Accounting vs Finance degree

UCBUSCalum
Mon, 23 Jan 2017 21:15:43 +0000

Happy1 and philbegas are correct. It is too early to plan your career with a goal of becoming a CFO of a major company. Do what is suggested above.

There are many variables and things can change in your path. Even if you are to get a CPA license and/or an MBA from Wharton, you might still come up short.

I work in a very well known Fortune 150 Company in the SF Bay Area. My company’s current CFO has work experience from a Big 4 firm and a CPA license. This person also has a MBA from a top 50 Program (not in the top 20 to 30). Our previous CFO was a partner and a CPA from a Big 4 firm. This person was previously the Controller at my company. Another previous CFO, of my company, was an investment banker from Wall St. who had an Ivy League MBA (not from U. Penn). Further, years ago, some of my former colleagues from the Big 8 (now Big 4) firm, which I worked for, got their CPA licenses and then left the Big 8 to get MBAs from Harvard, Stanford, Univ. of Penn., or University of Chicago. They are not CFOs either by choice or by the way their careers matured to. They are either investment bankers, heads of managing investments for major financial institutions or some other positions. The bottom line is that getting a CPA license (even from a Big 4) and/or getting the MBA from a top 5 MBA school still may not land you a CFO position in a top Fortune 500 company.