Other Ernst & Young material of interest to CFOs
3 Leading key initiatives | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Related insights | |
 | A new era of global risk and uncertainty In today’s new era of tax controversy, CFOs must ensure that tax risks are brought to the attention of the management team. |
 | Drought or drowning? Cash challenges for CFOs Many companies are struggling to maintain liquidity. Others are stockpiling cash like never before. CFOs are facing new strategic and operational challenges. |
 | CFO and beyond - Possibilities and pathways outside finance Appetite for CFO experience on boards is big and getting bigger. This study addresses the reasons why, and what it takes to make a successful non-executive director. |
 | Finance forte: the future of finance leadership A study of the future of the Group CFO role and what candidates, incumbents and the board need to do to keep up. |
Other Ernst & Young material of interest to CFOs
- The DNA of the CFO: a study of what makes a chief financial officer
- How sustainability has expanded the CFO's role
- Video: The CFO's role in sustainability initiatives
- Shifting up a gear: from corporate finance to corporate strategy
- Views. Vision. Insights. The evolving role of today's CFO
- Growing Beyond: a place for integrity
- Global compliance and reporting survey
- Measuring and managing liquidity risk
- Driving improved supply chain results
- Growing beyond: How high performers are competing for growth in difficult times
- What lies beneath? The hidden costs of entering rapid-growth markets
- A tale of two markets: telling the story of investment across developed and rapid-growth markets
4 Funding, enabling
and executing strategy
CFO competencies
Core skills
- Funding the organization's operations
- Prioritizing investments
- Developing strategic plans to achieve corporate goals
- Understanding the key value drivers
- Turning strategic plans into operational plans and targets (including defining KPIs)
- Designing the implementation program
- Monitoring progress against strategy
Core knowledge
- Capital management
- Project financing
- Financial risk management
- Operational risk management
- Strategic and operational planning
- Performance management systems
- Program management
- Change management
Key experiences
- Involvement in determining funding requirements
- Securing funding for operations and major projects
- Management of working capital
- Implementing financial risk management strategy, e.g., interest rate, foreign exchange and market risk
- Developing strategic plans
- Managing large and complex improvement/change programs
- Managing a merger or acquisition
Key relationships
- Chief executive officer/chief operating officer
- Business unit heads
- Risk director
- Operations director
- External funding providers
- Key investors
- Treasurer
| Related insights | |
| | Drought or drowning? Cash challenges for CFOs Many companies are struggling to maintain liquidity. Others are stockpiling cash like never before. CFOs are facing new strategic and operational challenges. |
 | Capital Insights Get analysis, trends and commentary around managing capital in the current economic and regulatory environment, as well as first-hand insights from business leaders. |
 | CFO perspective: the rise of the cross-border transaction Explores how CFOs can drive cross-border mergers and acquisitions to make a major contribution to their organization's long-term growth. |
Other Ernst & Young material of interest to CFOs
- Video: How sustainability has expanded the CFO's role
- Shifting up a gear: from corporate finance to corporate strategy
- Views. Vision. Insights. The evolving role of today's CFO
- Capital confidence barometer
- Global IPO activity trends 2011
- Tax risk and controversy survey: a new era of global risk and uncertainty
- Growing beyond: How high performers are competing for growth in difficult times
- The DNA of the CFO: a study of what makes a chief financial officer
- Finance forte: the future of finance leadership
- What lies beneath? The hidden costs of entering rapid-growth markets
- A tale of two markets: telling the story of investment across developed and rapid-growth markets
5 Developing and defining
organizational strategy
CFO competencies
Core skills
- Translating corporate goals into a clear strategy
- Identifying financial and risk issues in relation to corporate strategy
- Delivering a workable strategic plan within known constraints
- Thinking creatively/ conceptually strong
- Analyzing portfolio of opportunities
- Visionary/story-teller ability to build trust and motivate people
- Effectively communicating financial and risk issues to C-suite colleagues
- Providing robust financial challenge at C-suite level
Core knowledge
- Strategic and operational planning
- Knowledge of the organization's business
- Detailed knowledge of products/service lines
- Business model design
- Scenario planning
- Good overview of the industry structure and challenges
- Strategic frameworks and theory
- Awareness of the market and commercial environment
- Aware of industry and organization risk profile
- Awareness of IT as an important business enabler
Key experiences
- Strategy development
- Development and implementation of business plans
- Monitoring achievement of plans and targets and taking corrective actions where required
- Operational and financial risk management
- Product and market development
Key relationships
- Chief executive officer
- Chief operating officer
- Business unit heads
- Chief information officer
- Risk director
- Marketing director
- HR director
- Strategy director
- Corporate development officer
| Related insights | |
 | This time it’s personal: from consumer to co-creator Marketing, social media and digital may seem a long way from the CFO’s office, but these worlds are converging. We explore. |
 | The DNA of the CFO: a study of what makes a chief financial officer This study provides insight into what it is to be a CFO today, exploring their aspirations, relationships and what makes them unique. |
| | CFO and beyond - Possibilities and pathways outside finance Appetite for CFO experience on boards is big and getting bigger. This study addresses the reasons why, and what it takes to make a successful non-executive director. |
| | Drought or drowning? Cash challenges for CFOs Many companies are struggling to maintain liquidity. Others are stockpiling cash like never before. CFOs are facing new strategic and operational challenges. |
Other Ernst & Young material of interest to CFOs
- Growing beyond: How high performers are competing for growth in difficult times
- The power of simplicity
- Video: 3 tips for CFOs developing a sustainability strategy
- Shifting up a gear: from corporate finance to corporate strategy
- Views. Vision. Insights. The evolving role of today's CFO
- Growing Beyond: a place for integrity
- Driver-based decision-making
- Turn risks and opportunities into results
- Tax risk and controversy survey: a new era of global risk and uncertainty
- Managing indirect taxes in the supply chain
- Finance forte: the future of finance leadership
- What lies beneath? The hidden costs of entering rapid-growth markets
- A tale of two markets: telling the story of investment across developed and rapid-growth markets
6 Representing the
organization to
external stakeholders
CFO competencies
Core skills
- Clearly communicating performance
- Providing perspectives on performance relative to main competitors
- Understanding main value drivers/key KPIs and initiatives to improve them
- Communicating positively about management of key risks
- Taking a forward looking view
- Anticipating and responding to questions from media, analysts and investor community
- Responding positively to issues raised by industry regulators
Core knowledge
- The organization's business and its industry
- The organization's products/service lines
- The market and commercial environment
- The impact of local, regional and global economies on financial performance
- Technical accounting to supervise financial statements
Key experiences
- Preparing financial information for external publication and communication to the capital markets
- Dealing with parties external to the organization
- Engaging with media
- Managing relationships with external auditors
- Managing resolution of key accounting and control issues
Key relationships
- Chief executive officer
- Chairman
- Executive and non-executive boards
- Other key governance committees (e.g., audit, remuneration)
- External auditors
- Media and investor relations
- Regulators
| Related insights | |
| | Drought or drowning? Cash challenges for CFOs Many companies are struggling to maintain liquidity. Others are stockpiling cash like never before. CFOs are facing new strategic and operational challenges. |
 | Back seat or center stage? CFOs and the media Media engagement beyond financial reporting and print media – the reported comfort zone of CFOs – is likely to be an increasing reality for a growing number of finance leaders. This report addresses the CFO's role in relation to the media. |
 | A tale of two markets: telling the story of investment across developed and rapid-growth markets How do you tell a tale of two markets? This report explores the role of the CFO in balancing investments across developed and rapid-growth markets and the way in which the CFO communicates this balance to investors. |
 | Reporting magazine Reporting magazine brings together a range of insights and ideas which we hope will interest and inform business executives involved in reporting in its broadest sense. |
Other Ernst & Young material of interest to CFOs
- CFO and beyond - Possibilities and pathways outside finance
- Shifting up a gear: from corporate finance to corporate strategy
- Views. Vision. Insights. The evolving role of today's CFO
- How sustainability has expanded the CFO's role
- What lies beneath? The hidden costs of entering rapid-growth markets
- The DNA of the CFO: a study of what makes a chief financial officer
- Finance forte: the future of finance leadership
- Growing beyond: How high performers are competing for growth in difficult times
- ViewPoints: investors' perspectives on financial reporting
The CFO of today
The DNA of the CFO: a study of what makes a chief financial officer
This study, based on finance leaders in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, provides insight into what it is to be a CFO today, exploring their aspirations, relationships and what makes them unique.
The average CFO
- Male, aged 42 years and eight months
- Considers five years and 10 months to be the appropriate tenure
- Highly educated with a finance degree, MBA or chartered accountancy qualification
 | CFO: staging post or career destination? |
Explore the full report or get the highlights by downloading our
At a glance guide.
Also available:
- Views. Vision. Insights. The evolving role of today's CFO. Download the Americas supplement to The DNA of the CFO.
- Shifting up a gear: from corporate finance to corporate strategy. Read the Asia-Pacific supplement to the DNA of the CFO.
- The DNA of the Greek CFO. Read a study of what makes a chief financial officer in Greece.
Performing as a CFO
The Master CFO Series
A collection of studies on particular events and experiences that CFOs encounter as part of their role.
Drought or drowning?Many companies are struggling to maintain liquidity. Others are stockpiling cash like never before. CFOs are facing new strategic and operational challenges. We explore strategies to tackle them.
View online or download the
At a glanceguide.
A tale of two marketsHow do you tell a tale of two markets? This report explores the role of the CFO in balancing investments across developed and rapid-growth markets and the way in which the CFO communicates this balance to investors.
View online or download the
At a glanceguide.
What lies beneath?The opportunities in rapid-growth markets are undeniable. So too are the risks. Where others see primarily opportunity, the CFO must spot complexity — the costs both manifest and hidden.
View online or download the
At a glanceguide.
Back seat or center stage?Media engagement beyond financial reporting and print media – the reported comfort zone of CFOs – is likely to be an increasing reality for a growing number of finance leaders. This report addresses the CFO's role in relation to the media.
View online or download the
At a glanceguide.
The CFO of tomorrow
CFO and beyond
Appetite for CFO experience on boards is big and getting bigger. This study addresses the reasons why, and what it takes to make a successful non-executive director.
| | Proportion of serving CFOs at the largest companies with non-executive roles in 2002 and 2012 |
| | Last executive role for the CFO class of 2002 |
Explore the full report or get the highlights by downloading our
At a glanceguide.
Read this article from The Wall Street Journal on the growing demand for CFO experience on boards.
Finance forte: the future of finance leadership
A study of the future of the Group CFO role and what candidates, incumbents and the board need to do to keep up.
| | Stepping stones of the EMEIA top 100 |
| | Routes to the top - career paths of the EMEIA top 100 |
Explore the full report or get the highlights by downloading our
At a glance guide.
cfo-insight.com
Watch Jay Nibbe, EMEIA Markets Leader, Ernst & Young, discuss the evolving role of the CFO on cfo-insight.com - proudly sponsored by Ernst & Young.
CFO webcast archive- Now Available. With CFOs of AOL Inc, Take-Two Interactive
Watch the webcast or download the summary that fellow CFOs say is "Concise and exactly on point."
Contacts
For further information on any of this material, or on our broader program of investment in CFOs, please contact:
Emma Dowding
CFO program lead for EMEIA
+44 (0) 20 7980 0152
Robert Brand
CFO program lead for the Americas
+1 201 872 5692
Sarah Buerckner
CFO program lead for Asia-Pacific
+852 2846 9888