The firms that involve risk teams early grow faster. Here's the data.

In an era defined by rapid macroeconomic shifts and evolving market dynamics, finance leaders are facing a fundamental question: Should risk management serve as a protective shield, or can it be used as a tool for expansion?

According to a global study conducted by Coface, surveying 1,250 senior finance and risk decision-makers, a distinct shift is underway. The traditional view of risk management as a corporate gatekeeper is being replaced by a strategic vision: transforming risk from a control function into a growth engine.

The Ambition Gap

For many organizations, a structural disconnect persists between commercial ambition and risk discipline. Globally, 62% of senior decision-makers state that these two priorities are fundamentally at odds. In the United States, that tension is even higher, with 65% of leaders acknowledging this ongoing friction.

Currently, risk and finance teams are primarily viewed through a protective lens:

• Current Perception: 38% of global respondents and 42% of U.S. leaders view these teams as “trusted guardians” focused on downside protection.

• The Strategic Shift: Over the next three to five years, this perspective is projected to reverse. 44% globally and 51% in the U.S. expect risk teams to evolve into active strategic growth partners who help unlock new opportunities.

“We don’t say no every time, but we say, here’s the risk, and here’s a couple of ways you guys can manage it without losing any opportunity or deadline.” — Risk Director, Retail Sector

Overcoming the “Internal Brake”

The barriers holding organizations back from faster growth are often internal rather than market-driven. The study reveals that a culture of caution frequently slows down corporate momentum.

This caution manifests in everyday decision-making. 50% of global decision-makers and 57% of U.S. executives agree that saying “no” often feels safer than working to find a structured “yes”.

Friction between cross-functional departments remains a challenge. Globally, 59% of respondents note that challenges raised by risk teams are not viewed as constructive input by commercial teams, often because these teams are brought into the deal pipeline too late.

The “Open Advantage”: What Leading Firms Do Differently

To understand how high-performing companies navigate this landscape, the research isolated a subset of respondents designated as Open Advantage Leaders (representing 12.6% of the global sample). These organizations actively utilize risk intelligence as a source of competitive advantage.

Open Advantage Leaders consistently implement specific organizational behaviors:

• Early Engagement: 70% of leaders involve risk teams early in the growth cycle, compared to 58% overall. By embedding risk specialists at the initial idea stage rather than using them as a final checkpoint, they build safer, more viable projects from the start.

• Open Debate Culture: These organizations are significantly more likely to foster an environment where open debate is encouraged regardless of seniority (38% vs. 23% overall).

• Commercial Alignment: Rather than operating in silos, 55% of executives emphasize that risk teams must partner closely with sales and marketing to actively drive top-line growth.

Moving Toward Decision-Ready Data

A primary driver of conservative decision-making is fragmented information. 52% of organizations report that their risk data is inconsistent or highly variable across different operational markets. Without a unified source of truth, teams default to subjective judgment, which slows execution speed.

To bridge this data visibility gap and make bolder commercial decisions confidently, organizations are increasingly leveraging modern financial safety nets:

• Scenario Modeling & Stress Testing: 64% of organizations prioritize forward-looking scenario modeling before committing to major growth moves.

• Predictive Insights: 59% of leaders emphasize the importance of using predictive market insights over historical metrics to guide commercial strategy.

• Trade Credit Insurance: 45% of global businesses identify trade credit insurance as an essential tool, allowing them to expand into new sectors or geographies by securing their receivables against counterparty insolvencies.

Activating the Growth Engine

For executive leadership, shifting the organizational mindset requires behavioral changes rather than structural overhauls. To unlock faster, calculated expansion, financial leaders should focus on three core areas:

1. Shift the Default Decision Frame: Transition risk team performance metrics away from simply preventing losses toward rewarding the enablement of safe, structured opportunities.

2. Embed Risk as a Co-Pilot: Integrate risk analysis directly into the initial product, service, or market expansion design phases rather than relying on late-stage compliance checks.

3. Consolidate Risk Intelligence: Invest in centralized, real-time customer and market intelligence to replace fragmented data systems, giving teams the clarity needed to move quickly and decisively.