Magazine

Cover Story Supply Pain The onset of the pandemic reduced the global flow of goods. But when demand suddenly snapped back, supply chains proved less resilient. Metric Matters Which performance indicators are companies keying on this year? Five finance chiefs reveal the metrics encapsulating their strategic goals. Field Notes Getting Back to Growth Global expansion,

Cover Story 10 Vital Roles for CFOs To ascend to (and remain in) the office of CFO and be great at the job, you will have to master these responsibilities. Will Cryptocurrencies Play By The Rules? Institutional interest in Bitcoin may finally force regulators to come to terms with digital money. Special Report: IT Budgets

Cover Story Profiles in Resilience Although the pandemic nearly crushed their industries, these companies are finding ways to thrive. When Opportunity Knocks: Dealing With Recruiters Think calls from recruiters are a waste of time? Here’s how to make the most of these career connections. Special Report: SPACs They’re Back Fueled by piles of capital, special-

Cover Story Anti-Trust China-based companies are still not complying with PCAOB audit inspections. Does Congress have the answer to this longstanding problem? Remote Possibilities CFOs are using months of experience with remote work and the uncertainty of COVID-19’s path to plan for a post-pandemic workplace. Cloud Security: A Work In Progress Companies are rapidly adopting

Cover Story Virtual CFOs Have Their Day The pandemic forced a grand work-from-home experiment on finance. But is an all-remote team really the future? Brushing Up on Bankruptcy A brief guide to navigating Chapter 11 filings and other kinds of financial restructurings. Special Report: Pandemic Losses Out in the Cold Business interruption insurance has offered

Cover Story Safeguarding Working Capital A disrupted economy will make it harder to manage receivables, payables, and inventory with efficiency. In Pursuit of Better Analytics Finance analytics is maturing at an accelerated pace, but the standards, tools, and talent still have a way to go. Anatomy of a Short Attack The COVID-19 pandemic has created

Cover Story Staying Healthy Keeping accounting in order, closely monitoring cash, and maintaining productivity are essential to riding out the coronavirus pandemic. Defying Definition Digital transformation — a wholesale revamping of infrastructure, systems, and software — is as rare as it is difficult. Special Report: Insider Trading Fixing Some Holes Reforms to insider trading law

Cover Story First Person: It Could Happen to You How I proved the SEC wrong after it falsely accused me of fraud. Can Big Retailers Be Saved? Innovative store concepts are buying some time, but brands like Macy’s and J.C. Penney need a lot more to reverse the falloff in sales. Special Report: Sales Forecasting

Cover Story Watchful Waiting With a less-clear, less-robust future ahead, CFOs are more mindful of how they spend corporate cash. Finance Matchmakers As finance and accounting embraces the gig economy, solo practitioners have more online options to find prospective clients and land lucrative engagements. Dispatches from CFO Live CFO Live, the next-generation, multi-track conference from

Cover Story You’ve Landed a New Job…Now What? The first 60 days at a new company can make or break the tenure of an incoming CFO. Here are some tips for tackling the priorities. CFOs to Watch 2019 Sink or Swim The success or failure of these 20 CFOs will decide their companies’ futures in

Cover Story Human Capital’s Big Reveal Disclosing vital data about a company’s workforce will soon be the norm. Will U.S. businesses fall in line? Easy Money? Private capital providers are fighting to finance middle market firms. But  finance chiefs should proceed with caution. Special Report: Mergers & Acquisitions Buyers Beware Acquirers play a risky game

Cover Story In Blockchain They Trust Industries are taking advantage of the technology’s transparency and immutability to earn consumers’ confidence. Breaking the Budget Traditional budgeting is a poor guide to strategic decision-making. Here are some other options. 2019 CFO/The Hackett Group Working Capital Scorecard The Hard Part of Boosting Liquidity With payables stretched to the

Cover Story Tech Companies to Watch 2019 These 20 vendors are helping businesses unearth the actionable information hidden in their mountains of data. First Person: Andy Fastow and Me The former Enron CFO and convicted felon talks with the CFO writer who first chronicled his “groundbreaking” manipulation of accounting rules. Field NotesHire Quickly and Compliantly

Cover Story Ready For a Recession? What finance chiefs are and should be doing to brace their organizations for the likely economic downturn. Let’s Get Digital CFOs shepherd midsize companies through an era of transformation and upheaval. Special Report The Other Side of the Network Cybersecurity is starting to venture outside the firewall to focus

Cover Story Breaking Bad Investors and the public will no longer tolerate personal misconduct by executives. Now, boards have to do the same. Cloud ERP: The Time Has Come  Low up-front costs, hands-off maintenance, and automatic updates make cloud systems deserving of a serious look. Special Report Lease Accounting: Ready or Not Many companies still

Cover Story Industry Switchers  Do you have the adaptability and skills to make the transition to a totally new industry? Failure to Audit The sudden, spectacular collapse of U.K. construction firm Carillion exposes the limits of external auditing. Special Report: Auditing Time for An Adjustment?  A lot of the problems with public company auditing boil

Cover Story CFOs to Watch 2018  A new crop of CFOs (and a couple of veterans) have risen to prominence this year. Special Report The New Digital Workforce  Robotic process automation emerges from the back office to take on core finance tasks. Business Outlook Survey Data Security, Talent Scarcity Preoccupy CFOs  Still, U.S. finance chiefs

Cover Story Is Analytics the Answer? Enterprises are investing in data analytics tools, but many projects are still a work in progress. Payments Push  As a new era of real-time payments dawns, companies must weigh the benefits against arguments for early caution. 2018 State Tax Survey Land of Confusion States’ adjustments to the Republican federal

Cover Story Tech Companies to Watch 2018  Our annual list of 20 innovative companies that are addressing longstanding points of pain for the enterprise. Special Report: Cyber Risk Thunder in the Cloud  Migration to the cloud is causing a buildup of cyber risks that could leave customers financially exposed. Business Outlook Survey Looking Up  Buoyed

Cover Story Should You IPO?  Unless your company is big, profitable, and a category leader, the wisest choice may be to wait to go public. Our Love/Hate Relationship With Amazon  Is the company a shifting example of innovation or an anticompetitive scourge? Four experts weigh in on the issue. Special Report: Supply Chain Finance No

Cover Story The Price of Protectionism  To defend domestic steel and other industries, President Trump is ready to slap tariffs on some foreign producers. But has he weighed the potential costs to the wider economy? Taking Aim CFOs from retailing, recreational equipment, chemicals, real estate, computer peripherals, and freight logistics reveal their top business objectives

Cover Story The Weight of Water The 2017 hurricane season puts extreme precipitation and flooding events at the top of risk managers’ agendas. Location Lures  State and city tax breaks abound, but they shouldn’t be the only consideration when locating a business. Special Report: FP&A Let the Fun Begin Technology is eliminating grunt work and

Cover Story The Best Path Forward  CFOs blend new and old techniques in a quest for capital spending solutions that allow more flexibility. Directorship Gains and Pains  CFOs who hold external board positions swear by the benefits, but the majority who don’t have good reasons for shying away. Special Report: Intelligent Automation Mind Games  Confusion

Cover Story: CFOs to Watch 2017 Value Drivers  Which CFOs are the best of the best? For our third annual CFOs to Watch, we found 20 CFOs who are using cost discipline, astute capital investments, and operational know-how to guide their companies to a growth-filled future. Special Report: Operational Risk Data Held Hostage  This year’s

Cover Story Balance Due Boards seek the optimal compensation formula to satisfy all sides in the conflict over executive pay packages. The 2017 Working Capital Scorecard Late Shift Delaying payments is boosting the working capital performance of America’s largest companies, but also masking a lack of efficiency. Special Report: Retirement Benefits Delayed Departures Older employees

Cover Story Green Reporting Takes Root As more investors link sustainability with financial returns, they press issuers for meaningful environmental and social disclosures. Team Trump’sTug-of-War How will the president’s economic advisers alter the global business prospects of U.S. companies? New Remedies As core strategies for containing employee health-care costs diminish in effectiveness, companies need fresher

Cover Story  Annual Harvest More companies are using a subscription-based business model, attracted by the promise of recurring revenue. But for many, realizing the gains won’t be easy. Information Inflation Despite the superabundance of data companies already disclose, institutional investors are looking for more. Special Report: Cloud Migration  Moving Up Corporate IT is shifting from

Cover Story  Tech Companies to Watch: Disruptive Influences In areas from cyber defense to tax compliance to database management, these 20 companies are changing how businesses operate. Special Report: Commercial Insurance Insurance’s Innovation Gap  Why corporations sometimes can’t get the coverage they really need. Gearing Up For A Manufacturing Revival Technology, political will, and a

Cover Story Hire Expectations CFOs are seeking nontraditional candidates who have the analytical and ‘soft’ skills a modern finance organization needs. Betting On Blockchain The widely hyped technology continues to attract converts intrigued by its potential to eliminate the frictional costs of executing and reconciling transactions. Special Report: Tax  Planning For Tax PolicyTurmoil  How to

Cover Story  The Corporatization Of Cyber Crime  Cyber crime groups are increasingly operating like traditional businesses. Will this new professionalism lead to more attacks on companies? Master Of All Metrics How CFOs can take charge of non-financial performance measures without alienating the rest of the organization. What’s Wrong With Crowdfunding? The JOBS Act was designed

Cover Story Misleading Metrics? Non-GAAP metrics can help tell the story of a company’s performance. But is their increasing prevalence starting to render the official earnings numbers less relevant? The Rising Risk of Being CFO The drive to combat corporate misconduct is making it a dangerous time to be a finance chief. Looking For Regulatory

Cover Story  The Changing Face of Retail  Can innovation by traditional retailers overcome the disruptive force of e-commerce?  A Time Of Disruption Political scenarios aplenty threaten global growth and the fortunes of multinationals. Wanted: A Flexible, Attentive Bank  Corporate clients know what they want in a commercial bank, according to our third annual banking survey,

Cover Story  Clinton v. Trump: Who’s Better for Business? The choice for president is between big change now but few details, and gradual change with deep details.  The Holes In Human Capital Metrics Prodded by investors, some companies are disclosing more data about their workforces.But how much value will that information have? Special Report: Banking

CFOs to Watch 2016 Rising to The Challenge The job of chief financial officer is tougher than ever. We profile20 who have career-defining tests ahead.  Robots, Robots Everywhere Rather suddenly, virtual robots are bringing big change to corporate finance processes. Special Report: Budgeting  Budgeting for The  Next Big Thing  New products or investment opportunities can

Cover Story  The Future of Investing? Robo advisers—online wealth management services that provide low-cost, algorithm-based portfolio management—are revolutionizing investing and financial planning. Smooth Travels An array of devices, apps, and strategies help savvy business travelers eliminate turbulence from their trips. Money, Exit Options Vanishing for Unicorns  Venture investors and public markets are starting to balk

Cover Story The Year Of Dealing Dangerously  Antitrust actions, buyer cautiousness, and longer due diligence phases have all contributed to a slowdown in mergers and acquisitions. The 2016 CFO/REL Working Capital Scorecard Over a Barrel Thanks to the slumping oil and gas industry, the working capital performance of America’s largest companies is at its worst

The 2016 CFO Readers’ Choice Awards And TheWinners Are… CFO presents the first annual Readers’ Choice awards. Vision Quest Expectations for CFOs to add strategic value to their companies have never been higher. Special Report New Cures for Health Costs  Innovative ways to engage employees offer hope for bringing health care spending under control. Field

Women in Finance Leaning In More and more women are rising to the CFO spot at America’s largest companies.  The 2016 CFO State Tax Survey Going To The Source States are reaching across borders to raise tax revenue from companies. Special Report: Mobile Payments Making the Connection In the long run, the future of mobile

Cover Story  Flying High Soaring profits at Delta reward shareholders and employees alike, says CFO Paul Jacobson.  Rethinking Disclosure Encouraged by the SEC, companies are finding new ways to make annual reports and other disclosures more relevant and reader-friendly. Special Report: Insurance Hot Topic: Climate Change And Insurance Why aren’t insurers factoring climate change into

Cover Story Activists At The Gate Activist investors are bigger and hungrier than ever. Here’s how to keep them at bay. Special Section: Enterprise IT  The Digital CFO  From ERP systems to smartphone apps, information technology is reshaping the role of the chief financial officer. Special Report: Cybersecurity Share and Share Alike A new law

Cover Story Fast Money Online marketplaces for consumer and small-business loans are leaving traditional bank lenders in the dust. But will they last? Hooked On Startups Some CFOs can’t resist the challenges of fresh beginnings and fast growth. Special Report: ERP Trend Spotting: ERP in 2016 A prominent consultant discusses some of the top trends

CFO Outlook 2016 The challenges and opportunities ahead for finance chiefs. Access to Capital High, but Demand Is Wavering Small and midsize businesses success-fully secured capital in Q4 2015, but their demand for funding fell. Moody’s Slashes 2016 Forecast for Oil Prices   The rating agency lowers its price assumptions for crude oil benchmarks. Economic ‘Perfect