一定和公司的財務總監搞好關系！
SHERYL ESTRADA
2022-02-16
記得去結識貴司現任首席財務官，因為他（她）很有可能會成為下一任首席執行官。
Peloton Interactive的新任首席執行官巴瑞·麥卡錫就是個活例子，他于今天正式上任。該公司前任首席執行官約翰·弗利離職，并將出任執行董事長。有消息稱，該公司將裁員約2,800人，相當于全公司約20%的崗位。麥卡錫此前曾擔任Spotify和Netflix的首席財務官。
Peloton首席獨立董事卡倫·布恩在一份聲明中表示：“巴里是一位久經考驗的領導者，具有敏銳的財務頭腦，又曾在Netflix和Spotify等代表性公司推動變革?！?/p>
Peloton確實陷入了一定程度的財務困難。據《財富》雜志報道，它的股價相較于一年前的歷史高點已經下跌了八成以上。因此，有激進的投資者要求弗利下臺，并要求Peloton考慮出售公司。首席財務官的職能在短短10年里已經發生了重大變化。負責的不再僅僅是數字，還包括整體業務的戰略和轉型。
德勤(Deloitte LLP)全球和美國首席財務官項目全國執行合伙人史蒂夫·葛魯奇表示，首席財務官和首席執行官之間的戰略伙伴關系一直存在，但如今愈發重要。葛魯奇稱：“回顧過去2年，首席執行官確實更加看重首席財務官。”他表示，在不得不快速轉向的過程中，首席財務官們掌握著公司的脈搏。葛魯奇說：“企業以一種前所未有的速度快速轉型已經成為現代商業生活中的必須?！?/p>
“我做過的許多首席財務官人選調查都明確與首席執行官繼任計劃有關?！焙５滤颊?Heidrick & Struggles)合伙人兼財務官業務全球執行合伙人艾莉莎?博迪恩表示，“很多組織將首席財務官差不多視為副首席執行官?！彼f：“通常，在一名高管成為首席財務官之前，企業希望看到他實際上承擔的是總裁的角色。”除了財務之外，首席財務官通常還要主管其他業務?！叭绻纯磳κ紫攧展俚钠谕?，就會發現標準在不斷提高?！辈┑隙髡f，海德思哲“多年來一直在觀察首席執行官的繼任情況，從首席財務官到首席執行官的上升路徑并不罕見?！?/p>
盡管有許多首席財務官最后升任首席執行官，但史賓塞?斯圖爾特去年12月發布的研究發現，他們的表現經常不盡人意。與此前擔任首席運營官、部門首席執行官以及從非管理層領導選拔的候選人相比，首席財務官可能會過度依賴數字。報告稱：“對數字的熟悉、對邏輯的依賴和合理的分析是他們的重要優勢，但成功的首席執行官在做決定時必須縱觀全局，向不同的聽眾發出不同的聲音，在面臨不確定性時尤其如此?！八官e塞?斯圖爾特建議，上位者應找到“培養增長導向和風險承受能力”的方法。他們需要參與企業關鍵業務的決策，“偶爾為首席執行官擔起首席運營官的職責”，并學會用全局視角進行分析、作出平衡。
酒店元搜索網站Trivago的首席執行官阿克塞爾?赫弗剛進公司時擔任的也是首席財務官。該公司現任首席財務官為馬蒂亞斯·蒂爾曼，說二人之間建立了戰略伙伴關系?！笆前⒖巳麪栐?016年招的我?！钡贍柭f，“當時，他也才剛入職兩個月。我們合作的第一項工作就是公司的IPO。老實說，那段時間非常緊張，我們不分晝夜地一起工作了六個多月?！?/p>
但他說，兩人也因此建立了信任和相互尊重?！拔以?020年初，也就是疫情爆發前接替他擔任了首席財務官，他接任了首席執行官，（信任和尊重）非常重要?！彼f，雖然過去兩年“對我們兩人來說壓力都很大，但我們必須合作，也合作得很好。”
蒂爾曼說他還在向赫弗學習。如果有一天他也成為某家公司的首席執行官，這些經驗肯定能派上用場。（財富中文網）
譯者：Agatha
記得去結識貴司現任首席財務官，因為他（她）很有可能會成為下一任首席執行官。
Peloton Interactive的新任首席執行官巴瑞·麥卡錫就是個活例子，他于今天正式上任。該公司前任首席執行官約翰·弗利離職，并將出任執行董事長。有消息稱，該公司將裁員約2,800人，相當于全公司約20%的崗位。麥卡錫此前曾擔任Spotify和Netflix的首席財務官。
Peloton首席獨立董事卡倫·布恩在一份聲明中表示：“巴里是一位久經考驗的領導者，具有敏銳的財務頭腦，又曾在Netflix和Spotify等代表性公司推動變革。”
Peloton確實陷入了一定程度的財務困難。據《財富》雜志報道，它的股價相較于一年前的歷史高點已經下跌了八成以上。因此，有激進的投資者要求弗利下臺，并要求Peloton考慮出售公司。首席財務官的職能在短短10年里已經發生了重大變化。負責的不再僅僅是數字，還包括整體業務的戰略和轉型。
德勤(Deloitte LLP)全球和美國首席財務官項目全國執行合伙人史蒂夫·葛魯奇表示，首席財務官和首席執行官之間的戰略伙伴關系一直存在，但如今愈發重要。葛魯奇稱：“回顧過去2年，首席執行官確實更加看重首席財務官。”他表示，在不得不快速轉向的過程中，首席財務官們掌握著公司的脈搏。葛魯奇說：“企業以一種前所未有的速度快速轉型已經成為現代商業生活中的必須?！?/p>
“我做過的許多首席財務官人選調查都明確與首席執行官繼任計劃有關?！焙５滤颊?Heidrick & Struggles)合伙人兼財務官業務全球執行合伙人艾莉莎?博迪恩表示，“很多組織將首席財務官差不多視為副首席執行官。”她說：“通常，在一名高管成為首席財務官之前，企業希望看到他實際上承擔的是總裁的角色。”除了財務之外，首席財務官通常還要主管其他業務。“如果看看對首席財務官的期望，就會發現標準在不斷提高?！辈┑隙髡f，海德思哲“多年來一直在觀察首席執行官的繼任情況，從首席財務官到首席執行官的上升路徑并不罕見。”
盡管有許多首席財務官最后升任首席執行官，但史賓塞?斯圖爾特去年12月發布的研究發現，他們的表現經常不盡人意。與此前擔任首席運營官、部門首席執行官以及從非管理層領導選拔的候選人相比，首席財務官可能會過度依賴數字。報告稱：“對數字的熟悉、對邏輯的依賴和合理的分析是他們的重要優勢，但成功的首席執行官在做決定時必須縱觀全局，向不同的聽眾發出不同的聲音，在面臨不確定性時尤其如此?！八官e塞?斯圖爾特建議，上位者應找到“培養增長導向和風險承受能力”的方法。他們需要參與企業關鍵業務的決策，“偶爾為首席執行官擔起首席運營官的職責”，并學會用全局視角進行分析、作出平衡。
酒店元搜索網站Trivago的首席執行官阿克塞爾?赫弗剛進公司時擔任的也是首席財務官。該公司現任首席財務官為馬蒂亞斯·蒂爾曼，說二人之間建立了戰略伙伴關系?！笆前⒖巳麪栐?016年招的我?！钡贍柭f，“當時，他也才剛入職兩個月。我們合作的第一項工作就是公司的IPO。老實說，那段時間非常緊張，我們不分晝夜地一起工作了六個多月?！?/p>
但他說，兩人也因此建立了信任和相互尊重?！拔以?020年初，也就是疫情爆發前接替他擔任了首席財務官，他接任了首席執行官，（信任和尊重）非常重要?！彼f，雖然過去兩年“對我們兩人來說壓力都很大，但我們必須合作，也合作得很好?！?/p>
蒂爾曼說他還在向赫弗學習。如果有一天他也成為某家公司的首席執行官，這些經驗肯定能派上用場。（財富中文網）
譯者：Agatha
Get to know your current CFO—because there’s a big possibility that he or she may be the next CEO.
Take for instance Peloton Interactive’s new CEO Barry McCarthy, who began his role today. The former CEO, John Foley, stepped down and will become executive chair amid news the company will shed about 2,800 jobs, impacting approximately 20% of corporate positions. McCarthy was previously a CFO at both Spotify and Netflix.
“Barry is a proven leader, well known for his financial acumen and record of driving transformative change at iconic companies including Netflix and Spotify,” Karen Boone, lead independent director at Peloton, said in a statement.
Peloton is certainly in need of financial help: its shares have tumbled more than 80% from their all-time high a year ago, Fortune reported. As a result, activist investors called for Foley’s resignation and for Peloton to explore a sale of the business. But the role of the CFO has dramatically changed in just a decade. It’s no longer just about numbers, but strategy and transformation of the overall business.
The strategic partnership between the CFO and CEO has always existed, but it’s become even more vital, Steve Gallucci, national managing partner of the global and U.S. CFO Program at Deloitte LLP, said. “As I reflect on the last 24 months, the CEO has really looked to the CFO even more,” Gallucci said. CFOs have their hands on the pulse of the business in the midst of having to pivot at a much quicker pace, he said. “Transformation is being asked of companies at a pace that we've not seen before in modern day business,” Gallucci said.
“Many of the CFO searches that I conduct are very explicitly CEO succession planning engagements,” said Alyse Bodine, partner and global managing partner of the Financial Officers Practice at Heidrick & Struggles. “In many instances, organizations view CFOs as almost deputy CEOs,” Bodine said. “Oftentimes before an executive even becomes a CFO, organizations like to see that executive actually serve in a president capacity.” Besides finance, the CFO often has responsibilities in other areas of the business, she said. “If you look at what's expected of a CFO, the bar just continues to kind of rise,” she said. Heidrick & Struggles has been “tracking CEO succession for years and years, and the CFO to CEO path is not an uncommon one,” Bodine noted.
Although many CFOs have headed to the chief executive chair, research by Spencer Stuart released in December found they often underperform. In comparison to promoted COOs, divisional CEOs, and leaders advancing from below the C-suite, finance chiefs can over rely on the numbers. "Comfort with numbers, reliance on logic and sound analysis are important strengths, but successful CEOs must understand the broader landscape when making decisions and hit different notes with different audiences, especially when faced with uncertainty," according to the report. Those who are successful find ways to "cultivate a growth orientation and risk tolerance," Spencer Stuart advised. They need to be involved in key business decisions, "occasionally serving as de-facto COOs for the CEO," and learn to balance analysis with a more holistic view of the organization, the firm noted.
Axel Hefer, CEO of Trivago, a metasearch hotel search site, began at the company as CFO. Matthias Tillmann, current CFO, talked about their strategic partnership. “Axel was the one who hired me in 2016,” Tillmann explained. “And at that time, he just joined the company two months earlier. The first thing we worked on was the IPO for the company. That was a very intensive time to be honest, working together day and night, for over six months.”
But the two learned to trust each other and built mutual respect, he said. “When I succeeded him as the CFO in the beginning of 2020, just before the pandemic, and he took over the CEO position, that was very important." Though the last two years "have been intense for both of us, we had to work together and that worked out quite well," he said.
Tillmann said he still learns from Hefer. That experience will certainly come in handy if he’s the CEO at a company one day.
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