Unlocking the Finance Maturity Model: From Reaction to Innovation
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About This Episode
Is your finance team truly driving strategic value, or are you stuck in reactive mode?
Host Melissa Howatson, welcomes Peter Emerling, Director in the Digital Transformation Practice at Citrin Cooperman, to explore the finance maturity model, the four stages of finance maturity and what it takes to move from reaction to transformation.
With over 18 years of experience advising businesses across industries and lifecycle stages, Peter breaks down the key components of a modern maturity model—from people and processes to data and governance—and shares practical ways finance leaders can assess where they stand and how to level up.
If you're struggling with siloed systems, manual workarounds, or transformation fatigue, this episode offers a roadmap toward building a smarter, more agile finance function. Learn how you can assess your current maturity level and take concrete steps towards finance transformation that drives real business impact.
Discussed in This Episode:
- The 4 finance maturity levels: Sustaining, Reactionary, Transforming, Innovating - Understanding where your team stands
- Five assessment pillars: People, Process, Technology, Data, and Governance
- Red flags that indicate your team may be stuck at level two
- How to evolve without ripping out your tech stack
- Real-world client examples and what drives true business impact
- Actionable strategies to progress through maturity stages
Episode Resources:
- Understand Your Financial Maturity Level Guide [Citrin Cooperman]
- The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz [Peter’s Book Recommendation]
- The State of Strategic Finance 2025 Report [Vena in partnership with BPM Partners]
- Excelerate Finance Summit 2025
- How CFOs Can Drive Digital Transformation in Finance
- How AI Can Power Finance Productivity—and Why Doing More With Less Matters
- Tariffs, Turbulence and Market Unrest: How FP&A Teams Can Lead Businesses Through