For our last edition of the year, I spoke to Magnum’s finance chief Abhijit Bhattacharya about the ice cream company’s carve-out from Unilever and its plans to boost capex and growth in 2026. The The Magnum Ice Cream Co., as the new entity is known, started trading as a separate company earlier this month. It plans to increase revenue by 3% to 5% next year, a little faster than the overall market. Being a standalone company allows Magnum to allocate more resources toward capital expenditures, have a more targeted salesforce and focus on product innovation, said Bhattacharya, who previously served as the finance chief of health technology firm Philips.
Happy holidays!
What a year it’s been! Over the past 50-plus weeks, Bloomberg’s CFO Briefing covered a wide range of topics, from Trump’s tariffs and the ROI on AI to controlling the controllables, record turnover in the top finance seat, Section 899 and OB3, Excel’s 40th, the rise in PBCs, First Brands and the ripple effects for trade finance, surging healthcare costs, preparing for a recession and why London is losing out on global IPOs, to name just a few.
Along the way, I had the opportunity to interview leading finance chiefs from all over the world, including the US, China, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Latin America and Europe. 2025 brought us a step closer to our goal of becoming a truly global destination for corporate finance coverage, with the number of paying subscribers growing not only in the US, Asia and Europe, but also elsewhere. A major driver was our new CFO roundtable series, with events held at Bloomberg Invest in New York, the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, the Sustainable Business Summit in Singapore and Bloomberg Tech in London. CFO Briefing also expanded into other formats, such as our segments on Bloomberg Businessweek, Bloomberg Brief and the Asia Trade.
I am very grateful for the support I received in 2025 – from my colleagues in the newsroom and at Bloomberg Intelligence, from contacts in PR and investor relations, and from CFOs who shared many interesting insights, as well as some surprising ones. Here’s to 2026 and what it may bring!
After a Busy Year for Deals, Get Ready for More
2025 is on track to become one of the best for global M&A since at least 1995, with deal values expected to hit $4.8 trillion, up 36% from the prior year. Finance chiefs I spoke with expect that momentum to continue. Here’s why.
Affordability is the Buzzword for CFOs, Too
The growing income divide is prompting executives to think about pricing and product mix. Plus, Itau Unibanco’s Gabriel Moura on the Brazilian economy, rates and the upcoming elections.
CFOs Need a Better Reason to List Their Companies in London
Just 10 years ago, London ranked among the top five stock markets around the world to take a company public. Fast forward to today, and London has become an afterthought for many executives, CFOs say. Plus: IAG’s Nicholas Cadbury talks about his capital allocation strategy, managing maintenance costs and the motivation behind the company’s pursuit of TAP.
From Hasbro Toys to Biotech and Carnival Ships, No Hiding From Change
Finance chiefs talk about their role in shaping core changes at their businesses. Plus, UBS’s Todd Tuckner on integrating Credit Suisse, Swiss tariffs and capital requirements.
OpenAI’s Makeover Shines a Light on Companies Doubling as Do-Gooders
Public benefit corporations give executives significant leeway to balance the goals of shareholders, other stakeholders and what they perceive to be the greater good. Plus, Hengan’s CFO on why Chinese consumers want higher-quality diapers.
Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Act Gives CFOs Incentive to Spend
Many executives view the tax changes as a positive that may accelerate investments. Plus, Heineken’s CFO talks about Gen-Zs, beer and “growth without capex.”
Is AI Paying Off Yet, and If Not Now, When?
What’s the return on investment for AI? While some companies already provide specific metrics – for example quantifying the annual savings their business generates with AI tools – others have been more hesitant to put a number on it as they continue to test different applications.
First Brands’ Blowup Puts Trade Finance in Spotlight
First Brands continues to make headlines. Finance executives I spoke with in recent days see the blowup as an isolated case, which nevertheless could lead banks and other finance providers to reassess their relationships, or even scale back certain activities.