The CFO role: being in the weeds and communicating effectively

Hiring a CFO isn't like picking a new coffee machine for the office. It's handing someone the company ledger, the banking keys, and a substantial part of your growth plan. If your organization hires the wrong person, small problems will snowball into existential ones. Here's what can go wrong, and how to lower the risk: https://lnkd.in/dbgjww_U #CSuite #SeniorFinance #TalentStrategy #CFOs #ExecutiveSearch #Recruiting

Had a coffee with an interim CFO yesterday and we got chatting about the term “fractional.” He wasn’t a fan. Call it fractional, portfolio, part-time, miracle worker. Whatever you like... there’s no doubt we’re seeing more of it. And for good reason. It’s a smart, affordable way for businesses to tap into senior finance leadership without committing to a full-time headcount. You still get the experience, the challenge, the strategic thinking for a "fraction" of the cost.

💡 The Financial Controller: The Backbone of a Company’s Stability In every successful organization, behind the growth numbers and strategic decisions, there’s a Financial Controller ensuring the company’s financial health. A strong Financial Controller doesn’t just “manage the books” — they: 🔹 Safeguard assets & ensure compliance 🔹 Provide accurate and timely financial insights 🔹 Drive efficiency in processes and reporting 🔹 Support decision-making with data-driven analysis 🔹 Act as the bridge between operations, leadership, and stakeholders Their work enables CEOs and management teams to focus on strategy, confident that the foundation is solid. In today’s dynamic business environment, a great Financial Controller is not just important — they are indispensable. 👉 To all the Financial Controllers out there: your precision, insight, and diligence keep businesses running smoothly. #Finance #Leadership #FinancialController #BusinessGrowth

𝐂𝐄𝐎𝐬: The right 𝐂𝐅𝐎 is more than a 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝. As your business grows from 𝟏𝟎𝟎 → 𝟐𝟎𝟎 → 𝟓𝟎𝟎 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝, the role of your CFO must evolve alongside it. The most effective CFOs know how to: ✔️ 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 — managing finance and operations hands-on in the early stage. ✔️ 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — building and leading a capable finance team as complexity increases. ✔️ 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 — ensuring financial discipline fuels growth, without stifling innovation. ✔️ 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 — aligning financial priorities with the CEO’s mission and long-term goals. A CFO who can 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 with the business creates synergy with the CEO — unlocking 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 at every stage. Likewise, a CEO who 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐂𝐅𝐎 builds the foundation for sustainable success. 𝐂𝐄𝐎𝐬: When assessing your next CFO hire, how do you evaluate their 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 with your company’s future? #ExecutiveSearch #CFO #CEO #Leadership #ScalingBusiness #StrategicFinance #BusinessGrowth #RetainedSearch #CLevelHiring #PeopleStrategy #BoardLeadership #FutureOfWork #ExecutiveHiring #FinanceLeadership #CFOCareers #SuccessionPlanning #ExecutiveSearchFirm #BusinessStrategy #HighGrowthCompanies #CEOLeadership

The Role of a Finance Director: More Than Just Numbers As a Finance Director, my role goes far beyond balancing books and ensuring profitability. It’s about shaping the strategy, empowering teams, and driving long-term growth. 📊 Every decision made is guided by the numbers, but the true value lies in the insights they provide. From forecasting to budgeting, risk management to compliance, the Finance Director’s position is about creating a vision for the future and ensuring we stay on track. What excites me most? It’s seeing the direct impact of financial strategy on the company’s success — whether it’s navigating a challenging market, identifying new growth opportunities, or fostering a culture of financial literacy across departments. Ultimately, the role is about partnership. It’s about aligning financial objectives with business goals, collaborating with leadership teams, and supporting colleagues in achieving their targets. The value we bring isn’t just in tracking cash flow; it’s in building sustainable value for the business, our employees, and our customers. #FinanceDirector #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #StrategicFinance #FinancialLeadership

Fractional vs. Full-Time CFO…What’s Right for Your Business? Hiring a CFO isn’t just a financial decision, it’s a strategic one.   A full-time CFO offers deep operational immersion but comes at a high cost. A fractional CFO delivers high-level strategic insight, on your terms. If your business generates $5M–$20M in annual revenue, a fractional CFO might be the strategic partner you didn’t know you needed. 👉 Learn how to choose the right model for your growth: https://lnkd.in/grHj-W7P #FractionalCFO #FinancialLeadership #SMBFinance #BusinessGrowth #ModVentures

Most CEOs believe “no” is a CFO’s favorite word. No to new projects. No to hiring. No to investment. It’s a stereotype that has stuck for decades, and in some cases, it’s not far off from reality. But here’s the truth: CFOs don’t enjoy saying no. They’re not looking to shoot down every idea. The problem is that too often, they’re brought in at a point where “no” is the only option left. Traditionally, CFOs have been trained to be risk averse. Their job was and is to safeguard the organization’s assets, prevent overspending, and ensure compliance. Those responsibilities are important, but they also reinforced the image of the CFO as the gatekeeper. On top of that, finance has historically been seen as separate from operations and strategy. Operations generated the ideas, leadership endorsed the plans, and then finance was asked to “check the math.” That dynamic forced CFOs into a reactive role. By the time they were looped in, the only thing they could do was point out flaws, raise risks, or try to scale back ambitions. It’s no wonder they became known as the people who say no. When CFOs are included as partners early on, the conversation changes. Leaders can move forward with confidence, knowing they’re not only pursuing opportunity but also managing the risks along the way. This creates stronger strategies, more realistic budgets, and a culture where finance is seen as an ally, not an adversary. If you’re ready to unlock the full potential of your CFO and start turning “no” into “how,” reach out to me to discuss how I can help your organization say yes to the right ideas.

A CEO who thinks he doesn’t need a CFO… Talking to a CEO recently, I was introducing a great CFO who could make a huge impact on their business in light of a new strategic initiative they were planning to implement and the CEO said: "I understand the P&L well enough, I don’t really need a CFO. The COO and I are reviewing the numbers and making informed decisions on our own." Obviously I put forth reasons why a good CFO would benefit the business but soon realized there was no getting through. It’s a sentiment we hear more often than you’d think and it is a delicate conversation with a CEO who thinks they have it covered! 🔹 Blind spots are inevitable, even the most financially savvy CEO can miss subtle implications of complex decisions. 🔹 Scenario planning is richer with collaboration, CFOs anticipate risks, model multiple outcomes, and uncover opportunities that might not be obvious. 🔹 Strategic alignment grows stronger, finance teams connect ambition with resources, ensuring growth plans are sustainable, not just optimistic. 🔹 Decisions are more sustainable and impactful, involving finance early shapes strategy, rather than simply reacting to numbers later. A CFO brings perspective, foresight, and structure that elevates decisions from good to truly strategic. Waiting until a problem arises often means missed opportunities, or worse, costly mistakes. All too often a CEO is calling us because something has gone wrong and they need a great CFO to fix it. 💡 My view......even a finance-savvy CEO benefits from a CFO at the table from day one.

CEO, CFO, and COO are all top-level "C-suite" executives, but with distinct roles: the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) leads overall strategy and vision, the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) manages financial planning and risk, and the COO (Chief Operating Officer) oversees day-to-day operations to ensure the company's strategies are executed. The CEO is the highest-ranking executive, the COO often acts as the second-in-command, and the CFO handles all financial matters.

Not sure whether your company needs to hire a CFO or Controller? Our blog discusses the key differences between the two roles to help you make that key decision. https://buff.ly/xgHPy0f