Some finance professionals are even going back to school to prepare for the increasing breadth of the role. Ajilon's Reina says he knows of CFO candidates who have recently obtained Six Sigma training, project-management certifications, and even HR credentials.
If those qualifications seem more fitting for a chief operating officer, that's no accident. As more companies phase out the COO and president titles, the CFO often assumes oversight of additional corporate functions. Does a bulging portfolio of operational responsibilities make a CFO more "strategic"? Not necessarily; those CFOs who have a broader role thrust upon them through circumstance may find that their stock rises little. But for those who are ready to prove the full extent of their value, the time has never been more ripe to assume the mantle of the truly strategic CFO.
Alix Stuart is a senior writer at CFO.
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