Coming up on December 11th in our NYC chapter, we are holding a discussion that I know will be quite interesting – the topic is on The Indispensable CFO.  This title made me think to myself, what does a CFO ( or financial executive headed toward this position) have to do to be recognized as indispensable; how does one develop h/herself to be Indispensable in this current culture? While CFO’s across all organizations demonstrate strong financial acumen and functional expertise, the most successful CFO’s acknowledge the need to leverage competencies beyond financial oversight that align with the tenets of their organization’s strategy,

“It wasn’t so many years ago that pre-acquisition assessments of a company’s technology were limited to check-the-box activities”, reflected Patrick Moroney, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Central States Funds and previously CIO of several private equity-backed industrial and healthcare companies.  “Meantime, the level of connected-ness among a company’s operations, financial results, and its information systems has completely changed that.  Acquirers must consider the increasing dependency of all organizational functions on technology as digitization and a globally-pervasive internet raising competitive standards.  The thoughtfulness of a target’s technology strategy (or its absence) can provide leading indicators of post-closing surprises that could make-or-break

Long-term illnesses are very challenging emotionally, physically, and especially financially.  I should know, as I have lived through 3 grandparents, 2 in-laws, and one mother who all needed or still need care.  It is difficult to watch those you love lose the ability to do for themselves, and to experience the toll it takes on family and friends who are thrust into the role of caregiver. Some of these situations seem to come out of nowhere after a stroke, a fall, or a surgery gone awry, while others are slow and progressive, like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or cancer.  Regardless, if you

An excerpt from the book The Transition Game, written by CFOLC Co-Chair Greg Olney. For more information on Olney, scroll down. I had a great idea for implementing “agile” methodologies at my place of employment. Agile methodology was primarily software related in its infancy, but I adapted it for our product-related team. I knew when I walked in that if we were to turn our team around from being statistically the last in the country, we needed the team to be active and nimble. They had to handle the complexity inherent with the development projects they would be facing. They

Some companies pursue growth through acquisitions by initiating a search for potential targets suited to their strategy.  Other firms may be prompted to consider acquisition by seeing potential in a company they already do business with (or compete against). Whether a potential acquisition surfaces through deliberate efforts or opportunistically, there are several important ways that a CFO can contribute to an acquirer’s success in the early days of identifying and engaging with potential sellers: A network that provides connections to potential sellers Informed speculation about a seller’s financial expectations and requirements for a deal Early assessment of a seller’s preparedness

The job description of the modern CFO has certainly changed in recent years. A chief financial officer no longer just crunches numbers and looks at financial statements all day. As traditional finance work continues to make the rapid shift to digital, transactional roles are slowly disappearing. Previously here on The CFO Leadership Council, we discussed heightened innovation, globalization, and the emergence of new competitors as other variables that have added layers of complexity to senior management titles. Progressing through the ranks no longer works if you are unwilling to adapt to the changing landscape. To be a successful CFO, one must be