Good morning. AI jobs are growing quickly in the U.S. However, some finance and revenue-focused positions are becoming hot jobs as well.
LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise 2025 report, released on Tuesday, highlights the 25 fastest-growing jobs over the past three years and the trends defining the future of work. Sixty percent of the jobs on this year’s U.S. list are new.
The top job is an artificial intelligence engineer who can design, develop, and implement AI models and algorithms to optimize processes and solve complex problems. Meanwhile, an artificial intelligence consultant landed at No. 2, and an artificial intelligence researcher is at No. 12.
Artificial intelligence engineer is the most common role globally, Devin Banerjee, head of North America news at LinkedIn, told me in an email. It appeared on more than two-thirds of this year’s Jobs on the Rise lists and took the No. 1 spot in four countries—the U.S., Netherlands, Singapore, and the U.K.
However, Banerjee also noted that LinkedIn doesn’t expect AI roles to ever fully dominate the list. Rather than most professionals becoming AI specialists, they will incorporate aspects of AI into their daily work, he said. “AI will eventually just become a part of everyone’s job, and we’re still at the start of that integration,” Banerjee said.
Managing cash flow, revenue, and growth
Landing at No. 13 on the U.S. list is treasury manager. Over the past three years, LinkedIn has seen an uptick in treasury manager roles, driven largely by the need to navigate fluctuating interest rates, economic uncertainty, evolving regulations, and advancements in financial technology, Banerjee said. Treasury managers provide an analysis of the risks and opportunities associated with these changes, and then implement cash-management processes to ensure financial stability and strategic growth, he said.
What types of employees are transitioning to these positions? Those with hands-on financial roles, like cash manager, financial analyst, and accounting manager, Banerjee said. LinkedIn also found that the most common skills treasury managers have are cash management, cash flow forecasting, and financial analysis.
Taking the No. 23 spot is chief revenue officer (CRO). “CROs play a pivotal role in aligning sales and marketing efforts, streamlining operations, and identifying new growth opportunities,” Banerjee said. CFOs typically work very closely with CROs.
Another C-suite role on the list is chief growth officer (No. 17), who develops and executes company strategies to drive revenue, expand market presence, and promote long-term business growth. What’s interesting is that some CFOs are taking on that role.
For example, Harmit Singh was the EVP and CFO at Levi Strauss & Co., for 10 years, and in January 2023, he became the chief financial and growth officer.
Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com
*An upcoming event: The Fortune CFO Collaborative (sponsored by Deloitte) is an invitation-only group of CFOs from leading companies, which meets virtually and in person for deep-dive discussions on what is top of mind for finance leaders. This month, we will gather in Atlanta on Jan. 29 to discuss, “Preparing for the Next Administration: The CFO’s Role in Planning.”
It’s an invitation-only event. However, if you’d like more information, please send an email to: CFOCollaborative@Fortune.com
Leaderboard
Jonathan Root has been promoted to president of commercial and will continue to serve as CFO at Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG), effective Jan. 27. In this expanded role, Root will assume oversight of global commercial operations while retaining his existing leadership of the finance organization. He was appointed as Harley-Davidson CFO in June 2023, having previously held the role of SVP at Harley-Davidson Financial Services.
William “Bill” Cooper was appointed CFO at Everspin Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRAM), a developer and manufacturer of magnetoresistive random access memory, effective Jan. 6. Cooper joins Everspin from Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., where he was most recently director of financial planning and analysis. He previously served as CFO for the data division of Volex plc.
Big Deal
The latest data from S&P Global Market Intelligence finds that December’s 61 U.S. bankruptcy filings by public and private companies brought the 2024 total to 694. This total surpasses the 635 filings in 2023 and the 638 filings in 2020, a previous 10-year high. The 2024 total amounts to the largest single-year tally since 2010, during the aftermath of the Great Recession, according to the report. The largest bankruptcies in December 2024 were announced by Party City Holdco Inc. and China Construction America Inc.
Going deeper
“The Golden Opportunity for American AI” is a Jan. 3 blog post by Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft. It outlines the company’s vision for technology success over the next four years. And the tech giant is making a big investment.
“In FY 2025, Microsoft is on track to invest approximately $80 billion to build out AI-enabled data centers to train AI models and deploy AI and cloud-based applications around the world,” Smith writes. “More than half of this total investment will be in the United States, reflecting our commitment to this country and our confidence in the American economy.”
Overheard
“I think there’s luck along the way but overall, if you work hard and you are very intentional, you can achieve things. I am a big believer in you make your own luck.”
—Pano Christou, CEO of Pret A Manger, a British sandwich and coffee chain, told Fortune in an interview.
