Eight strategic priorities to consider for CFOs and finance leaders

Whether it’s monetary policy adjustments, geopolitical disruptions, or shifting regulatory frameworks, uncertainty is forcing mid-market companies to recalibrate continuously. For CFOs of these companies, this moment presents both a challenge and a strategic opportunity.

As Phil Sheridan, senior vice president of swaps and derivatives at Wintrust Financial Corporation, recently noted, “A lot of projects that were on hold due to rates and uncertainty should now be unleashed.” For finance leaders, that means the right mix of liquidity planning, capital access, and strategic foresight is more important than ever.

Wintrust works with mid-market companies across sectors to bring clarity and partnership amid complexity. Here are eight strategic priorities to consider, with integrated financial solutions designed to help companies lead through uncertainty and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

1. Assess and consolidate your financial infrastructure   

Before adapting your financial strategy, start with a clear understanding of your current position. Evaluate your liquidity, cash conversion cycles, debt structures, and working capital requirements. High interest rates and inflationary pressure on input costs demand granular visibility into financial operations.

Wintrust’s Treasury Management solutions¹ enable CFOs to streamline collections, optimize payables, and manage liquidity with precision. Integrated online tools² and real-time reporting provide insights to support more dynamic decision-making.

2. Recalibrate liquidity and capital reserves   

A well-capitalized balance sheet is your first line of defense against volatility. Ensure you have adequate liquidity to cover fixed obligations, such as payroll, rent, and vendor contracts, while still enabling agility for strategic investments.

Wintrust offers a range of customized deposit solutions, including high-yield business savings and sweep accounts, to help companies deploy cash reserves efficiently while maintaining immediate access to funds when needed.

3. Align your investment strategy with risk tolerance  

Market volatility requires CFOs to reexamine how their companies are invested. Whether managing surplus capital or supporting employee retirement programs, consider how inflation, rate shifts, and global instability affect your exposure.

Through Wintrust Wealth Management, companies have access to institutional-grade advisory services that evaluate current allocations, mitigate risk, and align long-term objectives with short-term volatility. Annual rebalancing ensures your strategy reflects changing conditions and evolving business priorities.

4. Evaluate debt structures and financing flexibility

With interest rate fluctuations impacting the cost of capital, it’s imperative to assess your debt portfolio and funding flexibility. Now may be the time to refinance, review your variable rate loans, and consider hedging strategies to protect against rate risk.

Hedging is not an effort to time the markets. It is a risk mitigation strategy. And given the volatility seen recently, analyzing hedging options, on at least a portion of floating rate debt, is a prudent exercise for any company.

Wintrust’s Middle Market Lending team specializes in structuring flexible financing solutions — including term loans, lines of credit, and interest rate hedging programs — to support refinancing, expansion, and M&A strategies. Whether pursuing organic growth or acquisition opportunities, they help optimize capital structure to enhance resilience.  

5. Make data-driven capital expenditure decisions

Capital expenditures — from technology upgrades to facility expansion — require timing and strategic intent. Uncertainty often leads to deferral. “Once businesses see a level of uncertainty emerge, they tend to pull back to the sidelines and wait and see how conditions are going to be before they tend to act,” explains Jason Turner, chief investment strategist and head of multi-asset strategy for Great Lakes Advisors. But with the right financing strategy, these investments can position companies for outsized returns as markets stabilize.

Wintrust provides tailored equipment financing and SBA lending solutions that reduce upfront costs and preserve working capital. By analyzing ROI potential and aligning financing terms with projected cash flows, they help you act decisively without compromising liquidity.  

6. Diversify revenue streams and risk exposure

Diversification remains a core strategy to mitigate reliance on any single revenue stream or market segment. Businesses should consider expanding into new geographies, verticals, or product lines, particularly if customer concentration risk is elevated.

Wintrust’s commercial banking platform supports businesses expanding into new markets, managing cross-border transactions, or dealing with currency volatility. For companies with international components, Wintrust’s foreign exchange and international payment services help mitigate FX exposure and ensure the timely execution of global transactions.

7. Stay ahead of regulatory shifts and incentives

Regulatory and fiscal policy shifts — from tax credits to infrastructure stimulus — can create both risks and opportunities. CFOs who monitor these developments proactively are better positioned to respond.

Sheridan recommends aligning with financial advisers who can help you track industry-specific incentives, such as those for clean energy, manufacturing reshoring, or digital infrastructure. Wintrust’s specialists stay attuned to these changes and can help you interpret how federal or state policy may affect your strategic roadmap.

8. Rely on trusted advisory relationships

Uncertainty may be the backdrop, but it doesn’t have to dictate your strategy. Whether you’re preparing for a capital raise, considering restructuring, or pursuing a strategic acquisition, access to informed guidance is critical.

Wintrust’s relationship-driven model offers access to senior-level bankers, wealth advisers, and treasury experts who understand the unique pressures and priorities of mid-market CFOs. Their middle market banking team brings together insights across disciplines — finance, strategy, operations — to help clients navigate complexity with clarity.

Resilience through partnership

Unpredictability will remain a hallmark of the 2025 business environment. But with proactive planning, dynamic financial tools, and a trusted banking partner, companies can turn headwinds into strategic leverage.

Whether you’re managing risk, pursuing growth, or navigating transformation, Wintrust stands ready to help. They combine the personal relationship focus of a community bank with the full-service capabilities typically associated with national institutions, offering the financial backbone mid-market companies need in any cycle.

For more information, visit wintrust.com/commercialbanking