CFOs are no longer solely focused on accounting and finance. To be a true business partner to the Founder or CEO of a startup or SMB, the CFO is now required to combine strategy, finance, and operations into everything that he or she does.
Especially here in the San Francisco Bay area and Silicon Valley with the incredibly fast-paced business environment, it’s crucial
This video from CFO Magazine illustrates the multi-skilled role of today’s CFO from the detailed operational processes to the important strategic issue of risk management:
“'Having an understanding of how all the intricate parts of a business work at the software level means you also have to understand how they work at a process level....'
“Overseeing payables, receivables, and the order-to-cash cycle comprises the nuts and bolts of his finance role.... But what engages Helwig most is risk management. 'I like being able to determine and mitigate risks based on data analytics,' he says. 'It’s great to come to the table as an adviser to our founders and challenge conventional ideas, and unconventional ones as well, and watch that dialogue develop. That’s one of the things I’m most passionate about.'"