CFO FORECAST: CFOs See A Mixed Outlook For 2019

As seen in CRAINS NEW YORK ON JANUARY 7, 2019

More than half of New York City-area financial executives believe the U.S. will experience a significant economic downturn in the next 12 to 24 months, according to a study conducted by Crain’s New York Business and Signet Research for Crain’s Custom 2019 CFO Forecast. Nevertheless, CFOs remain focused on moving ahead, according to Nick Araco, CEO of The CFO Alliance. “The message I’m getting from my clients is, if you’re not committing to growth, you’re dead,” Araco said.

6 Interview Mistakes and How to Fix Them

As seen in FEI DAILY ON November 29, 2018

You may think that faux pas you made during your interview means you’re out of the running. But there are some surprisingly simple steps you can take to remedy the situation and improve your skills for next time.

[CORE THOUGHTS] FEI – Can Blockchain Really Change The Financial Suite?

As seen in THE BRITISH AMERICAN BUSINESS NEWSLETTER ON AUGUST 20, 2018

How, when and where senior-level financial executives invest resources in blockchain solutions is becoming a high priority as stakeholders begin to debate the technology’s application against modern accounting and financial reporting.

The AICPA held a blockchain symposium with leaders announcing that the technology will “will impact all areas of practice” and new industry organizations like the Accounting Blockchain Coalition cropping up in what seems an almost weekly basis.


People on the move...

As seen in accounting today ON may 25, 2018
The New York City Chapter of Financial Executives International announced the election of five new officers: president Nicholas Mitrakis, corporate controller at WSP USA; vice president of sponsorship Jill Zunshine, former vice president, head of global real estate at Hewlett-Packard; and directors Robert Kane, chief financial officer of the Educational Records Bureau; Robert MacKay, senior vice president & controller of S&P Global; and Kevin Neylan, CFO and senior vice president of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York.
 

FEI NYC Selects New President, Board Members

As seen in ABF JOurnal ON may 25, 2018
Financial Executives International‘s New York City chapter, the city’s premier organization for financial executives, elected a new president, a new vice president of sponsorship, and three new directors, effective July 1.
 

Don’t Let Blind Spots Ruin Your Finance Career

As seen in CFO ON April 2, 2018
Kevin McCarthy says he was blindsided by a conspiracy that resulted in him being charged with mail fraud and sentenced in 2004 to four years in prison. Today, he says, he tells his story to help leaders recognize their biases and blind spots before it’s too late.

Don’t Let Blind Spots Ruin Your Career: A Q&A With Kevin McCarthy

As seen in FEI DAILY ON MARCH 23, 2018

Kevin McCarthy was blindsided with a conspiracy and mail fraud charge and prison sentence. Today, he tells his story to help leaders recognize their biases and blind spots before it’s too late.

CFOs to lead across the enterprise, affecting shareholder value more than ever before

As seen in CRAIN'S NEW YORK BUSINESS ON DECEMBER 22, 2017

The Crain’s 2017 CFO Forecast Study makes one thing abundantly clear: The modern role of the chief financial officer continues to expand into non-traditional responsibilities. The past 10 years have seen a great amount of change, and the next 10 will likely see the ground continue to shift in fascinating ways.

Dealing with uncertainty: focus, planning and being a chief realist officer

As seen in CRAIN'S NEW YORK BUSINESS ON DECEMBER 22, 2017

Uncertainty is a key aspect of the new normal for today’s chief financial officers. Yet according to the Crain’s 2017 CFO Forecast Study, about 80% of participants are optimistic about their company’s prospects during the next 24 months, while 70% remain optimistic about the overall U.S. business climate during that time period. While close to half of participants said they believe there will be significant economic downturn, CFOs seem unfazed by the uncertainty and plan to move forward regardless of how the landscape may alter.

Embracing technology without being paralyzed by the change

As seen in CRAIN'S NEW YORK BUSINESS ON DECEMBER 22, 2017

Technology continues reshape the world in startling ways, and chief financial officers are grappling with that on several fronts. 
 

In the Crain’s 2017 CFO Forecast Study, technology tops the list of the most significant challenges facing CFOs during the next 12-24 months. What are those challenges? “Being able to understand, internalize and leverage the move to a digital economy in everything we and our customers do,” said one CFO. “Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to do financial analysis normally done by people in the organization,” said another. 

Talent acquisition and retention: meeting millennials' demands and creating strong corporate culture

As seen in CRAIN'S NEW YORK BUSINESS ON DECEMBER 22, 2017

It’s a given that companies can’t function without good people. For chief financial officers, attracting and retaining dedicated, talented employees is a crucial part of their jobs. The task is made harder these days by generational differences that pit the expectations and experiences of older workers against those of millennials, who see the working world in a different way. Bridging the gap can be demanding, but necessary if a company hopes to prepare a new generation of workers to carry the business forward. 

The changing role of the CFO: wearing many hats in a high-stakes environment

As seen in CRAIN'S NEW YORK BUSINESS ON DECEMBER 22, 2017

“Prediction is difficult,” said the physicist and Nobel laureate Neils Bohr—“especially if it’s about the future.”  A corollary might be: “Those who have knowledge don’t predict, and those who predict don’t have knowledge.”

These quotes, according to Showtime Networks chief financial officer Christina Spade, have never been more relevant to chief financial officers, who find themselves steering their companies with an eye toward the road ahead, where unforeseen potholes can suddenly emerge and derail even the most well-thought-out business plans.

Today's CFOs are more than just accountants

As seen in CRAIN'S NEW YORK BUSINESS ON DECEMBER 22, 2017

Imagine you’re a subway driver. When you pull up to a stop one morning, a maintenance person says you’ll need to come back later and help repair the track—after you’ve hired a new employee to cover a shift in the subway station's toll booth. Then you're told you’re required to learn how to drive a bus, and deliver a report to MTA executives on a business strategy for the next year. The scenario is far-fetched, but might resonate with today’s chief financial officers, who increasingly are being called upon to handle tasks that not long ago were considered well outside their purview. It’s all part of  the “new normal” for CFOs of small, medium-sized and large companies.

The Surprising Key to A Successful Turnaround StrategyA Q&A With Violin System CEO Ebrahim Abbasi

As seen in FEI DAILY ON DECEMBER 13, 2017

Dissent may not evoke feelings of optimism in most executives. But according to Ebrahim Abbasi, CEO of Violin Systems, that’s just what you need to make the necessary changes to turn a company around.

Two CFOs Tell a Tale of Fraud at HealthSouth

As seen in CFO.com on March 27, 2017

The infamous $2.7 billion accounting scandal at HealthSouth, which was perpetrated from 1996 through 2002, left a trail of misery in its wake. Included in the carnage was the imprisonment of CEO Richard Scrushy and several HealthSouth CFOs, among a number of other company officials.

Former HealthSouth CFOs Warn Against Easing SOX Rules

As seen in the Wall Street Journal on March 9, 2017

Two former finance chiefs say loosening the Sarbanes-Oxley corporate governance law is a bad idea. They should know–it’s the legislation that helped send them to jail.

Financial Executives Divided on their Job Futures

press release - january 2017

Could the roles of senior financial executives grow obsolete, replaced by a robot or technology?  A substantial number of senior financial executives surveyed by Financial Executives International's New York City Chapter think so, according to results of a survey by Financial Executives International's New York Chapter. 

Will Automation Take Over Senior Finance Jobs?

As seen in CFO.com on JANUARY 11, 2017

Could the roles of senior finance executives grow obsolete, replaced by a robot or other technology? Some of them apparently think so, according to a poll by the New York chapter of Financial Executives International.

Why Even the C-Suite Might Not Be Safe From Automation

AS SEEN IN FEI DAILY ON NOVEMBER 1, 2016

They could very well have been today’s CFOs contemplating the nature and value of their role in tomorrow’s organization. Advances in information technology are nipping at their heels. Will they survive and if so, in what form? Or will they, like the dinosaurs in the magazine cartoon, fall flat on their backs and fade into extinction?

Former Lehman CFO Offers Career Warnings

AS SEEN IN FEI DAILY ON oCTOBER 13, 2016

Where do you draw the line between a successful career as an executive and having a happy life? Erin Callan Montella gives her perspective on the challenges of a high-powered career and how others can and should maintain balance in their lives.