, deliver keynote speeches

In the "Cognitive Reshaping: The Path to CFO Evolution" roundtable, Tan Yingmin, ACCA South China Director, and four guests—Yan Zhirong, Vice President of 兆驰股份; Wang Weiji, CFO of Esquel Group; Wang Yidong, Executive Director, CFO, and COO of Health and Happiness Group; and Zhang Changzheng, CEO of 汇联易—discussed 实战经验. They agreed that modern financial leaders must transcend 单一技能， embracing 跨界认知， technological tools, and 生态协同 to evolve from "value guardians" to "strategic leaders" in complex markets.

Tan Yingmin, ACCA South China Director, engages in a roundtable discussion with Yan Zhirong, Vice President of 兆驰股份; Wang Weiji, CFO of Esquel Group; Wang Yidong, Executive Director, CFO, and COO of Health and Happiness Group; and Zhang Changzheng, CEO of 汇联易

In her closing remarks, Shao Nan, ACCA China Director, stated: "CFO evolution is not about 单一能力提升 but holistic 重塑 of cognition, tools, and ecosystems. Today's financial leaders must 打破部门壁垒， immerse in business scenarios, and master digital tools, global 视野， and ESG skills. ACCA will continue as a 'professional partner,' transforming summit insights into industry resources through courses, networks, and 案例库， supporting CFOs' growth and the Greater Bay Area's financial sector."

ACCA China Director Shao Nan delivers the closing remarks

The summit's success not only provided a platform for 思想碰撞 and resource 对接 in the Greater Bay Area but also injected momentum into financial transformation amid global economic shifts and China's high-quality development. Moving forward, ACCA will leverage global resources and local insights through summits, forums, and 智库研究 to bridge 政企学界， enhance 财务人才培养， and contribute to 中国企业全球化 and economic stability.