CFOs cautioned on post-lockdown tort risk

Plaintiff attorneys face a high bar to show someone contracted COVID-19 after workspaces reopen, but defending against their claims is expensive.

By Robert Freedman • April 29, 2020

Survey: 42% of CFOs lack contingency plans for a 2nd COVID-19 wave

A second wave could mean another drop in customer demand that CFOs' revenue and profit models won't capture, a Gartner Finance research vice president said.

By Jane Thier • April 28, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Digital transformation, one smart step at a time

As pricing pressures tighten margins and technologies like artificial intelligence evolve, finance chiefs are more closely scrutinizing the cost and returns of the tech tools they implement.

By CFO Dive staff

Switching FP&A focus from growth to survival

How companies are charting their financial path when many of the old assumptions have been thrown out the door.

By Robert Freedman • April 28, 2020

How to use venture debt during the economic downturn

Start discussing funding with your lender sooner rather than later; the downturn has slowed the process down.

By Robert Freedman • April 27, 2020

6 Guidelines for CFO crisis leadership

Of the entire c-suite, CFOs are best-positioned to guide their companies through the pandemic, CFO Leadership Council President Jack McCullough said.

By Jane Thier • April 25, 2020

In crisis, not enough for processes to be on cloud; they need to be unified

Stay-at-home mandates have shown how crucial cloud systems are for maintaining one's finance and accounting operations. But using a variety of systems will hinder your agility. 

By John O'Rourke • April 24, 2020

Tax expert: Maximize operating losses to get most from stimulus

Carrying back losses under the federal government's pandemic-response rule changes can get your company a bigger tax refund, according to BDO partner Randy Schwartzman. 

By Robert Freedman • April 23, 2020

Chipotle CFO: 'Our worst days have passed'

By revamping its business around online advertisements and free delivery, Chipotle has weathered the pandemic better than many restaurant chains. But what will its dining experience look like next year?

By Jane Thier • April 23, 2020

Negotiation, not escape clause, called best way to get pandemic rent concessions

CFOs might have lease terms they can trade for temporary rent help, or even improve their lease terms long-term, specialists say. 

By Robert Freedman • April 22, 2020

Annapurna Pictures lays off CFO amid entertainment business freefall

As movie theaters shutter and production halts, entertainment companies are slashing executive pay and laying off mid-level employees. 

By Jane Thier • April 21, 2020

Post-pandemic M&A: Remote-work, med-tech deals to fuel recovery

Low interest rates will lure acquirers; they're using the downturn to reassess valuations and deal structures. 

By Ted Knutson • April 20, 2020

A CFO whose big spending paid off

When trying to grow a recurring-revenue company, bookings are more important than revenue, a veteran SaaS finance executive says.

By Robert Freedman • April 19, 2020

CFOs' challenge: Anticipating the new normal

As you try modeling what the world will look like post-COVID, don't assume a return to the past, planning specialists say.

By Robert Freedman • April 16, 2020

Can COVID-19 get you out of a contract as a material adverse change?

Whether you can cite the pandemic as a ground for getting out of a contract — or if someone can cite it against you — depends on subtleties of law. 

By Gary Kleinrichert, Brent Miller • April 15, 2020

Study: Pandemic impact on small companies worsened by Sarbanes-Oxley

A provision in the 2002 federal law to improve corporate accounting leaves companies reliant on debt at a time when credit markets are wobbling.

By Robert Freedman • April 14, 2020

CFO in the Know: Tapping working capital lines to finance modular construction

Components are completed faster and with fewer mistakes when they're built in a factory. Here's how to get financing when most lenders say "no."

By Kim Slowey • April 14, 2020

Survey: Half of CFOs expect a return to normal by Q3

Only 9% of CFOs surveyed by CFO Magazine expect a sustained recession, with economic activity not picking up until 2022.

By Jane Thier • April 13, 2020

CFOs look to credit lines, bond markets for cash

It’s crunch time for CFOs as they help their companies navigate the downturn.

By Robert Freedman • April 13, 2020

Pivoting from growth to margins

ThoughtSpot's new CFO brings finely honed ideas to the finance team just as the company faces the global downturn.

By Robert Freedman • April 12, 2020

54% of small business CFOs to slow pay vendors: Gartner

The coronavirus pandemic is drawing a clear divide between large and small business CFOs when it comes to crisis planning and how much cash it will take to stay afloat, the survey found. 

By Jane Thier • April 12, 2020

Economist: China not a good model to predict recovery

​A modest recovery through the second half of the year will likely follow stay-in-place restrictions, Andrew Duguay of Prevedere says.

By Robert Freedman • April 8, 2020

Shutdown-impacted businesses taking PPP loans may risk losing CARES Act tax benefits

Until rules are out, it's not clear paying expenses with stimulus loan funds will help your business come tax time.

By Robert Freedman • April 7, 2020

Survey: 62% of CFOs to cut selling, administrative budgets

Dialing back on sales force activity is a way to force functional leaders to tighten their belts, but it might hurt in the long-term, Gartner survey findings suggest. 

By Jane Thier • April 6, 2020

CFOs modeling pandemic outcomes with agility

To help their companies navigate uncertainties, CFOs are running dozens of models. The operational changes they need to make are much more clear.

By Robert Freedman • April 6, 2020

Two investments to make if revenue plummets

Real-time data analytics and targeted marketing can help leverage shifting consumption to survive the downturn and prepare for the recovery. 

By Robert Freedman • April 5, 2020