Samuel's CFO Website

  • Home
  • CFO Blog
    • Samuel’s Other Blogs
      • CFO Moves
        • USA
        • Canada
        • UK
      • CHRO Moves
  • CFO Book
    • Buy your copy
    • What others have to say about Guide to CFO Success
  • How Samuel Helps
    • Hire your next CFO
    • Build your Finance Team
    • Financial Executive Coaching
    • CFO Peer Groups
    • Speaking & Training
  • About Samuel
    • Media on Samuel Dergel
  • Contact Samuel
  • English
  • Français
You are here: Home / The 1 Thing Younger CFOs Should Not be Afraid of (and 2 Recommendations)

April 6, 2012 By Samuel Dergel 2 Comments

The 1 Thing Younger CFOs Should Not be Afraid of (and 2 Recommendations)

You may be aware that I have another blog called CFO Moves, which tracks CFO Movement across the United States on a weekly basis. I’m happy to share my team’s research with colleagues, clients, CFOs and even competitors. I gain some fascinating insights into Chief Financial Officers through this research, as well as learning from the CFOs I speak with each day.

Can you find the CFO?

The idea today that a CFO needs to be grey-haired (or no-haired) is no longer a given. Relevant experience is key, as well as the abilities, skills and knowledge that they bring to the table. What matters today is the results the Chief Financial Officer deliver to their employer.

Today, some CFOs are in their 30s or 40s. I’m not making a judgment on a CFO’s abilities based on age. Age is not relevant to whether a CFO can do the job needed or not.

However, I have seen Younger CFOs and finance executives who are afraid to hire people with more experience than they have. In my opinion, this fear comes from insecurities they have, whether they are conscious of them or not.

In a recent post, I discussed 5 Steps to Building Your Finance Dream Team, which summarizes my thoughts on how a CFO can build the best Finance Team possible.

Younger CFOs need to recognize that finance talent with more years than they have can bring them a perspective and approach that bright-eyed and bushy-tailed talent may not be able to deliver for them.

I highly recommend that a Younger CFO:

1) Include capable and experienced Finance talent that is older than they are; and

2) Develop the skills and confidence necessary to properly manage and further develop Older Finance Talent.

The Finance Team supports the CFO. The CFO needs the best talent for their team.

Remember: The best talent can come from all age groups. Don’t put yourself at a disadvantage by ignoring this important talent pool.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Comments

  1. James Willis says

    April 12, 2012 at 10:37 AM

    Very good and interesting post. Breaking through the stereotype that CFOs are older individuals with 30+ years in the workforce is definitely a challenger for younger CFOs.

    Reply
    • Samuel Dergel says

      April 12, 2012 at 11:02 AM

      James – Thank you for your comments.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search in Samuel’s CFO Blog

Related Blogs

  • Your Next CFO
  • Why work with Stanton Chase to hire your next CFO?
  • Why do CFOs Leave?
  • When hiring a CFO, is LinkedIn the place to look?
  • What I learned at the Bank of America Merrll Lynch Conference – Treasury in a Connected World

Related Blogs

  • When should a CFO hire?
  • What I learned at the Bank of America Merrll Lynch Conference – Treasury in a Connected World
  • VIDEO: Webinar Presentation – CFO Succession: The Right Way to Grow your Company’s next CFO
  • Together, CFOs and CEOs Create A “Can Do” Culture
  • Thoughts About Successful CFO Hiring

Related Blogs

  • You’ve been promoted to CFO. Now what?
  • Why should a CFO tweet? 
  • What I learned at the Bank of America Merrll Lynch Conference – Treasury in a Connected World
  • What a CFO should read every day
  • Together, CFOs and CEOs Create A “Can Do” Culture

Related Blogs

  • Why should a CFO tweet? 
  • What I learned at the Bank of America Merrll Lynch Conference – Treasury in a Connected World
  • VIDEO: Webinar Presentation – CFO Succession: The Right Way to Grow your Company’s next CFO
  • Together, CFOs and CEOs Create A “Can Do” Culture
  • Thoughts About Successful CFO Hiring

Related Blogs

  • Your Next CFO
  • You’ve been promoted to CFO. Now what?
  • Why work with Stanton Chase to hire your next CFO?
  • Why should a CFO tweet? 
  • Why do CFOs Leave?

Recent Blogs

  • PODCAST: The Hiring Triangle – CEO, CFO and the Board
  • Is your CFO your best salesperson?
  • A CFO Success Story: Sajid Malhotra, CFO of Limelight Networks
  • What Makes a Great Modern CFO?
  • Things CFOs Say

Like what Samuel has to say?

Great! The goal of Samuel's CFO Blog is to engage with CFOs and those who work with CFOs.

Please feel free to comment on any of the issues raised in Samuel’s CFO Blog. Your input, positive or not so positive, encouraging or critical, will add value to all readers of the blog.

You can reach Samuel...
Telephone
San Francisco: +1 (415) 738-2070
Montreal: +1 (514) 907-0925
Email: [email protected]

View Samuel Dergel - The CFO Expert's profile on LinkedIn

Contact Samuel

So you like what Samuel has to say, and you would like to reach out and contact him.

Excellent.

There are a number of ways to reach him. You can complete this convenient form on the right, or you can reach Samuel by...

Telephone
San Francisco: +1 (415) 738-2070
Montreal: +1 (514) 907-0925

Or by clicking on the social media icons below.

Thanks for your interest!

Contactez Samuel

Vous vous intéressez à l’opinion de Samuel et souhaitez le consulter?

Excellent.

Vous pouvez le rejoindre de plusieurs façons, soit en complétant le formulaire ci-joint ou en le rejoignant :

Par téléphone : +1 (514) 907-0925

Ou en sélectionnant l’icône d’un réseau social ci-dessous:

Nous vous remercions de votre intérêt.

  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Archives – Samuel’s CFO Blog

Categories – Samuel’s CFO Blog

All of Samuel's Blogs Assessment Blog Board Board Books books for CFOs Build your Finance Team Career Management CEO CEO CFO CFO Buzz CFO Coach CFO Coaching CFO Consulting CFO Moves CFO Peer Groups CFO Relationships CFO Research CFO Search Chief Financial Officer Executive Coaching Executive Search Finance Team Financial Executive Coaching Great CFO Guide to CFO Success Hire your Next CFO How Samuel Helps HR Investors LinkedIn New CFO Personal Branding Recruiters Social Media Speaking and Training Successful CFO Succession Planning Talent Management Team Structuring The Strong CFO Training and Development Wiley
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Contact Information

You can reach Samuel by:

Telephone
San Francisco: +1 (415) 738-2070
Montreal: +1 (514) 907-0925

Email: [email protected]

Copyright © 2011-2016 - Samuel Dergel (Dergel CFO Search & Consulting Inc.) Note: Opinions expressed on this website are the personal opinions of Samuel Dergel only, and not any other person or entity, unless attributed otherwise.