Reality Check - The Soul Of The CFO Game

Maximizing Long-Term Corporate Growth And Shareholder Value

I believe that a CFO is a pragmatic strategist who drives an agenda of enriching the bottom line with focus on growing sustainable business and returning shareholder value. Today, a CFO
is a close ally of the CEO and a significant contributor to the formulation of business strategy.

He acts as a trusted advisor to the CEO and senior management team and provides a “reality check” challenging the CEO and others to consider the optimal use of the resources. In addition, the size and complexity of business requires the comprehensive and objective assessment of opportunities and threats, another area where the CFO is well suited.

Driving Better Business Results

The finance function is not just about traditional responsibilities of reporting, control and compliance. In today’s world, these are table stakes. The finance team needs to play an advisory role to the business and help the company make well considered and calculated decisions. Today, the need for Finance to act as a true business partner is well recognized.
Accordingly, Finance must support flexibility, scalability, and responsiveness to a number of global opportunities and challenges.

CFOs should invest in their business partnering capability with the skill and experience to work alongside the business by influencing, designing and executing business strategy and
planning. To achieve this, CFOs must build empowered teams by enhancing their business knowledge, and adopting a business mentality while remaining true to their “control-based” roots.

"The finance function is not just about traditional responsibilities of reporting, control
and compliance. In today’s world, these are table stakes"

Financial Transformations

This is a topic close to my heart. I started my career in finance when there was hardly any help in terms of technology. Everything was manual and the finance team spent a lot of time counting the beans. Over the years, I have seen technology transform the finance function. This has helped us not only keep pace with growing business needs and its complexities, but also to mature from a basic accounting function to become a strategist and a business partner, enabling the organization to meet new world challenges.