From Preparation to Execution: What We’re Seeing in Real Time

In our recent article, What Recent Client Engagements Reveal About Market Momentum Going Into 2026, we noted that companies across industries were increasingly adopting public-company discipline. Leadership teams were strengthening financial infrastructure, governance, and reporting in anticipation of a more active market environment.

Just two months later, that trajectory is not only continuing, it is accelerating.

Across our most recent engagements, we are seeing less emphasis on preparation and more on execution. Companies are no longer simply building readiness. They are scaling, transforming, and in many cases rebuilding finance infrastructure to keep pace with growth, transactions, and increasing operational complexity.

Several themes are becoming clear.

1. The Execution Gap Is Widening 

Growth has returned across multiple sectors, including consumer, real estate, healthcare, and energy. In many cases, however, finance infrastructure is not keeping pace.

Demand for interim Controllers, senior finance leaders, and experienced accounting operators remains elevated. These assignments are not routine backfills. They are targeted efforts to stabilize reporting, accelerate close processes, support capital raises, and prepare for transactions.

The pattern is consistent. Strategy is clear. Execution capacity is the constraint.

Organizations that scale quickly often discover that reporting rigor, cash discipline, and internal controls lag behind operational momentum. Interim leadership is increasingly being deployed to redesign the finance function for the next stage, not simply to maintain it.

2. Technical Accounting and Public-Company Rigor Remain Central

Although the conversation has shifted toward execution, discipline remains foundational.

Across public companies, de-SPAC transactions, and private businesses preparing for liquidity events, technical accounting, SEC reporting, and SOX readiness continue to be critical priorities.

What has changed is urgency.

Timelines are compressing. Transactions are advancing. Audit scrutiny remains high. Finance teams are expected to operate with precision under real pressure.

Companies that invested early in infrastructure are moving faster today because they are not rebuilding while executing.

3. AI Is Reshaping the Modern CFO Role

One of the most notable developments in recent engagements is the concentration of AI-related activity.

We are seeing expanding AI adoption across multiple sectors. At the same time, more traditional businesses are modernizing their finance environments by adopting tools that unify ERP data, streamline reporting, and reduce spreadsheet dependency.

This shift is structural.

Finance leaders are under pressure to deliver faster reporting cycles, real-time analytics, and greater transparency. The role of the CFO continues to evolve from historical reporting to forward-looking insight, and technology is increasingly the catalyst.

4. Transaction Readiness Is Converting into Transaction Activity

In our prior piece, we discussed preparation. We are now seeing movement.

Valuation engagements, sale preparation, audit readiness projects, and multiple expansion analyses are increasing. Companies are positioning themselves for liquidity events, whether in the near term or over the next 12 to 24 months.

The focus is not simply on readiness. It is on enhancing enterprise value. Operational clarity, reliable reporting, and scalable systems are directly influencing how businesses are evaluated in the market.

5. Operational Finance Modernization Is Becoming Standard Practice

Even strong organizations are reassessing their accounting operations and systems.

Close processes are being rebuilt. ERP environments are being optimized. Reporting packages are being standardized. Procurement and forecasting disciplines are being formalized.

In a higher-scrutiny environment, inefficiency carries real cost. Finance infrastructure is increasingly viewed as a strategic asset rather than administrative overhead.

A Market Moving Faster Than Expected

Two months ago, we described a market regaining discipline and preparing for renewed activity. Today, that activity is unfolding in real time.

Some companies are accelerating confidently. Others are discovering that growth exposes structural weaknesses. In both cases, the demands on finance leadership are intensifying.

Across industries, one conclusion stands out. The companies that invested early in finance infrastructure are operating from a position of strength. Those that did not are working quickly to close the gap.

As we move further into 2026, this execution divide will likely become more pronounced. Organizations that align strategy, infrastructure, and execution will be best positioned to navigate what comes next.