“From back-office accountant to front-line executive, the rapid rise of the chief financial officer is unrivalled by any other corporate role,” wrote Jason Karaian, the author of What CFOs do, the influence they have, and why it matters last year. His statement goes generally uncontested: today’s chief financial officer is...
Got mates? Research has shown that the biggest source of financing for small business owners is friends and family. But sometimes that well is running dry, or the nature of your financial need has outgrown what your acquaintances can offer you. Whether you’re starting up your business or expanding, there...
The role of chief financial officer was once interpreted as fairly narrow. He was seen mainly as a controller: the guardian of the company coffers. Nowadays, that role has undergone an evolution. Instead of being the back-office person he was once was, he is now expected to partner with the...
What does it take to be seen as South Africa’s foremost chief financial officer? This year’s CFO of the year award (as presented by the association CFO South Africa) was bagged by Alexander Forbes’s Deon Viljoen. The chief financial officer of one of the country’s largest financial risk services companies,...
You may be familiar with the quip: “When times are tough, the marketing budget is the first to go”. If you have any friends in the advertising field, you’ll know that they often feel like they’re walking a long road uphill. “Even when we create brilliant adverts that bring in...
The tech world has historically been a male domain, but software company Microsoft took its first female chief financial officer on board two years ago and hasn’t looked back. Since appointing Amy Hood as chief financial officer, Microsoft has risen on the Fortune 500 ranks from number 35 to 34 and...
It's difficult to say whether an algorithm can accurately predict the suitability of two romantic partners, but that's exactly what many dating sites around the world attempt to do. Applicants fill out pertinent information that include "markers" which provide indicators for match suitability. Some of your markers might be that you...
Some years back, it almost went without saying. If you were appointed a chief financial officer, you would almost certainly also be appointed a member of your company’s board. As the most senior financial executive in the company, it seemed logical that you would have input at the most senior...
A google search will reveal that the position of chief financial officer is one that is highly sought after. Each year, thousands of hopeful young students enroll as accounting students with the aim of one day filling that role. In the business world, the position of chief financial officer remains...
