What are some job jobs that people have before becoming a CFO? I don’t need to know that it’s hard to get there blah blah blah. I’m just wondering on the jobs CFOs have before they actually become a CFO.
Basically any accounting, finance, and/or economics jobs. This could vary from financial analyst to accountant, to controller, to investment banker to etc.
My sister is a CFO for a small local company.
She started as an accountant, passed the CPA exam, then I’m not sure of the exact sequence of the jobs along the way.
if you really want to become a CFO, then have an internship that focuses on finance. basic jobs like accounting, treasury positions.
Probably most of the business related jobs. So she could learn the tips and tricks on a company.
what is a CFO? what do they do?
Chief Financial Officer
The CFO that I know got his BA in business with a concentration on accounting & marketing, worked a couple of years in some type of business position, then got his MBA with an emphasis on finance. After his MBA, he got an Financial Analyst position and then got promoted to Controller position. He then did some off-the-grid stuff overseas – followed by accounting/business-development-related jobs in the nonprofit world. He eventually got hired as a CFO for a nonprofit and has stayed in the CFO role and nonprofit world (albeit many different types of nonprofits) ever since. So he was mostly doing financial analyst and business development roles – but he had to have a thorough background in accounting. For him, he specifically developed a background in nonprofit accounting. He does not have a CPA nor a Big 4 audit background, so he’s not qualified for CFO positions with those requirements.
Depends on the company. A CFO must understand intermediate level accounting, regulatory issues (if highly regulated), treasury/funding/hedging/balance sheet management, cash flow management, and lastly, whatever business the company does. (Hate a CFO from some other industry.) Not interchangeable! Management skills (up and down), and must be able to understand many interrelated complex issues. Cannot be a control freak or micro manager tho.
So take your pick of above answers. CFOs have also been traders, treasurers, tax lawyers…
My dad’s a CFO. He has his bachelor’s in Accounting & MBA. He started as a CPA, then became an accountant for a small company. Eventually became a comptroller, but then the business went under. Now he’s a CFO for a high-profile, non-profit.