In the late 1970s, as I was starting my career, I came across an article that identified the traits a chief executive officer was looking for in a chief financial officer (CFO). Since I had already set my sights on becoming a CFO, I jotted down the key takeaways from the article, something that I developed a habit of doing over my career and continue to this time. Unfortunately, I did not note the article, publication, or CEO to give them credit here or to recognize the soundness of the points articulated in the article. Figure P.1 is a copy of my notes that I have retained to this day:
My initial reaction to the article was a realization that the CEOs did not include many of the traditional functions in accounting and finance, including control and external reporting (my role in public accounting at the time of the article), transaction processing, tax, treasury, and many others. Over time I recognized that CEOs and boards take these functions for granted…unless there are weaknesses or issues! Finance executives must execute well on the blocking and tackling and provide the service and advice appreciated by CEOs.
Each of the recommendations has proven to be true in my experience and form the foundation of being a “Partner in Driving Performance and Value.” Of course, this assumes that financial controls and reporting are also ...
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