“The role of the CFO is evolving into that of a Chief Future Officer, and the future has already arrived, and the future has already arrived”
This was the message from Michal Kissos Hertzog, CEO of Poalim Tech, who opened the CFO CONNECT event in Tel Aviv. Noam Canetti, Managing Partner at EY, added that “AI will free CFOs from routine tasks and allow them to focus on value creation and decision-making
The gathering, held last night (Monday) at the Hilton Tel Aviv, is a quarterly initiative by Poalim Tech, this time organized in collaboration with EY. Dozens of CFOs from Israel’s leading companies came together for a professional discussion on the challenges and opportunities in the capital market, on the eve of the annual JOURNEY conference.
Michal Kissos Hertzog said “When we talk about the CFO as the Chief Future Officer, we must understand that the future is already here. While CFOs rely on past data, reports, and numbers, in practice they are the ones pushing companies forward. CFOs are an integral part of the corporate decision-making table, and they are the ones shaping the future of the organization.”
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Mark Yaffe, Assaf Humazini, Evangelos Prus, and Dr. Adi Horowitz Lavie
(photo: Shauli Landner)
Noam Canetti added “In a world where artificial intelligence is entering the core of financial work, AI will release CFOs from routine tasks and allow them to invest more in value creation and strategic decision-making.”
The discussion on IPO readiness was also framed by a survey published by Poalim Tech and MEIDATA about a year ago. The survey predicted that the IPO market would reopen in 2025, with at least five Israeli companies expected to go public. Although the year began at a slower pace than anticipated, with only one IPO completed, the overall outlook remains positive and additional companies are expected to follow soon.
Reflecting this outlook, the event featured two panels. The first focused on mergers and acquisitions. The second, moderated by Dr. Adi Hoorvitch Lavi, VP of Growth and Investments at Poalim Tech, focused on capital market trends and IPO preparation. Panelists highlighted that Israeli companies must prepare thoroughly: from building a clear narrative for investors, to meeting governance standards, and establishing long-term investor relations.
These insights were echoed by several speakers. Asaf Homossany, Senior Managing Director for Nasdaq in EMEA, noted that for companies pursuing an IPO, it’s not just about the numbers, the story you tell is just as critical. Evangelos Perros, CFO of Pagaya, stressed that transparency and the ability to build long-term trust are critical for Israeli firms. Mark Jaffe from Latham & Watkins concluded that the make or break factor in any IPO process is appointing the right CFO, one capable of managing both the company’s finances and the offering itself.
The event concluded with a forecast of five to eight Israeli IPOs by the end of 2026. Speakers agreed that success will not come from financial performance alone, but from the ability to craft a coherent story and to operate according to international standards.
