How CFOs can use DORA to build trust with investors and the board | House of Control

Strong financial leadership is about more than just numbers. Investors and boards want to be sure an organization can handle disruption and stay resilient. The EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) sets clear rules for digital resilience, and for CFOs, its third party ICT risk requirements help show control and build trust.

Key takeaways

• DORA raises resilience standards. Strong third party ICT risk control builds financial confidence.
  
  
• Clear risk reporting improves communication with the board.
  
  
• Active control of third-party suppliers strengthens investor trust.
  
  
• Staying ahead with DORA compliance shows foresight and leadership.
  
  
• A third party ICT risk platform makes supplier oversight measurable and board ready.

Turning compliance into confidence

DORA is more than a box-ticking exercise. For third party ICT risk, it provides concrete requirements for identifying dependencies, monitoring supplier risk, and proving ongoing oversight.

For CFOs, it’s a chance to turn complex compliance tasks into proof of structure, foresight, and accountability.

When organizations can show ongoing supplier oversight and that risks are being fixed, investors and boards gain confidence in the organization’s resilience. It shows the company is prepared and in control, which are qualities that go beyond financial reports.

Managing third-party risk with clarity

Many key risks sit outside the company, in systems and services run by others. DORA requires organizations to map out these external dependencies and keep active oversight.

For CFOs, this is a chance to connect supplier monitoring with financial and strategic goals. With the right platform, vendor relationships and ICT dependencies can be seen in one place. This overview helps finance leaders measure exposure, focus on the biggest risks, and prove that all third-party ICT dependencies are well managed.

Enhancing board communication and governance

Open, clear communication with the board is essential for trust. Alongside other efforts, DORA helps CFOs present ICT dependencies and risk reduction in a consistent and clear way.

This transparency supports better decision-making and stronger governance. DORA helps make third party ICT risk discussions clearer and more structured, supporting consistent governance and decision-making across the organization.

Making resilience measurable

DORA requires organizations to measure their resilience, including regular evaluation of key third party ICT providers to identify weaknesses and strengthen oversight.

For CFOs, these measurements connect directly to financial stability, showing that managing operational risk supports long-term performance. When resilience data becomes part of financial oversight, it builds credibility. Investors value this clear, evidence-based approach to risk management.

Practical considerations for CFOs

While DORA provides a strong framework for digital resilience, CFOs should keep these points in mind:

• Check carefully whether your organisation is in scope of DORA (or impacted indirectly via third-party ICT providers).
  
  
• Use DORA’s third party ICT risk requirements as a framework, and focus on maturity of oversight and remediation, not just documented compliance.
  
  
• When presenting to the board or investors, align DORA-related metrics with business outcomes (continuity, cost of downtime avoided, vendor exposure reduced).
  
  
• Vendor and third-party risk management is challenging, especially for global cloud providers and subcontractor chains. Having a platform helps create visibility and structure, but strong vendor governance, contractual strength, monitoring, and remediation capability remain critical.
  
  
• Measurement of “resilience” is still emerging. You’ll need to define metrics that fit your context, such as time to recovery, incident frequency/severity, and vendor risk score.
  
  
• Keep perspective. DORA focuses on digital resilience but connects closely with overall governance and risk management. Financial, strategic, and regulatory risks remain equally vital to investor trust.

By approaching DORA with a structured approach, CFOs can turn regulatory compliance into a genuine advantage. Strong governance, measurable resilience, and transparent communication not only satisfy regulators but also strengthen investor confidence and demonstrate true leadership.