The finance skills that are becoming more and more critical in the AI age

Good morning.

Finance skills are topping the list of what companies need most as AI takes center stage.

Executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles has released its 2026 Skills Index, unveiling a top 15 most in-demand skills list based on its proprietary data.

Financial controls, accounting, and audit rank first, followed by project management, then financial planning, analysis, and modeling.

Program management office leadership, and process optimization round out the top five—a lineup that reflects what companies need most during leadership change, transactions, and transformation: clarity, execution, and stability.

“The external environment is certainly a major factor behind financial controls, accounting, and audit ranking as the number one most in-demand skill,” Sunny Ackerman, global managing partner of on-demand talent at Heidrick & Struggles, told me.

Companies are navigating economic uncertainty, a highly selective capital environment, market volatility, and rapid technological change driven by AI, Ackerman said.

“When companies are managing many competing priorities at once, financial leadership becomes critical,” she said.

Experienced leaders who can strengthen financial operations, improve visibility, and create greater confidence in the numbers and how to move the business forward are in demand.

It stood out to me that no AI-specific skill appears anywhere in the top 15 most in-demand list, even though the report names “turning AI ambition into operating results” as a top business priority.

However, that’s not a sign companies have deprioritized AI.

It’s a sign AI is being built into every function.

“This is one of the most interesting findings in the data,” Ackerman said.

“Organizations are no longer approaching AI as a standalone technology initiative.” AI’s success depends on more than the technology itself—it requires strong data foundations and clear governance, she explained.