CFOs' role goes beyond accounts

Management | Zheng Yangpeng

The role of the chief financial officer will no longer be confined to traditional functions such as making sure that the accounts have been audited, presenting last-minute budget statements or ensuring wages are paid on time and income is received promptly, said Martin Turner, president of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Rather, CFOs of the 21st century should be able to discuss the risks associated with major decisions in the boardroom and help define the company's direction, said Turner, who had decades of managerial experience in the health sector before being elected as ACCA president.