What makes a great CFO - a headhunter's perspective

by Stacey Nicholl

The CFO of today is a far cry from the rigid, number crunching executive of old. No longer a square peg, a great CFO is a rounded leader who can add value beyond the finance function and deliver business results.

Ally and equal to the CEO

From a headhunter’s perspective, the ability to influence and collaborate with the CEO emerges as the #1 skill for any CFO. Like the CEO, the CFO is instrumental in defining company strategy and needs to have the vision, determination and communication skills to gain buy-in and drive the agenda forward. Nobody is better placed to ensure that strategic decisions are based on a combination of solid financial rationale and business context. The CEO wants a business partner who can help grow the business, turn financial data into actionable intelligence and identify new potential revenue streams such as new geographies, new markets or potential acquisitions. In EY’s study, ‘The DNA of the CFO’, 73% of CFOs surveyed saw their role as a destination in its own right and only 10% harboured an ambition to be CEO. Whether or not the CFO wants to be CEO, the qualities sought by the headhunter are very similar.