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Governance & Controls – structure and controls.
Transaction Recording – systems, transaction processing and closing the books.
Reporting - efficient, timely and accurate information for decision making and meeting compliance requirements.
Accounting
Business Planning - provide the financial roadmap for the company with supporting analytics.
Financial Forecasting - integrate the company’s current performance relative to budget with the real-time business environment.
Investment Analysis - the framework to analyze new opportunities as they present themselves.
Finance
Cash Management - the discipline to ensure cash is available to operate the business normally.
Funding - Planning for and raising funds to meet the needs of the business.
Risk Management – Identification and mitigation of key business risks.
Treasury
Self-Awareness - Internal.
Team Building - External.
Strategy & Culture – Motivate people to follow you.
Leadership
Four Pillars of Executive Expertise
CFO.University is built around the Four Pillars of CFO Success. These Pillars are supported with Core Competencies. Our framework allows you to master your role as a senior financial officer. The Four Pillars are made up of:
Accounting – Governance & Controls, Transaction Recording and Reporting
Finance – Business Planning, Financial Forecasting and Investment Analysis
Treasury – Cash Management, Funding (Capital Raising) and Risk Management
Leadership – Self Awareness, Team Building and Strategy & Culture
Newsletter (The Balanced Digest)
The most up to date and relevant accounting, finance, treasury and leadership headlines all in one place.
Forum (CFO Insights)
Bringing the learning needs of our Member-Scholars directly in contact with thought leaders from CFO.UNIVERSITY Staff, Affiliates and other Member-Scholars.
Practical Learning
Practical, real world subject matter that you can immediately convert to value for your company and your career is the basis for our CFO-centric learning model
Tools
Our Supply Chain Risk Assessment to gives you a quick take on how developed your Supply Chain Risk Management System is.
Try the Supply Chain Risk Assessment Now!
What the Board Expects from a Chief Financial Officer - Part III
Interactions with the Board of Directors can be intimidating for a first time CFO, or even an experienced CFO being introduced to a new Board. To help navigate the critical relationship between the CFO and their Board we interviewed four seasoned public company directors and received a treasure trove of insightful responses.
In part III of the series we cover questions 6-7 and potpourri from our interview with with the Directors.
6. How should the CFO communicate with the Board? On one extreme - should conversations be led by the Board and the CFO brought in as needed/instructed. On the other extreme should the CFO have full access to the Board on whatever subject they believe is worth the Boards time.
7. As a Board member if you could hire for only one quality in the CFO what would that quality be?
Someone Wants To Buy Your Business - What To Do And What Not To Do.
You got “The Call”.
Someone wants to buy your company!
You’re flattered and excited. You might even be thinking about selling, and you want to hear what they have to say.
STOP!
Why Every Business Should Build Weekly Cash Flow Forecasts
When most finance professionals hear the term “13 week cash forecast,” they view it as a burden—one more task to appease an overbearing lender. Most finance professionals do not get nearly as excited about building it as they do about building a projection model for an acquisition or investment. It doesn’t help that companies generally tend not to focus on their liquidity needs until they are forced to do so. Therefore, people often only prioritize the weekly cash forecasts in distressed situations, when it is too late to take corrective actions. And even still, the analysis is often hastily executed and inaccurate.
The Defining Attributes of a Successful CFO: Leadership
Leadership seems to be one of those traits defined by “You know it, when you see it.” I have met a CFO who was the brightest lightbulb in the room but could not lead their business to the light switch. I have also met a CFO who didn’t seem to work that hard and wasn’t a rocket scientist but was able to move mountains in their job. Why could one get things done while the other struggled? Leadership.
