Chapter 1: Strategies for Success
CFOs have a lot on their plates these days. More than mere number crunchers, CFOs are expected to be agents of change throughout the entire organization. Change rarely comes easily, however. The CFO must both respond to and anticipate new developments impacting the enterprise, whether internal or external, while simultaneously being a proactive driver of change. So how does a successful CFO pull it all off?

Chapter 2: Improving Performance
The reign of the humble spreadsheet is over. Technologies for BPM, ERM, BI and other tools for aggregating and consolidating the numbers have evolved over the years to help CFOs turn mountains of financial data into actionable information that they can use to support compliance efforts, enhance planning and budgeting, and, perhaps most important, better manage risk. Furthermore, establishing a performance management framework for finance will set an example that extends to operations as well.

Chapter 3: Governance, Risk and Compliance
The buzzword nowadays is “transparency,” as in, being open, honest and accurate in disclosing financials to the market. In an effort to avoid more black eyes like Enron, the SEC and other regulatory bodies have made transparency a top priority, but the road to compliance is a rocky one. New regulations appear; old ones get modified. One bright spot on the compliance landscape is XBRL, a new technology standard being actively pushed by the SEC. This open reporting language delivers major advantages for the preparation, analysis and exchange of business information. This means better, more accurate reporting to shareholders, which, in turn, equals greater transparency.

Chapter 4: HR and Employee Benefits
Corporations aren’t just raising eyebrows by mismanaging financial data, they are also generating ire among stockholders and the general public over the massive compensation packages some top executives receive – even when they have one foot out the door. So what’s a company to do if it wants to attract and retain senior management talent? There are ways to undo the perceived abuses in the area of executive compensation, but, like everything important, it requires careful consideration, planning and management.

Chapter 5: Treasury and Cash Strategies
Shareholders are arguably the CFO’s most important constituents. Make the investors unhappy, and heads will roll. CFOs must consider the long-term value when planning strategy without undermining short-term returns. Integrated financial systems can help manage assets and risk across the enterprise so that what seems like a smart investment today doesn’t go sour later on. Companies can also consider insuring themselves against certain types of risk.