When enterprise software firm ServiceNow reported quarterly financial results earlier this year, CFO Gina Mastantuono took her messaging beyond the regular earnings call with investors and analysts, using a LinkedIn video to explain the numbers.
That approach reflects a broader shift among finance chiefs, who are increasingly using LinkedIn to supplement traditional earnings calls and investor presentations as they take on a more public-facing communications role.
“People are consuming information in more ways than ever, and that challenges leaders to think differently about how we communicate,” Mastantuono said in an email.
U.S.-based finance chiefs posted 38% more video content on LinkedIn in 2025 than a year earlier, while engagement with CFO content rose 15%, according to data from the platform.
“CFOs have really risen from being back-office operators to front-seat communicators alongside CEOs,” Devin Banerjee, senior managing editor and head of news growth at LinkedIn, said in an interview. “They're helping shape the narrative around a company's performance in real time.”
That role has grown more important as macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and other challenges have made earnings reporting more complex, he said.
‘Where the money is’
CFOs are under increasing pressure to be more visible, with LinkedIn emerging as a key platform for reaching a broad range of stakeholders, including investors, customers, employees and potential hires, according to Jack McCullough, founder and president of the CFO Leadership Council.
“Willie Sutton once said, ‘Because that’s where the money is,’ when asked why he robbed banks,” McCullough said in an email. “A similar dynamic applies to CFOs and LinkedIn.”
He said the shift also reflects changing expectations around executive authenticity, with video seen as more direct than a written statement that may have been shaped by a communications team or artificial intelligence.
McCullough added that LinkedIn has become a channel for CFOs to remain visible to executive search firms and those involved in senior finance hiring.
Besides ServiceNow, public companies with CFOs who have published posts or videos on LinkedIn in recent months include Walmart, PayPal and Coca-Cola. The trend is also extending into private high-profile companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic, which are widely viewed as public-listing candidates.
“The modern CFO has a true bird’s-eye view across the enterprise, which creates an opportunity — and responsibility — to communicate more than just financial performance,” Mastantuono said. “Stakeholders want that context and perspective. Video is a powerful way to deliver that, so I don’t see this trend slowing down.”
The rise in CFO social media activity reflects a broader redefinition of corporate storytelling, according to Akeem Anderson, head of digital at communications firm H/Advisors Abernathy.
“CEOs are no longer expected to shoulder that responsibility alone; they can now bring other leaders into the effort of communicating the company’s story to specific stakeholders,” Anderson said. “CFOs are increasingly active participants in the communications strategy, which helps humanize the C‑suite, strengthen authenticity, and broaden the company’s collective voice.”
Mastantuono used a January LinkedIn post and accompanying video to draw attention to what she framed as a “strong finish to 2025.” The company posted total revenues of $3.57 billion in the fourth quarter, an increase of 20.5% year over year. The finance chief tied the performance to the company’s broader AI strategy.
“The response was incredibly positive,” she told CFO Dive. “I think people appreciated hearing directly from me and valued the combination of business insights and authenticity. That matters, because whether you’re speaking to employees, investors, or peers, people want clarity — but they also want to feel the human connection behind the message.”
Beyond strong quarters
The trend extends beyond strong earnings periods.
“This could go both ways,” Banerjee said. “Companies may also seek to own the message when times are difficult, and they want to put a positive perspective on it.”
In a LinkedIn video two months ago, Jaguar Land Rover CFO Richard Molyneux described the company’s fiscal 2026 Q3 as “a real challenge.” He cited hurdles such as lingering effects of a major cybersecurity incident disclosed last year and disruptions caused by U.S. tariffs.
Those headwinds contributed to lower revenue and a quarterly loss, Molyneux said. But he added that vehicle production had returned to normal levels and the company was now “fully focused” on recovering from a difficult period.
Mastantuono advised fellow CFOs experimenting with LinkedIn as a communications channel to focus on clarity and authenticity.
“Start from what you know, speak to what matters, and be yourself,” she said. “People respond to that.”
