the first 100 days - financial partner

The First 100 Days

Insight Piece

© Partner Financial Ltd 2018.

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WHAT DO THE FIRST 100 DAYS LOOK LIKE?If you have just been appointed as a CFO, I am sure that at some point during the selection pro-cess, you were asked the ques-tion ‘what would your key priori-ties and objectives be in the first 100 days?’

Answering this question in theory is one thing, but turning the the-oretical into reality is a different proposition.

According to KPMG ‘Businesses are constantly facing changes due to the technological prog-ress and unstable economic and political situation. Under the influ-ence of these dynamics, the role of today´s CFOs is fundamentally changing’1. A number of thought pieces are available that offer insight as to what challenges a CFO may encounter, but most conclude the following:• Supporting growth• Regulatory requirements and

the impact on competitive advantage

• Data• Technological innovation• Attracting, maintaining and

developing talent

Taking a step back, the starting point for any newly appointed

CFO should be understanding the initial key objectives, whether that be ‘enterprise-wide strategic and transformational initiatives…day-to-day business needs…or (leading) a turnaround’2.

The role of a CFO has changed dramatically and is ‘more embedded in the development and enablement of corporate strategy’3, but the fundamentals of ‘cost management, risk man-agement, cash flow and controls (still) dominate the CFO’s priority list.3 With such a broad role, McK-insey suggest that ‘CFOs must have a well-functioning finance function behind them’2.

Partner Financial are a trusted and proven advisor to many CFO’s. Through the wealth of industry leading experience that the Partners and Associates have developed, we are able to work in close partnership with CFO’s to deliver the best results for both the immediate and longer-term business requirements.

We take the time to under-stand your business, the nuances that set it apart, and the future opportunities. Through our stra-tegic approach to partner-ships we are able to add value in areas outside of recruitment

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and throughout the entire busi-ness life cycle. Whether you are about to embark on your first CFO appointment, or you are a proven entity within this role, Part-ner Financial understand and are able to support you in those first initial 100 days and beyond.

Our distinct industry knowledge and functional specialisms allow us to provide market intelligence that will specifically impact your business. We are able to discuss and provide insight regarding the market, what competitors are doing and what to expect when embarking on a search to increase the capabilities within finance.

By immersing ourselves in the upper-quartile market of tal-ented financial individuals we are able to identify and qual-ify candidates who understand that a calibre finance team is in demand from functions outside of the finance community. Part-ner Financial are well placed to provide guidance and advice on the most appropriate finance

structure to ensure the business, finance team and the CFO are set up for success. Whether it be succession planning, restruc-turing and benchmarking of the existing team, or the cre-ation of a new finance team, we are able to provide references regarding the work we have suc-cessfully completed.

Through our collaborative approach, we are able to sup-port CFO’s in ‘overturning out-moded perceptions of finance as “business prevention units” and (reposition) the function as an enabling partner to the business.’3

ABOUT USPartner Financial is the standout performer in the financial recruit-ment industry. Since 2007, Part-ner Financial’s Partners and Asso-ciates have worked with senior financ business leaders through-out industry and commerce to advise on selection, build-ing comercial finance exper-tise and developing human capital solutions.

1 https://home.kpmg.com/ke/en/home/media/press-releases/2017/01/five-mail-challenges-faced-by-cfo.html

2 https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/starting-up-as-cfo

3 http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/The-DNA-of-the-CFO-2010/$FILE/The-DNA-of-the-CFO-2010.pdf

the first 100 days - financial partner

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