Jack McCullough, Founder & President, CFO Leadership Council recently connected with CFOs across our 27 chapters on their rookie mistakes starting out in their careers & the big lessons learned.  He shares his findings. Several CFOLC members recently shared their “rookie mistakes” from earlier in their careers. It’s no surprise that I received some interesting responses. You’ll find as you read through them that most are easy to relate to and may have been one of your “rookie mistakes” too. Well, except the person who wrote back, “I can honestly say I never made a rookie mistake. I was just

The best investment you can make is an investment in yourself! The more you learn, the more you'll earn!  ~ Warren Buffett The CFO Leadership Council held a program back in December in our NYC chapter 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

Becoming a Data Driven Finance Leader    Surveys indicate many CFOs are anchored in the role of Historian, one that is backward looking. Today’s dynamic business environment demands CFOs fulfill a much different role -- one that is forward looking, strategic, data driven and applies a creative mindset.  This new role is termed Finance 2.0. CFOs who transition to this new role position themselves to bring new strategic insights and guide their organizations to heightened performance.  However, successful transition to Finance 2.0 requires a thoughtful road map. One that includes People, Process and Technology.    During this session, Rich Reimer, VP of Industry

Leveraging Technology to Power the High Growth Enterprise Modern, data centered technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics, along with new architectures and subscription models built in the cloud are giving CFOs new fire power and flexibility. CFOs are leveraging these technologies to drive organizational transformation and create compelling customer experiences. Yet, research shows only a small number of finance teams have the capabilities required to leverage these technologies.  Join Ash Noah, CPA, CGMA, FCMA, Managing Director of CGMA Learning Education & Development at Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA & CIMA) and Michael Bayer, CFA, CFO

Turn The Page!  What Our CFOLC Members Are Reading Recently our CFO Leadership Council members were asked by a peer via our online members-only forum CFO Connect "What materials are you currently reading that you find impactful to your role as finance leaders?"  The quick response was so phenomenal that we wanted to share the list.  Looking for something new to read that inspire you to take strategy and leadership to a new level?  Here's 40+ recommendations from valued finance leaders in our CFOLC community. Special thanks to Aaron Pullin, CFO NS1 and NYC Chapter member for posing this invaluable

Surviving Today’s Technology Complexity, One CAO’s True Story Requirements in the back office have grown exponentially while reporting deadlines remain fixed. New accounting standards, ASC606 and ASC 842, and new business models, such as the subscription economy and IoT, are driving this change.  Technology is the answer, but the game has changed significantly.   The “Cloud” was to provide new benefits but brings new challenges.  Instead of delivering insight to leadership, finance teams are forced to direct time to overcome these technology challenges. Old models for automating no longer apply, and finance leaders must embrace new approaches to avoid significant risks to the business. Tom Zauli, SVP & General Manager, Softrax will facilitate an insightful discussion with special guest speaker, Michael Smith, Chief Accounting Officer, Tyler Technologies at our 9th annual CFO Leadership Conference. (Pillar #5 – Technology, Disruption & Change ~ Tuesday, May 14th @ 10:40am).