Introducing the COFO: A New Role for a New Era

The business world is changing faster than ever. With AI transforming industries, digital platforms reshaping operations, and global competition raising the bar, leadership roles are evolving to meet new challenges. Over the course of my career as CEO, COO, and CFO, I’ve seen firsthand how the silos between finance and operations often slow down organizations. That’s why I believe the next wave of leadership lies in a new role: the Chief Operations and Financial Officer (COFO).

Why the COFO Matters

Unlike traditional structures where finance and operations are managed separately, the COFO unites them under one leader—backed by data, technology, and AI. This creates a unique ability to balance financial discipline with operational agility.

Here’s what makes the COFO special:

• Unified Leadership: Strategy and execution operate in sync instead of in silos.

• AI-Driven Decisions: Leveraging AI for forecasting, reporting, and scenario planning allows sharper insights and faster actions.

• Streamlined Operations: A single point of accountability helps reduce inefficiencies, cut costs, and increase adaptability.

• Better Teamwork: When finance and operations are led together, cross-department collaboration improves dramatically.

Real-World Examples of the COFO Role in Action

Here are some concrete examples of companies that have adopted (or are adopting) the COFO model, illustrating what it looks like in practice:

Salesforce

• Robin Washington has been appointed as President & Chief Operating and Financial Officer (COFO) at Salesforce, starting effective March 21, 2025. Salesforce+3Salesforce+3CFO Dive+3

• In her role, she leads Business Strategy & Operations, Global Finance, Employee Success, Global Strategic Customers and Partners, Marketing, Communications, Real Estate & Workplace Services. Salesforce+1

• One of her emphases has been using AI tools to speed up financial reporting and earnings-call preparation—what used to take days can now be done in hours. CFO Dive

• The creation of this role reflects Salesforce’s strategy around Agentforce, a platform for “digital labor” (AI agents) to automate business tasks. The COFO role at Salesforce is intended to help unify operational execution and financial strategy in support of that AI-led transformation. Technology Magazine+2Salesforce+2

Additional Examples & Trends

• While Salesforce is one of the highest profile cases, analysts report that this blended model (CFO + COO under one role) is becoming more common among large tech and industrial companies. Qualcomm, Sony, for instance, are cited as firms that have considered or adopted similar integrated roles. CFO Dive

• These companies are driven by similar pressures: accelerating innovation (especially AI), reducing redundancies between functions, and needing an executive who can act both strategically (finance) and operationally (operations/process) with speed. CFO Dive+1

Beyond Efficiency — What This Means Strategically

From my experience, combining finance and operations under a single role does more than save time or cut costs. It:

• Elevates strategic thinking across both domains simultaneously: budget decisions, resource allocation, process design all become more aligned.

• Speeds up decision-making when facing rapid market changes, because fewer handoffs = fewer delays.

• Encourages innovation (for example, applying AI not only to forecasting, but to dynamic operations, supply chain, or customer service).