In March 2020, Gina Mastantuono had been chief financial officer at software maker ServiceNow Inc. for about two months. When the pandemic hit, she had to make a series of snap decisions, including advising the chief executive officer to continue with hiring and expansion plans despite the prospect of slower revenue growth and shifting most of the company’s 10,000 employees to remote work.
It’s largely panned out: The Santa Clara, Calif., provider of business workflow applications clinched almost $6 billion in sales last year, 70% higher than pre-Covid, and now has more than 19,000 employees. CFOs, says Mastantuono, are more like strategic advisers these days “and much less the bean counters of the past.”
The CFO’s job, already one of the most complex in corporate America, has expanded to become what’s arguably the toughest C-suite role. As the top financial manager, the CFO keeps track of cash flows, does strategic planning, oversees accounting and taxation, ensures financial reports are complete and accurate, and interacts with the capital markets. The burden has increased in recent years in part because of the pandemic, says Steve Gallucci, who leads a Deloitte LLP program that advises financial executives. “That moves the degree of difficulty of the role to a place it’s never been before,” he says.
Denne historien er fra September 19, 2022-utgaven av Bloomberg Businessweek US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 19, 2022-utgaven av Bloomberg Businessweek US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts
Running in Circles
A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment
Brazil Yanks the Welcome Mat for Oil Investors
Foreign oil majors have filed an injunction to halt a new tax on crude exports
POINT OF FAILURE
Silicon Valley Bank's collapse exposed a weakness in tech and in the broader economy
Glencore Stays the Course With Coal
The commodities giant’s CEO says the fossil fuel is still necessary, even as he pursues minerals needed for the energy transition
Under Pressure
History shows that when the Federal Reserve is raising rates, an unexpected shock can trigger a recession
Where the Ax Will Fall Next
Another week, another round of job cuts—this time Meta Platforms Inc. is adding to the 11,000 people it fired in November with thousands more, Bloomberg News has reported.
The Case for Ditching Your Wallet
Bellroy's clever phone carrier keeps those last crucial cards close.