Creating the power to get things done!  Spotlight on the CFO Leadership Conference Kickoff Keynote Christina Spade, CFO, CBS Corporation Creating the power to get things done - Closing the books is table stakes.  CFOs today must deliver much more.  Successful CFOs know how to shape themselves and their team to create influence over others they may not have assigned authority over. It’s called “Influence Power” and is the cornerstone for creating winning collaboration by finance across all levels of a company. Finance organizations with effective influence power guide their company to make winning strategic choices, know when a pivot in

March 8th each year marks “International Women’s Day.”  Started in 1911, the day is supported by over one million people, and belongs to all groups collectively around the world.  It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It is not country, group or organization specific, but The CFO Leadership Council supports its annual campaign and call to action to collectively drive a more gender-balanced world. In celebration of the day, The Orange County CFO Leadership Council is celebrating closer to home by congratulating Guita Sharifi, Ph.D., co-chair of the Orange County CFO Leadership

Planning for Succession Most Say It's Because They're Not Planning to Leave Soon ~ A recent news release submitted by our sponsor Robert Half.   Change management is always a major concern for organizations, but few challenges are more disruptive than an executive departure. In a new survey from Robert Half Management Resources, only 52 percent of CFOs said they have identified a successor for their position. The research suggests small businesses (20-49 employees), in particular, may be less prepared to deal with potential leadership changes, with only 37 percent of financial executives at those companies citing they have an heir

Orange County CFOLC Congratulates Co-Chair Guita Sharif For CFO Of The Year Nomination As founding member and co-chair of the Orange County CFO Leadership Council, Guita Sharifi has help build the foundation and growth of the Southern California local chapter of a leading professional association whose mission is to empower senior financial executives.  In her important role, she has acted as a mentor to many other CFO members of this burgeoning organization. Guita also works to develop effective executive programming annually to assist CFOs in bettering their businesses. This year, the Orange County CFO Leadership Council congratulates co-chair Guita Sharifi

During the last decade or more, the business world has officially moved into a new and exciting digital age. With intelligent or “extreme” automation on the forefront of many company’s agendas, CFOs have to be prepared for this shift that has already begun taking place. Ash Noah, CPA, CGMA, from the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants connects with CFOs globally to understand the changing role of finance. He recently spoke to us about how technology coupled with competency can fuel business agility and the success of finance as a whole. Why Agility? So what can CFOs and their teams

An acquisitions attorney took a rather frustrated call from his client following the completion of an acquisition, with the awkward question regarding a particular operational surprise: “Why didn’t you think of that?”  It’s easy to imagine that the client had earlier asked for a comprehensive due diligence checklist, expecting more wisdom from such a list than is warranted. Of course, diligence checklists can be invaluable to assessing a potential target.  However, a CFO is well-advised to look beyond checklists when evaluating a potential company for acquisition.  Even the most “complete” checklists are typically limited, to facts and figures, legal documents,