Reata's new CFO on M&A, weathering a recession and biotech's quirks

Manmeet Soni helped execute multi-billion dollar sales as CFO of Pharmacyclics and Ariad. Now, the exec is moving from Alnylam to a small, Texas-based biotech.

By Andrew Dunn • Sept. 12, 2019

5 signs you're about to run out of cash

Cash is surprisingly hard to track, and knowing when it's about to run out is harder if you don't know the warning signs. 

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 12, 2019

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Compensation: solving the cost-talent puzzle

In today’s strong labor market, CFOs leery of raising wages find creative ways to find and retain key employees.

By CFO Dive staff

Auditors' ears are always listening, consultant says

Risk management encompasses all aspects of an operation, from the tone coming out of the C-suite to what finance staff say to auditors at dinner.

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 11, 2019

CFOs too busy to take on more despite expectations, survey finds

To ensure cybersecurity and other digital priorities are met, CFOs are relying on third-party vendors until they're ready to tackle them in-house.

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 10, 2019

Consulting background prepares CFO for any industry

By working with multinational companies, a tech company CFO was able to increase cash flow and improve forecasting despite never having worked in the sector.

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 9, 2019

CFO outlines US company's plan for end-to-end rare earths processing

MP Materials plans to leverage a $2 billion investment from the company's previous owner to put in place the total processing of strategically important rare earths used in electric cars.

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 8, 2019

Lifetime income retirement plans are popular, but at what cost?

With an aging workforce and an uncertain economic landscape, many companies are adopting lifetime income solutions for employees, a new Willis Towers Watson survey finds.

By Jane Thier • Sept. 5, 2019

IFAC rolls out best practices for strategic CFO

The International Federation of Accountants has laid out a framework for finance pros to master more than just tracking and reporting on costs and income.

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 5, 2019

Target's scale gives it leverage as tariffs increase

The U.S.-China trade war is starting to create stark contrast between which suppliers and retailers have the power to shift the burden away from their own balance sheets and which do not. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Sept. 5, 2019

Educating Bentonville about the startup culture of Silicon Valley

A CFO's strategic focus proves crucial to helping big-name brands Walmart and PepsiCo tackle new areas. 

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 4, 2019

Investors punish companies that combine philanthropy and tax avoidance

Investors find "Robin Hood" companies troubling because they appear to sacrifice the public good for private philanthropy.

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 3, 2019

CFO resigns from discount retailer Fred's

Former CFO Ritwik Chatterjee will stay on as a consultant while the company wrestles with falling sales and heavy debt. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 3, 2019

CFOs who 'convey appreciation and recognition' can retain top talent

A recruiting executive offers advice on how managers can keep high-value finance employees during a strong economy, when workers who "know their worth" are more likely to jump ship.  

By Jane Thier • Sept. 2, 2019

CFO's metrics analysis revealed sales structure problems

Riverside Insights CFO Graham Ballbach mined company data for insight even while building a new finance and accounting team. 

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 2, 2019

Driver-based planning helps CFOs put their focus forward

Tracking real-time business drivers instead of backward-looking KPIs helps companies trade hindsight for insight.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 30, 2019

Employees unsatisfied with companies that don't invest in career growth

Growth opportunities are crucial for retaining talent in a tight labor market, The Conference Board says. 

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 29, 2019

Customer engagement key metric for SaaS companies, CFO says

SaaS companies rely on recurring revenue for growth. That's only achievable when customers are satisfied.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 28, 2019

Frontline finance staff among best trained across industries

CFOs must understand training isn't merely an HR challenge, but an organizational one, "and CFOs who support their frontline workforce will benefit enormously," Carol Leaman, president and CEO of Axonify, told CFO Dive.

By Jane Thier • Aug. 27, 2019

CFOs must be 'strategic business partner' as role merges with COO

Companies increasingly are calling on CFOs to tackle operational problems — in human resources, technology, marketing and legal — right from the get-go. 

By Suzanne Northington • Aug. 27, 2019

Tech skills a rarity in new finance hires, CFOs say

As business becomes increasingly digitized, proficiency in all kinds of tech become integral to finance roles, a Robert Half survey finds.

By Jane Thier • Aug. 23, 2019

ManTech shifts to fixed-price contracting to match federal change

Consolidation of finance and transactional functions enables company executives to focus on relationships with defense and intelligence agencies rather than operational details. 

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 23, 2019

It's better to buy than to divest assets, survey finds

The size of divestments is inversely proportional to a divesting company's performance; the bigger the divestment, the worse it performs.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 22, 2019

Finance should lead RPA integration, but IT must be at the table

Many functions within finance lend themselves to automation, freeing up staff time for higher-value work. 

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 22, 2019

Incoming General Mills CFO tasked with lowering debt

The food giant's debt reached $15.4 billion last year, up from $8.7 billion in 2017.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 21, 2019

Company investment in talent undermined by staff burnout

Virtually all managers say their staff is burned out, which can present a huge, costly ripple effect, according to a survey conducted by employment firm Robert Half.

By Jane Thier • Aug. 21, 2019