The role of the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) in the implementation of Corporate Governance is as crucial as the CEO in the fact that proper financial management and application of suitable internal controls will make or break an organisation. LinkedIn Article
Many people not working within the finance function may not appreciate or understand the roles of the finance team as they may see the “Accountants” rather than a finance team who carry wider responsibility than bookkeeping and reporting financial transactions.
The different roles of the CFO include the following;
- Identification of all finance related laws and regulations including taxation for each product, business activity, state and country where the business operates.
- Identification and documentation of the financial policies and practices to be implemented across the business which comply with international financial reporting and accounting standards e.g. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) , applicable local, federal, regional and international tax regulations.
- Establish budget preparation, monitoring and controlling procedures in-line with the established strategy.
- Design of management reporting structures to demonstrate;
- Current financial status of the business against strategy and budget.
- Product, function and other financial performance e.g. P&L for each product.
- Functional costs and comparison against budget.
- Business performance and risks to achievement of budgets.
- Design of review and internal control processes e.g. payroll, procurement approvals, payment processes and budgetary control.
- Recommendation of appointment of the external auditors to the CEO and Audit Committee ensuring independence, competence and suitability of the Auditors.
- Cost analysis and benchmarking against industry and competitors to ensure sustainable competitive advantage.
- Create strategies to utilise any cash surplus within the balance sheet to ensure best return on investment is achieved for all assets.
- Monitor asset value across all categories/functions within the business to ensure the assets are protected from misuse.
- Establish policies, procedures and practices to monitor cash flow requirements for the business including developing strategic relationships with banks and other financial institutions.
In short the CFO is the right hand on supporting the achievement of the strategy within the business and balance to the CEO on the implementation of internal controls to ensure all funds, assets and resources are managed effectively.