Four faces of the CFO | Deloitte | CFO Program (2024)

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Four faces of the CFO | Deloitte | CFO Program? ›

The framework segments the four critical roles CFOs play today—Strategist, Catalyst, Steward and Operator—and organizes each role by the areas of focus, functions and competencies CFOs need to bring to the table.

The framework segments the four critical roles CFOs play today—Strategist, Catalyst, Steward and Operator—and organizes each role by the areas of focus, functions and competencies CFOs need to bring to the table.

There are four pillars: Accounting, Finance, Treasury, and Leadership.

Most of what a financial controller does falls into one of four categories, referred to as the “Four Faces of Controllership” by the IMA. They are stewardship, operator, catalyst and strategy.

Role and Responsibilities of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs)

The CFO reports to the CEO but remains one of the key personnel in any company. In the financial industry, it is a high-ranking position, and in other industries, it is usually the third-highest position in a company.

Deloitte's Four Faces of the CFO framework defines the critical aspects of a CFO's role as an operator, a steward, a catalyst, and a strategist.

A CFO oversees financial operations, strategic planning, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, risk management, investor relations, and ensuring regulatory compliance.

The guide launches with a heartfelt message, conveying the author's desire to empower the reader to achieve her or his dreams through the four pillars: passion, programming, patience, and perseverance. There is no quick and easy path, but if one lives by these principles, success is possible.

The four pillars of motivation then become: Attention, Goal Commitment, Feedback and Reward. These are all core concepts that inform our identity.

A VP of Finance will have many responsibilities because they serve as the financial advisor to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In addition, they provide strategic financial planning, lead and manage the budgeting process, and oversee all sides of an organization's accounting operations.

What are the four modes of a controller? ›

The four most popular control modes are on/off, proportional, integral and derivative.

The controller oversees all employees involved in the accounting process, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, inventory and compliance.

From The Strategic CFO: “A controller is responsible for the accounting and record keeping of an organization. Additional responsibilities can include management of information technologies, insurance, sales tax reporting, federal income tax reporting, outside CPA audits and human resources.

Secret CFO is the author of the popular newsletter CFO Secrets where he shares learnings from 20,000+ hours as a CFO at multibillion-dollar businesses. He specializes in complex situations such as turnarounds, exits, M&A, and functional transformations.

The CEO is the highest-ranking role in the organization. CEOs and CFOs are not equal in the organizational hierarchy, despite both having 'Chief' in their titles. Generally, the CEO reports to the board of directors, whereas the CFO reports to the CEO.

CEO in salaries. In most companies, the CEO earns much more than the CFO. According to Salary.com, the average annual salary of a CFO in the US is $420,000, usually ranging from $319,000 to $537,000, while the average salary of a CEO is $800,000 ranging from $420,000 to $1,200,000.

The rank of a CFO within the organization comes just below the CEO. There are three important divisions that report directly to the CFO of a company. Those three divisions are a controller, treasurer, and tax manager.

New research released today by IBM Institute for Business Value, in cooperation with Oxford Economics, found four CFO archetypes: strategic advisors, deliberate deciders, action architects, and constrained operators.

Typically, the CFO is the highest-ranking finance team member in the company. In a traditional company hierarchy, they are usually third in line, behind the CEO and COO. The CFO reports directly to the CEO.