Important roles in corporate finance

- Business leaders need to know who the finance leaders are in their organization because finance leaders keep the money moving and the lights on. Without cashflow and without money, businesses cease to exist. At the top of the finance organization is the CFO, the chief financial officer, who's usually the strategic and regulatory head of finance activities. In most public companies, the CFO is right up there with the chief executive officer, the CEO, on road shows to raise money, in TV interviews, and in different strategic discussions for the company that will set the course of its future. The treasurer is the finance leader who makes sure the bills get paid, debts are collected, and the lights stay on. Treasurers often operate at the tactical level while CFOs operate at a more strategic level, which is why treasurers are often trying to work their way up to being a CFO. Of course, not all finance leaders are in public corporations, going on TV, doing road shows, or in boardrooms. There are many different kinds of corporate finance professionals in every kind of organization. Analysts focus on specific finance issues, like treasury analysts that analyze capital expenditures, cross-border payments and revenues, as well as interest payments. Then there are risk analysts, who are tasked with looking at risks to the organization. Risk analysts are often focused on specific markets, but sometimes risk analysts monitor financial and nonfinancial risks, like political or regulatory risks in a specific region. And of course, there are accounting professionals. One of the most important people in the accounting department is the controller, sometimes spelled as comptroller. Both words mean the same thing. This person is usually responsible for historical financial recordkeeping, compliance, and preparing the financial statements of a company. Other accounting professionals focus on three of the most important day-to-day activities, like receivables, which is collecting payments on outstanding bills, payables, which is paying the company's bills, and of course, payroll, which makes sure that the people who work for a company get paid. Companies are also often supported by external finance experts, including consultants, who are valued for their strategic vision, auditors, who are valued for their independence, and subject matter experts and advisors, who are valued for their specific expertise. It takes a team of people to make sure a finance organization works best, and making sure that all the areas are covered and all the seats are filled is important for both the short term and long term success of your organization.