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.

Canadian CFOs on the Move – week ending February 4, 2011

Companies with CFOs on the Move this week include: Aegis Investment Management (Golf), Inc., Biosign Technologies Inc., Bear Creek Mining, New West Energy Services Inc., Healthscreen Solutions Inc. , Endeavour Mining Corporation, BioWest Therapeutics Inc., Border Petroleum Corp., Touchstone Exploration Inc., Dundee Precious Metals Inc.

Aegis Investment Management (Golf), Inc. (TSX-V: AIM) announced the appointment of David B. Gordon as the Company's new Chief Financial Officer. Acting Chief Financial Officer, Michael Levy, has relinquished his Chief Financial Officer duties as Mr. Gordon assumes his new role allowing Mr. Levy more time to attend to his duties as Aegis's Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Gordon is an accomplished finance executive with over 15 years of management experience, primarily in the software products and services industry, including CFO at The Software MacKiev Company and Swatchbox Technologies. Prior roles include Vice President of Finance and Operations for Queues Enforth Development, Inc.

Biosign Technologies Inc. (TSX-V: BIO) announced the formal appointment of Scott Worthington as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Worthington has over 30 years of senior financial and executive management experience, including 9 years at Dell Computer Corporation, where he held numerous positions including Chief Financial Officer of the Canadian subsidiary. From 2008 to 2010, Mr. Worthington was Chief Financial Officer of NetShelter Technology Media. Prior to NetShelter, Mr. Worthington served as WaveRider Communication Inc.'s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for eight years.

Bear Creek Mining (TSX-V: BCM) announced that Brad Blacketor has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Company, replacing Steve Krause. During the past 2 years, Mr. Blacketor has served as a financial consultant providing contract financial and accounting services to the mining industry. Previously, he was Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of Metallica Resources Inc. Prior to Metallica, Mr. Blacketor served as Chief Financial Officer of MinCorp Ltd., and held senior management positions with Pincock, Allen & Holt, Inc. and Touche, Ross & Co.

New West Energy Services Inc. (TSX-V: NWE) announced that Pardeep Sibia has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation. Richard J. Collens has stepped down as the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation but has been appointed the Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation's wholly-owned subsidiary, New West Drilling Fluids Inc. ("NWDF").

Healthscreen Solutions Inc. (TSX-V: MDU) announced that Anastasia Chodarcewicz, Heathscreen's Chief Financial Officer, will be leaving the Company. The Company expects to fill the roles of Chief Financial Officer within the next few months.

Endeavour Mining Corporation (TSX: EDV) announced that Christian Milau will assume the position of CFO of Endeavour effective April 1, 2011. His international background has spanned over 12 years including most recently as Vice President, Treasurer of New Gold Inc. a TSX and AMEX listed intermediate gold producer with operating mines in the United States, Mexico and Australia and development projects in Canada and Chile. Prior to this he was a Vice President with Deloitte & Touche LLP Corporate Finance and BNP Paribas Corporate Finance, in Canada and the U.K. respectively, where he advised on public and private company mergers and acquisitions and equity transactions. Bill Koutsouras has advised Endeavour that his decision to resign as CFO will be effective March 31, 2011.

BioWest Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: BWE) announced that Ann Fehr has been appointed as chief financial officer of the Company. She currently serves as chief financial officer for Global Minerals Ltd., New High Ridge Resources and Global Uranium. Jeff Charpentier has resigned from his position as chief financial officer of the Company to pursue other career opportunities.

Border Petroleum Corp. (TSX-V: BOR), announced the appointment of Ying Yuen as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Prior to his appointment with Border, Mr. Yuen served as Chief Financial Officer and was a founding shareholder of Bountiful Resources Inc., a private oil and gas exploration and production company with core areas in the Red Earth and Garrington areas of Alberta, which was sold to Barrick Energy Inc. in May 2010. Mr. Yuen has also served as Chief Financial Officer for a number of private and public oil and gas and oil and gas services companies since 1998. Mr. Yuen replaces Gerry Mendyk, who has taken the position of Chief Executive Officer of a Calgary based oil and gas services company. Mr. Mendyk will continue to assist Border on a consulting basis with respect to the transition.

Touchstone Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: TAB.U) announced the appointment of Gregory Marr as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Mr. Marr has served as Chief Financial Officer and Director of several private and public companies, particularly oil and gas companies that are or have been listed on the TSX Venture Exchange.

Dundee Precious Metals Inc. (TSX: DPM, DPM.WT, DPM.WT.A) announced that Stephanie Anderson is stepping down as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company ("CFO"), effective February 28, 2011, following the announcement of its 2010 year-end financial results. The search for the next CFO, during this important period of growth, is underway. Patrick Lim, Director, Finance and Global Controller of the Company, will be appointed Interim CFO until the search for a successor has been concluded.

If you have news about CFOs on the move, or any comments on this feature, please email us.

Accountants are made, not born. (Or, How to become an Accountant.)

The challenge to someone who has made a career decision to become an accountant is: How do I become one?

A critical area of importance in becoming an accountant is education. Choosing the right university degree and right accounting designation is not an easy process.

Once you have decided the educational path to take, it is important to consider what career path to take. The most difficult question for someone starting their career is: How do I get my first job?

This question is difficult to answer, because most companies looking to hire want someone who can do the job and not have to be trained. So where does this leave the first time job seeker?

Co-Op Programs: The best way to get your first job is to have already had some experience. Co-op programs at universities are an excellent way to get that critical first job experience.


Clerical Office Work: Another way is to find an office clerical summer job. Accounting is more than just office work, but it is office work. Getting a summer job where you will help out with clerical tasks in an office can give you a feel for some of the key components of work life in an office. If you've graduated school and have never worked in an office environment, do you really know what you're getting yourself into? An Office is certainly a very different place then Campus.


Volunteer: Volunteering to do accounting tasks for a non-profit is an excellent way to get a leg up on starting your career. Many non-profits in your town have limited funds to pay for salaries, but do have many accounting tasks that need to get done. It can be a great way to learn the job of accountant.

Who you know: Don't forget calling on family and friends. Someone you know (or someone that knows someone you know) runs a small business. It could even be a home based business. Offer to help an entrepreneur with their accounting (for a small fee) - they will be very grateful for the help and you can learn about accounting for a business.

Another point to keep in mind – there is no better time than now to start building your career network. As you begin your transition from university or college to your career, it is very important to start using LinkedIn. Facebook is great for college life, but has limits in its value in your future career life. (Read our blog post: Is Facebook a Career Killer?) The earlier you get your 'friends' into a career focused networking tool like LinkedIn, the more opportunity you will have to add value to your future career and future employers. In the business world, who you know is as important as what you know. You will want to have your network you have developed at school work for you in your career.

So, how did you get your first accounting career opportunity?

LinkedIn Connections – What is your Policy?

LinkedIn has certainly become the online place for business people to connect and stay in touch. While it is a very powerful tool, it is only as powerful as you make it.

 

Networking is more effective when you use it to give to your network as well as receive from it. The same applies on LinkedIn. If you want LinkedIn to work for you when you need it (i.e., when you are looking for work), you need to work with, assist and engage your network when you don’t need your network.

 

As someone who uses LinkedIn on a daily basis to connect and add value to my network, I regularly get LinkedIn requests. Many times, it is from individuals I do not know. Yet.

 

I am interested in making genuine connections with people. It is my business to know people and meet people - LinkedIn is a great tool for this. I’m not interested in the game of “How many Connections do you have?”

 

So how do I choose who to connect with?

 

I connect with people that:

 

• I know
• I have met in person
• I have spoken with
• I have engaged with online

 

When I get a request from someone I do not know it is my policy to reply to them and ask questions that will help me get to know them better before I actually connect.

 

I categorize networkers on LinkedIn into the following categories:

 

1) LIONs (LinkedIn Open Networkers). These people have a policy to connect with anyone and anybody. They call themselves “Open Networkers” but in my opinion are not real networkers – they are just looking for leads to move their agenda forward and have access to names they may not otherwise have.

 

2) Real Networkers. These people use LinkedIn to support their in-person networking activities, not to replace their in-person networking. These people are meeting people in person and using LinkedIn to stay connected and engaged with their network when they are not in front of them. Real Networkers do develop relationships on LinkedIn, but only as part of an engagement strategy with their network, groups and questions to build real relationships, even if they start them online.

 

3) Passive Networkers. This is how I would categorize the majority of people on LinkedIn. Passive LinkedIn Networkers connect with some people they know on LinkedIn, but really don’t go out of their way to connect or engage their network. These people are generally passive networkers in their day to day lives. While I am an avid evangelist of the powers of networking, I am aware that most people don’t love networking, and feel more comfortable not networking. For them, just being on LinkedIn and passively being involved is certainly a step up to those that do no networking at all.

 

4) I’m here, but leave me alone. There are people who have a profile on LinkedIn because someone they respect asked them to be a part of it, but have no desire to put an effort into networking at all. I respect the choice these people have made, but I feel for them – they are missing out on a revolution that is positively affecting the careers and personal lives of everyone around them.

 
I categorize myself as a Real Networker. What kind of LinkedIn Networker are you? What is your LinkedIn Connection Policy?

 

Canadian CFOs on the Move - week ending January 28, 2011

Companies with CFOs on the Move this week include: BIOREM Inc., Xtreme Coil Drilling Corp., Emera Inc., Columbus Gold Corporation, Canada Gas Corp., ArcelorMittal Mines Canada, Cangene Corporation, Jomar Capital Corp., DirectCash Payments Inc.

BIOREM Inc. (TSX-V: BRM) announced that Robert Wood has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Before joining Biorem, Mr. Wood served as the CFO of Trojan Technologies, a leading global water treatment technology company. Mr. Wood also held positions of progressive responsibility in the field of financial management as a management consultant in France and at Weston Bakeries Ltd. in Toronto, Ontario.

Xtreme Coil Drilling Corp. (TSX: XDC) announced the appointment of Dale W. Wilhelm as chief financial officer, replacing Elizabeth T. Wilkinson. Most recently, Mr. Wilhelm provided senior management consulting services to two large independent North American drilling contractors. From 2002 until 2007 he held increasingly senior roles with TODCO in Houston, Texas and fulfilled the role of vice president and chief financial officer from 2005 forward.

Emera Inc. (TSX: EMA) announced that effective May 1, 2011, Nancy Tower, presently the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Emera and Nova Scotia Power Inc., will assume the role of Executive Vice President, Business Development for Emera Inc. In addition to overall responsibility for business development, Ms. Tower will also oversee the Emera partnership with Nalcor Energy including the execution of the Lower Churchill Project as the CEO, Emera Newfoundland and Labrador. Ms. Tower, a Fellow Chartered Accountant, joined Nova Scotia Power in 1997 and has held senior positions in the company in Corporate Finance and Operations, including Controller and Vice President of Customer Operations. Ms. Tower serves on the Boards of a number of Emera investments including Bangor Hydro Electric Company, ICD Utilities, Brunswick Pipeline and Atlantic Hydrogen. Prior to joining Emera, Ms. Tower worked with Grant Thornton, A.I. Tower and Ernst and Young. Ms. Tower is currently serving on the Board of Directors of Nova Scotia Business Inc., as well as, the Advisory Council of the Dalhousie University Corporate Residency MBA Program. She is a past member of the Board of Trustees of the QEII Foundation, and the Board of Directors of CAA Atlantic. She is the former Chair of the Nova Scotia Institute of Chartered Accountants and a graduate of Dalhousie University. Emera will begin an immediate search for a new CFO.

Columbus Gold Corporation (TSX-V: CGT) announced the appointment of Akbar Hassanally as its Chief Financial Officer, replacing Sean McGrath. Early in his career, Mr. Hassanally audited junior mining companies at KPMG in Vancouver. Since 1995, he has been engaged as a mergers and acquisitions advisor, including on Wall Street with Credit Suisse First Boston and JP Morgan Chase, where he was responsible for conducting financial analysis and executing merger transactions in a variety of industries, including metals and mining.

Canada Gas Corp. (TSX-V: CJC; OTC-BB: CJCFF; FSE: YXEN) appointed Kelsey Chin as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Ms. Chin has over 7 years experience in audit, finance and accounting within the mining and exploration industry. As an Executive Officer of TintinaGold Resources Inc. and AsiaBaseMetals Inc., Ms. Chin was involved with numerous financings and spin out transactions and was responsible for all aspects of financial services, financial reporting, and corporate governance. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and is currently completing her CGA designation.

K+S Canada Holdings Inc. announced that as part of its acquisition of the majority of othe common shares of Potash One Inc. all of the existing directors and senior officers of Potash One resigned in accordance with the Support Agreement. Luis E. Mendoza, Vice President of K+S North America will serve as Chief Financial Officer of Potash One.

ArcelorMittal Mines Canada announced that Benoit Alain, formerly Vice-President, Commercial and Business Development, and also in charge of Sales and Marketing for the ArcelorMittal Group’s entire mining sector, has been appointed Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Alain occupied similar functions at ArcelorMittal Montreal Inc. from 2002 to 2008 before joining ArcelorMittal Mines Canada.

Cangene Corporation (TSX: CNJ) announced that Dr. John Langstaff, President and CEO of Cangene Corporation, has advised the Board of Directors ("Board") of the Company of his intention to step down from his current role after serving in this position for more than 20 years. Effective immediately, Dr. Langstaff resigns from his position as President and CEO, and from the Board of Directors, but will continue as a special advisor to the Company. The Board has initiated a search for a successor to Dr. Langstaff, and in the meantime, has appointed Michael Graham, the current CFO of the Company, as acting President and CEO.

Jomar Capital Corp. (TSX-V:: JOE.P) announced that as part of the completion of its previously announced business combination with Online Energy Inc., Thomas Love has been named as Chief Financial Officer.

DirectCash Payments Inc. (TSX: DCI) announced that it has promoted Claudette M. Dick as CFO for DirectCash Payments Inc. as well as the various other limited partnerships, partnerships, corporations, and subsidiaries that are part of the DirectCash group (collectively referred to as "DirectCash"). DirectCash's current CFO, Hendrik J. Lombard has accepted a position with another company. Ms. Dick recently returned from maternity leave and brings with her experience as Vice President of Finance (from September 2010 to January 2011) and prior thereto as Controller (from May 2004 to July 2009) at DirectCash.

If you have news about CFOs on the move, or any comments on this feature, please email us.

Don’t leave your job without it.

There are many things we leave behind when going to our next career opportunity – our colleagues and team, our comfortable chair, and if we’ve been lucky enough to have it to begin with, perhaps even the company car.

I was fortunate enough to interview a CFO candidate recently that told me a great story about how he got his next CFO role. In leaving a previous CFO role, he cancelled his cell phone contract, and took a well deserved vacation for a few weeks. When he was ready to get back to his job search, he went to get a new cell phone. Luckily for him, the cell phone provider gave him options to choose his new number, and one of the choices was his old phone number, which he took without giving it much thought.

A week later his phone rang, and it was someone he once networked with a year ago that called him with a potential career opportunity that led to his next successful role.

Thankfully for this CFO, he was able to get his old cell phone number back.

What lessons can you learn from this story?

1. When starting a new role, have your company pay for your cell phone plan, but you should own and keep the number.

2. Make sure that when you leave your employer, if you don’t own the phone number, make sure you negotiate to take it with you.

3. Put your cell phone number on your business card. You never know who may want to reach you when you are no longer at the company.

Is there anything else you should not leave your job without?

You’ve been a CFO for a long time. What’s next?

As a CFO with many years of experience, you certainly have seen a lot in your career. If you are a CFO and have been working for over 30 years, the thought of ‘What’s next’ certainly enters into your thoughts, not to mention the thoughts of your family members. You’ve worked hard all your life and would like to slow down the pace a notch, but you don’t want to give up the challenges you need to feel the personal satisfaction that has driven you throughout your career.

Here are some options to consider:

Taking a CEO position: I can hear you say ‘I thought you said this would help me slow down the pace a notch? Becoming CEO would be more stressful, not less.’ What I am advocating for is for you to consider only those roles where being CEO would call on your talents and abilities, but have you manage a team of people to get the details done – your role would be the Quarterback. Think about it – Have you ever thought that the CEO you worked for had a less stressful job than you? Of course you have. Now it’s your turn. (Read from CFOZone: Prepping to become CEO: How CFOs can become CEO)

Become a Board Member: There is a high demand for people with your talent on Boards of Directors. According to Deloitte’s Corporate Governance Webcast: CFOs on Boards, a CFO can expect to spend 250 hours a year in time commitment to a Board of Directors. While this Webcast was more for a currently employed CFO sitting on the Board of Directors of another company, a lot of the advice still applies in this situation. Experienced CFOs with a few Board positions have the flexibility they want with the challenges they need, and the compensation is good too.

Those that can, work. Those that can’t, Consult? If you are getting ready to slow down a bit, it might be a good time to hang up a shingle and call yourself a Consultant. The word Consultant has been used by many professionals in between jobs as a euphemism for their lack of employment. But this does not have to be the case. We have seen (and helped) many Senior Finance Executives in between opportunities find contractual roles that allow them to keep busy, earn good pay, and have a level of flexibility they have never had. Making a career move to Consulting has been a good move for many experienced CFOs.

Help build a Start up: With all the experience you have, wouldn’t it be great to be involved with creating a real business out of an idea? There are many entrepreneurs, young and not so young, that have a great idea, are fabulous at the technical, the marketing, or both, but have little understanding as to what the mechanics of finance and administration are. They need help with financing the company, managing cash flow and all the other good things necessary to make a great idea or great product into a great company. Combining your strengths with amazing ideas and talent could be the best thing that ever happened to you in your career. Isn’t it time to have some fun?

While you may like these ideas as options, your next Question is: “So how do I find these opportunities?” The same way you find other opportunities – network and build your personal brand while adding value to those around you. Consider which option would suit you best and let people know what you are looking for.