Some of the CFOs most common duties include:
- Managing the company's finances and overseeing its accounting team
- Monitoring cash flows and managing debt levels
- Preparing budgets and forecasts for future growth
- Working closely with management teams across departments to ensure they are operating effectively
- Presenting financial information to stakeholders and investors
- Analysing trends in financial data to identify opportunities and risks
- Coordinating with other departments to support decision-making
As a financial leader, the CFO is also involved in strategic decision-making and planning for the future, including sales growth, cost-cutting measures, capital investments, and more. As they work closely with top management to develop long-term goals for profitability and growth, they also help set annual budgets, monitor spending throughout the year, and assess if plans are working as expected or if adjustments need to be made.
Qualifications and requirements for CFOs today
The role of the CFO has evolved from leading a finance and accounting function (the case a number of years ago) to a strategic partner in driving business growth. The CFO is now responsible for driving innovation across the organisation and ensuring it meets its strategic goals while also overseeing finance and accounting functions.
Educational Background
A qualified candidate will often have a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance and several years of experience in these fields. Many candidates will also have master's degrees in business administration (MBA) or a related field.
Skills and experience
To be successful in this role, the ideal candidate will have a mix of skills and experience that includes:
- Finance management expertise - A strong understanding of financial markets, including investments, valuation, and risk management.
- Strong analytical skills - A CFO needs to be able to analyse financial information quickly and effectively so they can make decisions based on facts rather than assumptions.
- Business acumen - An ability to understand how finance can drive business growth by providing insights on financial plans and forecasts as well as operational performance.
- Strategic thinking - The ability to identify opportunities for growth through innovation and change.
- Communication skills - Excellent verbal and written communication skills are critical for communicating with senior leaders across all levels of an organisation.
The modern CFO: Going beyond the numbers
The job of a CFO has changed significantly over the years as companies have become driven by technology, and global reach and effectiveness have become both more achievable and sophisticated.
While CFOs still manage teams of people who in turn manage finances and ensure money is spent wisely — CFOs now have more responsibilities in their evolving roles. For example:
- More strategic focus when handling complex problems that require creativity and foresight.
- Dynamic leadership skills when managing a large and growing organisation.
- Tighter alignment with business strategy by being well-informed about the business environment, including financial markets, competitors, and customers.
- Increased customer engagement and focus on people by understanding what makes people tick — their motivations, their needs, their aspirations — to build productive relationships with them.
In other words, today's CFO must have deep knowledge of finance and be an excellent strategist capable of making decisions based on information from across the organisation — not just from within accounting or finance departments.