Perspectives of a CFO Master Class

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perspectives of a CFO master class

O

ver the past decade, much attention has been paid to the significant turnover among chief financial officers. Economic instability, the advent of Sarbanes-Oxley, and

weakened corporate earnings during the recent “great” recession have all contributed to the wave of CFO attrition. In just a few years, the average tenure of a Fortune 500 CFO dropped from five years to three years and created considerable uncertainty in the executive suite. Despite that trend, some veteran CFOs have stayed above the fray — and that has paid off considerably for their companies as well as for their individual careers. We call this elite group the “Master Class” CFOs, because they have coupled excellence with corporate longevity. Longevity at an organization has many often-overlooked benefits that get scant attention in the business media. Given the unusual stability and the exceptional accomplishments of the Master Class CFOs, an important question surfaces: What lessons can be learned from this unique and influential group of long-tenured executives who have somehow fashioned and sustained successful careers at one organization? What accounted for their durability in the face of such tumult, and what benefits has that stability brought to their companies?


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