Like it or not, this new brand of Chief Financial Officer is on the rise.
Back in September of 2012, I talked about the evolution of the CFO in a webinar for Proformative, saying …
CFOs used to be in control of the numbers. That’s it. That was their job. About 5-6 years ago, we saw that pure finance executive begin to morph into an operational finance role. Within the last year, there are two tracks that seem to be in play for future CFOs … International operations and operational IT finance.
Some of the career-related statements I make when it comes to things like credentials and technology, or the lack thereof, are not well-received by Finance Chiefs. The reality is, not speaking truth doesn’t change the truth.
Here’s a truth. Technology is here and it is here to stay. Choosing to not embrace it is choosing to seriously negatively impact your future career.
I work primarily with a demographic that is over the age of 45. One of their biggest concerns is age discrimination … and rightfully so because age discrimination exists. But do you know what counters age discrimination? Value, not responsibilities. Positioning as a problem solver, not as a dinosaur.
Without question, in my humble opinion, technology is going to replace the CPA credential as THE biggest differentiator for the savvy Finance Chief going forward.
In a recent blog post for “The Decision Factor, Richard Barrett said …
An increasingly proportion of these younger CFOs will not have come up through the traditional accounting, consultancy, or treasury track like the previous generation. They have made their mark as financial leaders in pre-IPO companies, where making best use of limited funds, winning the next deal, and excelling at financial planning and analysis are the pre-eminent financial skills needed for success. These people and their peers are now bagging CFO jobs in listed companies, where they’re grasping technology to drive transformation with an enthusiasm and vision that convinces their boards and CEOs to give them the CIO as a direct report.
The new competitor in town has also created the latest bias in future hiring … the operational finance executive with technology expertise will be in high demand.
On the social media side of technology, if you’ve been dragging your feet on doing anything other than establishing a bare bones placeholder, I’ll be conducting a webinar on leveraging the power of Linkedin next Friday, January 24, at 2:00 Eastern. Hope to see you there!