Roles, Responsibilities, and Expectations of CFOs in Business Organizations

The CFO is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, monitoring, and controlling all the financial functions of an enterprise, most of which are well-recognized.

But the roles & expectations of the CFO have evolved and expanded over the last three decades and illustrate the significance of this actor's contribution to management teams. Initially regarded as the entity's steward, the CFO became recognized as a key member of the management team and contributor to corporate strategy. But today, contrary to any stereotyping of being the financial gate-keeper / budget-meister, the modern CFO must be an enabling business partner focused on creating, preserving and reporting on the enterprise's value, as well as enabling & facilitating others to deliver their contributions.

As information technology has developed, CFOs have continued to develop and expand their supporting capabilities as recognized experts in analyzing & interpreting massive amounts of diverse information. And, by effectively communicating results, they are uniquely capable of enabling all management partners and the enterprise achieve desired performance.

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Focus on value (above rework)
Guiding Principles
Role Duality
Connect to eMTs (below)

This is particularly important to growth-oriented entrepreneurial ventures because their mission is value creation, but the environment in which they operate poses a multitude of challenges.