Billtrust CFO David Zwick warns his peers not to overlook a growing challenge in cash conversion cycles: customers taking longer to pay their bills.

A recent Billtrust survey of 550 finance pros found that two-thirds reported their customers are paying slower than six months ago, and one in five indicated that payment times are “significantly slower.”

“Cash velocity,” as Zwick called it, “is a huge thing.”

Board members are more closely scrutinizing cash conversion amid high interest rates and interest expenses, Zwick said, which is “becoming a larger use of cash, so…the cash balances aren’t growing as fast as they were before.”

“That causes a lot of companies to start paying their bills slower than they had before,” Zwick told CFO Brew, “because they’re looking for ways to make up for that working capital shortfall they’re experiencing.” Consequently, businesses waiting for payments to come in are in a tougher position, because that anticipated revenue “doesn’t really count until you convert it into cash.”

Bona fide methods for dealing with slow payers.—AZ

Not all heroes wear capes…and accountants want to be part of the non-cape-wearing faction.

The majority of North American accountants and finance professionals want to find future jobs focused on environmental goals (59%) or social impact (63%), though half or fewer feel they’re currently contributing to those issues, according to a recent survey on talent trends around the world from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

The ACCA polled over 11,000 accountancy and finance professionals from 160 countries from October 2025 to February 2026.

Two fifths (42%) of North American respondents said their finance role currently contributes to their organization’s efforts on environmental and climate change issues, while 50% said their role helps with social impact issues.

Employers would be well-served to increase those stats, considering the high level of interest: 70% of accountants and finance professionals in North America ranked a company’s reputation on social and human rights issues as a key factor in choosing a potential employer.

Jobs with social impact may help retention.—NP

While the mantra “Cs get degrees” may have rung true in college, being middle-of-the-road isn’t enough for those in leadership.

More than half (54%) of the 2,200 US workers surveyed by business management consultancy The Grossman Group in partnership with Harris Poll rated their leaders as “good.” Meanwhile, 30% described them as “exceptional,” and 16% called them “outdated.”

So most leaders are just fine—what’s wrong with that? The issue, according to David Grossman, founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, is that “good” leaders often fail to incorporate “soft skills” into their management practices, something that’s especially necessary at a time when employees are bringing more emotional baggage to work, he argued.

“Good leaders were trained for stable times, and of course, we are not in stable times,” Grossman said. These leaders may check the most basic boxes, such as hitting their goals and even showing appreciation for workers, he added, but “they weren’t trained to address the uncertainty and the emotional content that we see in the workplace today.”

Why leaders ranked “exceptional” by workers are much better managers, HR Brew reports.—PM

Learn what Chipotle CFO Adam Rymer has to say about the importance of asking “why” behind an organizational decision.