Competition for great finance and accounting talent—always stiff in Silicon Valley—is heating up as the economy improves and companies ride the waves of ever-shrinking business cycles. Companies are leaning more and more heavily on CFOs to take on strategic planning, resource allocation, capital structure management and more—and they need expertise that can support business decisions at all levels of the finance organization.
Who’s hot? Business-savvy finance pros who understand strategic and tactical financial planning, statistical analysis, M&A due diligence and debt and equity accounting, according to Wanted: Finance Superstars, RoseRyan’s latest intelligence report. And smart companies will be on the lookout for people who are attuned to risks and opportunities, and have experience and communication skills that make them persuasive when weighing in on things like product development strategies, market assessments and cost structures.
So pack your finance team with FP&A pros, right? Wrong. That’s just a piece of the equation. Regulation from the Dodd-Frank Act, international financial reporting standards, tax law changes and a host of other challenges make technical accounting pros a critical part of the finance function.
Likewise, CFOs need to keep their hand on the steering wheel. Bad things happen when their attention wanders from company finances. So although it’s true that CFOs need to get into the operational side of their companies if they’re going to contribute to growth, they can’t delegate their primary responsibility of protecting financial integrity.
In short, a great finance team supports and shapes growth. Check out our report to find out who you need on your dream team, and how to keep your best talent from straying to the competition.
