When CFOs leave: Perception is Reality

Followers of this blog know that we keep track of CFOs on the Move. We have been doing this feature every week for almost a year now, and have watched many CFOs be promoted, hired, fired, resigned and replaced. Our feedback on this blog has been very positive, and knowing that our clients, candidates and competitors follow our reporting of these moves shows the importance and appreciation of this relevant and timely information.

What fascinates me in each and every one of these moves is the story behind the press release. Being that we are involved in CFO moves with our clients and being privileged to be aware of the real story behind the moves, we know that each story is unique as well as interesting.

A recent article in the Financial Times by Francesco Guerrera, Fears Over CFO Changes on Wall Street discusses what happens when people do not know the reason of departure of CFOs – they think what they want to think. Knowing human tendencies, thinking that “leaving for personal reasons” means the worst is not surprising. Charles Elson, director of the Centre of Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware was quoted in the article:

“The departure of a CFO is a reason for concern and investors need a full explanation of their reasons and rationale to allay their fears,”

While I agree with Mr. Elson’s logic that investors need a full explanation, I believe that is naïve to think that a “full explanation” will ever be given.

First, as anyone who has been through (or has had close friends who have been through) a divorce knows, there are 3 sides to every story – the husband’s story, the wife’s story, and the truth. I don’t believe a “full explanation” is possible to be determined and agreed upon. When a CFO leaves for “personal reasons”, it could mean practically anything.

Second, privacy concerns dictate that a “full explanation” is not possible. Could the CFO have believed that there were ethics issues at the company? Could the CFO have a health problem? Could the CFO and the CEO not be getting along? Could the CFO have been sexually harassed? Yes, Yes, Yes and Yes. These are all possibilities. But can we expect a “full explanation”? I don’t believe so.

I do believe that the more information that is provided upon a CFO departure will make investors comfortable. The challenge CEOs and Boards face on this topic, as we see in this article, is that when you provide less information, there is a perception that something is going on. And with this lack of information, the perception is that things are not going well.

My advice to the CEO and Board on a CFO departure: Manage the perception better for a better reality.

6 Things Real CFOs Do Not Do

Real CFOs Don’t…

Apply to job postings – If I have one pet peeve, it is when a company puts a job posting up for a CFO. The reason it’s my pet peeve is that the only reason a Real CFO will apply to a job posting would be because he or she is not working. This is because Real CFOs are too busy to send their resume, and because Real CFOs know that any CFO job that is posted is not really a CFO job, it’s really a Controller job.

Do the accounting – They don’t manage the books, they do not do accounting research, they do not make journal entries, they do not cut cheques. Real CFOs are helping manage a business, not run an accounting department.

Assume – Real CFOs have learned over time, often before becoming a CFO, that there is a big difference between assuming they know something and actually knowing something. Real CFOs have learned from the mistakes of assumption.

Deal with audit staff– If you are a CFO and you are dealing with the manager or senior on the audit of your financial statements, you are not a Real CFO. You deal with the partner on the file. And tell him or her that the fee is too high.

Stand in the Shadow of the CEO – You give the presentations. You go on the road. You shake hands. You negotiate and you close the deal. If you are watching the CEO do this from the sidelines, you are not a Real CFO.

Melt into the crowd – A Real CFO has presence. You walk into the room, and people know you are a person with responsibility and power. People want to speak with you, want to know you and want to shake your hand.

So, are you a Real CFO?

Thank you to my partner Paul Landry for his important input in preparing this blog.

How much is a CFO really worth?

I have the pleasure of speaking with CFOs every day. I always enjoy my conversations with Chief Financial Officers, because unlike the accountant stereotype, CFOs are engaging and personable individuals.

Common question I get from CFOs are:

How’s the market? – When they ask this question, they are specifically asking about themselves. CFOs are intelligent individuals, and have risen to their current status because they have been able to identify opportunities and take advantage of them, both for themselves and their employers.

What am I worth on the market? – Some may see this question as a question of their loyalty to their current employer. An article written in Accountancy Age (The price of your loyalty) identifies that this question is really in the best interest of the employer. If a company’s second most senior and reliable person is being paid below market, the company is facing the risk that they will leave.

Contrary to news items which identify Chief Financial Officers for financial misconduct, these are really rare. From my experience, CFOs are the people in the company most likely to ensure proper financial conduct, and in certain situations CFOs are put in by a Board to balance out a cowboy CEO.

So what is a CFO really worth?

A great CFO is worth more than he or she is being paid. Because if your CFO is really good, and you are not paying her or him enough, someone else will.

Inside the Mind of the CFO: Understanding the CFO / Lawyer Relationship

Thank you to the participants of our survey on CFO / Lawyer Relationships in October 2010. This survey was instrumental in creating our has helped to create our presentation (see below).

We are currently visiting Law firms to discuss our findings, and the discussions we are having are allowing us to better understand the CFO / Lawyer dynamic.

The most interesting result of the survey was that CFOs felt that outside Legal counsel was called in for advice in the beginning stages of a Strategic Process. Lawyer I have spoken with were surprised by this survey result - they generally felt that they were called in as the plan was about to be finalized, or once it was already finalized.

As you review the presentation below, are there any questions you have that you would like clarification on or comments that would be beneficial to you? If so, please comment below or via my About.me profile.

Inside the Mind of the CFO: Understanding the CFO / Lawyer Relationship

View more presentations from Samuel Dergel - CFO2Grow.

CFOs: Don't leave home without...

On first impression, the title of this blog can make you think of many things not to leave home without.

My version is: Don't leave home without your business cards. Actually, I recommend you always carry your work business cards and personal business cards.

Carrying your work business cards should be obvious. However, too many times when I meet CFOs in a non-interview context, they do not have a business card on them.

As I have recommended previously (read Network for Work), part of your career path development requires that you network constantly and consistently.

Why should you have personal business cards?

Having a professionally designed and well branded personal business card is an effective way to allow those who you would like to stay in touch with to do so. You never know when a golden opportunity could have your name on it, and the person who thinks about you can't find you because you no longer work at the company on the card.

A personal business card is especially useful during a career transition. It can certainly help you stand out from the competition during the interview process.

For those receivers of your card who are more old school, chances are they will file it properly in their business card organizer (which usually means a pile on their desk). They might not be on LinkedIn (yet), but they do keep track of their business cards. Give your personal business card out selectively to those who you would like to stay in contact with beyond your current role.

Making the investment in personal business cards and remembering not to leave home without them can pay huge dividends.

What your LinkedIn profile says about you.

While our previous blog discussed how Facebook can be a Career Killer, LinkedIn is a most definitely a Career Maker. Or rather, it has the potential to be. Forbes.com recently quoted a Jobvite study from June 2010 stating that 73.3% of companies now look to social networking sites such as LinkedIn for recruiting rather than traditional job boards. In fact, eMarketer reports that 80% of companies who recruit via social media networking use LinkedIn for their recruiting.

LinkedIn has become the social media home for executives and professionals. In fact, Forbes reports that LinkedIn is most successful in assisting recruiters and companies to identify potential exective and management-level prospects rather than entry-level professionals who still would do better to turn to traditional job posting boards.

Your LinkedIn profile is your resume, your public profile to the world. Whether you like it or not, companies and recruiters could be looking at your profile, even as you read this article. What does your LinkedIn profile say about you?

No profile – Not Good. This says you are not interested in networking or career building. It also says that you are not ‘with it’. No one wants to hire or do business with a luddite.

Few connections (under 20) – this begs the question, are you really a person worth knowing?

20-100 connections – many users fit into this category. This says you are a person worth knowing, but you’re not a connector.

100-500 connections – You are a connector. This is where most executives and professionals should be at. An executive or professional like you should have enough visibility to know 100 people like yourself.

500+ connections - You’re a star networker. If you’re not in a sales or recruiting role already, perhaps you should consider it. You are a go to guy (or gal).

Having a Closed Network – This says you are afraid of your contacts knowing who you know. It means you are protective of your contacts. The only valid reason I see for having a closed network is if you are a lawyer – maybe. Otherwise, how open you are to others defines how open they will be to you.

Having an Open Network – says you are interested in making a difference to the people in your network, by allowing all of them to see each other. To gain from networking, you need to give before you get.

So take a minute and look at your LinkedIn profile with a critical eye. Who are you connected to? Are all your connections old high school pals? Fraternity buddies? Friends? Or are all your connections career related? Are your career connections only related to your previous jobs? Or do you have many important connections at many different companies? Seek out connections that will give your profile a more well-rounded feel.

How are you presenting yourself to the world? Will a recruiter be able to see your strengths at first glance? Are your posts and comments intelligent and worthwhile? Do you contribute in a positive way to the online community?

Allow opportunities to find you. Use your LinkedIn profile to market yourself to the world.

Is Facebook a Career Killer?

Social media is the phenomenon of recent times. The top 3 social media sites of today - Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter - each have their own unique features which make people come back to them again and again.

The upside of social media sites is that they allow you to connect and create community, and these sites can be very effective, if used properly, to foster and solidify relationships in the real world.

The downside of social media is that people might end up knowing much more about you then you would want them to.

In my opinion, Facebook is the most dangerous Web 2.0 site for the professional and executive. There are many ways Facebook can be detrimental to your career. One example of how it can do this is through the Games functionality.

How is that? Well, do you REALLY want to let the world know that you play Farmville or that you are very into Horoscopes? We all have our outlets for fun - and that's fine. But you need to keep in mind that others can see in real time exactly when you reached another level on Farmville. Your current (and future) employer, clients, and employees may see this activity - and it can have a negative impact on your career. Needless to say, participating in this kind of activity during working hours, even if you are officially out of the office, only makes the situation worse. Perception is reality, how much more so in virtual reality.

One solution is for professionals and executives to create a Games profile on Facebook. This way you can enjoy your favorite Facebook games without letting the professional world know what level they just reached in the online mafia.

Games are one example of how Facebook can be a Career Killer. Be careful out there.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming posts on how other social media sites affect your career.