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The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders

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  • Technical debt can become a major financial burden for finance chiefs, as its accumulation can add unnecessary strain on resources and budgets.
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    How CFOs Can Avoid the Crushing Cost of Technical Debt

    Recurring news stories of airlines grounded and social networks rendered offline by a few lines of bad code have made the curse of technical debt known far outside the world of IT. While this may be the first time the phrase has entered the popular lexicon, it’s a long-festering problem known to ...

    Jon Stephens • May 9, 2023
  • Knowing how to select a good set of comparable firms can facilitate CFOs’ internal performance assessments and aid with decision-making.
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    How Should CFOs Select Peer Firms for Benchmarking?

    CFOs can improve their decision-making and forecasts by benchmarking their companies against peers. However, finding the “right” peers for benchmarking is not an easy task. A key question for finance chiefs is whether your company and selected peers present the same type of information on the fin...

    Rani Hoitash, Ahmet Kurt, Udi Hoitash, and Rodrigo Verdi • May 2, 2023
  • It’s time for companies to start evaluating their real estate through a strategic lens.
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    Real Estate Rethink: How CFOs Can Tackle the Company’s Footprint Problem

    Virtual engagement with customers and employees increased dramatically during the pandemic. And that change has stuck, to the surprise of some company executives. It’s not only employees who prefer a remote or hybrid setup. Companies are finding that customers want to do more business virtually, ...

    William A. Lovis III • April 25, 2023
  • Finance chiefs should think of risk management as a way of ensuring success rather than as a distraction from other top priorities.
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    6 Steps for CFOs to Minimize Organizational Risk

    In the past year alone, the world of business has been impacted by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruption, inflation, changing fiscal policies and regulations, and intensifying natural disasters. A lingering pandemic has also stress-tested the risk management processes of global organizat...

    Ashok (Ash) Noah • April 18, 2023
  • Here’s how to strategically look at your accounts receivable process to strengthen cash flow.
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    5 Ways to Reduce Accounts Receivable Risks, Strengthen Cash Flow

    The current business outlook is fraught with uncertainties that are causing sleepless nights for many CFOs. Recession worries, high-interest rates, and the struggle to maintain a stable, engaged workforce while controlling labor costs are just a few of the pain points noted by analysts in early Q...

    Dean Kaplan • April 18, 2023
  • To successfully capitalize on the changing nature of dealmaking, M&A leaders should adopt these four behaviors to unlock the full value potential.
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    The M&A Playbook Needs a Change. Are CFOs Ready?

    Mergers and acquisitions reached record highs in recent years, with volumes crossing $5 trillion for the first time in 2021. Yet, macroeconomic headwinds, including high inflation, labor shortages, and supply chain volatility, derailed this pattern last year and instead shaped a much more subdued...

    J. Neely • April 11, 2023
  • CFOs play a key role in advocating for preventative cybersecurity actions that help reduce the cost of cyber risks.
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    4 Ways CFOs Can Reduce Cybersecurity Financial Burdens

    As the principal corporate officers responsible for their companies’ financial operations and conditions, CFOs are, of course, acutely aware of the direct costs of cybersecurity breaches. According to the EisnerAmper Cybersecurity Survey, which focused mainly on businesses with revenues of $50 mi...

    Rahul Mahna • April 4, 2023
  • CFOs should be on the lookout for these four marketing red flags to ensure the right due diligence is being performed before a deal.
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    M&A Red Flags: The Crucial Role of Marketing Due Diligence

    When J.P. Morgan spent $175 million to buy student financial aid firm Frank, it thought it was getting access to millions of young customers. It turns out that wasn’t the case, according to the bank’s subsequent lawsuit accusing Frank of fabricating more than four million student names in order t...

    Tal Shlosberg • March 28, 2023
  • CFOs should consider economic profit as the centerpiece of value management and start by adapting the measure to their business models.
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    Economic Profit Empowers CFOs to Drive Long-Term Value: Study

    CFOs’ responsibilities dramatically expanded in recent years — on top of running their finance organizations, managing COVID-19-related shocks, and preparing for a potential recession. Many now lead company-wide transformations, advise on strategy, and act as the deputy CEO. But their...

    Jeffrey Greene, Gregory Milano, Alex Curatolo, and Michael Chew • March 21, 2023
  • Finance and IT should partner on culture, talent, and technology to create a more data-driven team.
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    3 Critical Components to Building a Data-Driven Finance Organization

    Finance leaders know that to navigate through an uncertain and constantly changing environment, access to real-time and reliable data is no longer a luxury, but a requirement. When asked about their near-term priorities in a recent survey, 49% of CFOs pointed to data management and analysis, putt...

    Joseph James • March 14, 2023
  • With cyberattacks becoming more frequent, now is the time for CFOs to shore up their cybersecurity programs and strategies.
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    CFO Cybersecurity Strategies: How to Protect Against the Rising Storm

    Business leaders are coming up against the precipice of what might be the most significant challenge they face in 2023 and beyond: increasingly frequent and sophisticated cyberattacks devastating to business.  During the World Economic Forum’s 2023 annual meeting, experts warned tha...

    Joe Oleksak • March 7, 2023
  • A workforce reduction is never pleasant, but it is important for CFOs to take the correct tone with the announcement to help benefit their companies down the road.
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    Properly Communicating Layoffs Builds Trust With Employees

    The thought of layoffs creates anxiety both in the C-suite and among rank-and-file employees. But sharing the news with your colleagues properly can actually work to build trust in your organization, its leadership, and the decisions they’re making. Layoffs perhaps have the most personal impact a...

    Cass Bailey • March 3, 2023
  • Audit assurance becomes more valuable for financially constrained businesses as they face operational and financial uncertainty.
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    Are Financially Constrained Firms Bad Audit Clients?

    Not all firms have easy access to capital markets, particularly when economic conditions worsen. Whereas large and mature firms are considered relatively financially unconstrained, others typically have limited internal funds and face more friction when attempting to raise external financing.  Ho...

    Ahmet Kurt • Feb. 7, 2023
  • New workforce models and digital transformation top the list of priorities for CFOs to remain resilient this year.
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    3 CFO Trends to Watch in 2023

    As we begin 2023, we may hope to leave some disruptions behind us. Yet inflationary pressures, interest rates, and a potential economic downturn threaten as lingering and new forms of disruption. We can predict only one thing: that for the foreseeable future disruption is the new normal.  ...

    Wendy Stewart • Jan. 24, 2023
  • USA and China trade war. US of America and chinese flags crashed containers on sky at sunset background. 3d illustration
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    Taiwan Tensions: Reassessing the Risks of Operating in China

    Companies with Chinese ties are facing the biggest escalation of risks in decades, as the race for clean energy combines with rising geopolitical tensions to undermine already fragile trade relations with Washington. This is not just a squall that CEOs can hope to ride out while relations return ...

    Lou Longo • Sept. 27, 2022
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    Karpovich, Vlada. "Woman doing paperwork" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Pexels.
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    Moving Beyond ‘Survive-at-All-Costs’ Mode

    If 2020 taught us one thing, it’s that agility is not as hard as everyone thought it was. When pressed, many major companies with complex supply chains, global geographic footprints, and entrenched systems and processes were able to pivot, retool, and reinvent themselves in a matter of week...

    Rohit Kapoor • Feb. 3, 2021
  • Woman doing paperwork in corporate office
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    Karpovich, Vlada. "Woman doing paperwork" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Pexels.
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    Moving Beyond Diversity to Foster Inclusion in Finance

    Diversity and inclusion in finance aren’t new concepts. It’s long been a top priority for leaders in our profession, and in this year of uncertainty, we need new ideas and diversity of thought to re-imagine the path forward. The tragic events of 2020 have revealed the disparities that...

    Kimberly N. Ellison-Taylor • Dec. 22, 2020
  • Woman doing paperwork in corporate office
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    Karpovich, Vlada. "Woman doing paperwork" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Pexels.
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    COVID-19 Aftermath: Moving Beyond Quick Fixes to Sustainable Value Creation

    Most companies have exhausted their first set of actions in response to COVID-19 — “low-hanging fruit,” so to speak — to stabilize cash flows, increase liquidity, and manage their business through the pandemic. The question now is what else can companie...

    Gregory W. Schooley • July 28, 2020