Taking a non-finance position can offer aspiring CFOs many potential benefits, argues
Russell Boyle, a consultant at Egon Zehnder International, New York, in
CFO Magazine. “Because the CFO is increasingly focused on driving results across the company, we see a growing number of finance executives take on operational or business-line roles,” explains Boyle. Several companies have long tried to encourage such versatility through job-rotation programs, but many finance professionals are not keen to take such a risk, notes the magazine. The best career moves are often unplanned anyway, say experts. Operational positions not only broaden the experience and vision of finance leaders, they can also help CFOs to connect with the rest of the company more effectively, say experts.
