Strategy & operations
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CFOs, HR leaders optimistic about recovery in 2021, survey finds
Financial executives at emerging and mid-market businesses expect COVID-19 vaccine distributions this year to brighten the economic outlook.
By Jim Tyson • Jan. 14, 2021 -
Courtesy of Affirm
Payments company CFO: We won't work with partners 'not aligned with our values'
Affirm went public on Wednesday, a week after the insurrection that has spurred many platforms to reassert their values.
By Jane Thier • Jan. 14, 2021 -
CFOs face challenging labor landscape under Biden administration
Changes in the treatment of independent contractors and the attractiveness of unions could usher in more complicated — and expensive — workforce policies.
By Robert Freedman • Jan. 13, 2021 -
Retrieved from Unsplash.
Companies experiencing financial, operational stress from COVID-19, survey finds
Publicly traded company leaders anticipate a surge of bankruptcies as the dust clears, a Boston Consulting Group survey found.
By Robert Freedman • Jan. 12, 2021 -
Getty Images
Deep Dive2021 Outlook: Why, and how, the CFO should lead ESG efforts
This year, CFOs should prepare their companies for increased scrutiny on environmental, social and governance performance, if they haven't already.
By Jane Thier • Jan. 12, 2021 -
Getty
North American M&A deal volume hits record Q4, survey finds
Although deal-makers shook off the pandemic during the fourth quarter, total global transactions fell last year to the lowest level since the mortgage finance crisis.
By Jim Tyson • Jan. 12, 2021 -
Deep Dive
5 CFO trends to watch in 2021
Greater attention to ESG metrics, real-time data and the wind-down of LIBOR are among the trends you’ll see this year.
By Jim Tyson • Jan. 11, 2021 -
Fotolia
Middle market CFOs predict 'extraordinary' growth in 2021, survey finds
After an unprecedented year, CFOs anticipate recovery and new opportunities, the 2021 BDO Middle Market CFO Outlook Survey, released Monday, found.
By Jane Thier • Jan. 11, 2021 -
For post-pandemic world, put extra cash in IT
Alongside talent and real estate, investing in improved modeling and spend management can provide a competitive edge, finance pros say.
By Ted Knutson • Jan. 10, 2021 -
Courtesy of Instacart
Instacart taps Goldman Sachs IPO specialist as CFO
Nick Giovanni is joining the fast-growing e-commerce company amid anticipation that it will go public in 2021.
By Sam Silverstein • Jan. 07, 2021 -
Google engineers unionize, but the focus isn't on money — yet
The new Alphabet Workers Union is expected to press for more employee influence on Google’s policies and priorities.
By Robert Freedman • Jan. 04, 2021 -
COVID-19 upends some companies' dividend-or-buyback calculation
How thinly a stock is traded, its current book value and the availability of alternative uses of cash weigh into the buyback-or-dividend decision, finance leaders say.
By Ramona Dzinkowski • Jan. 01, 2020 -
Courtesy of JBG SMITH
Developer behind Amazon's HQ2 hires new CFO
Moina Banerjee, who started as JBG SMITH's CFO on Jan. 1, said long-term plans for Amazon's HQ2 are undeterred by the pandemic.
By Jane Thier • Jan. 01, 2020 -
New type of direct listing promises cheaper, more lucrative IPOs
The SEC approved primary direct floor listings in December. Critics worry these new listings will brew trouble.
By Robert Freedman • Jan. 01, 2020 -
You X Ventures / Unsplash
Careful pruning, not blanket cuts, aids post-pandemic growth
Start with below-the-line costs, be strategic on headcount and cloud spend, and look for ways to get customers to newer products, finance executives say.
By Ted Knutson • Dec. 22, 2020 -
thanyakij, bongkarn. (2019). Retrieved from Pexels.
ESG, green financing among CFO trends to watch in 2021
During the pandemic, CFOs' roles have expanded considerably. Most of these new obligations will carry over into the coming years, Accenture's managing director Aneel Delawalla says.
By Jane Thier • Dec. 21, 2020 -
Fotolia
New stimulus bill to allow PPP-funded business expense deductions
The $900 billion bill improves and extends the employee retention tax credit and lets businesses apply for a second PPP loan.
By Robert Freedman • Dec. 21, 2020 -
Opinion
CFOs must consider tax, legal issues before closing offices
Work with your HR chief to factor in your organization’s talent strategy before deciding how much real estate you want to let go; having permanent remote workers has far-reaching implications.
By Steve Black • Dec. 20, 2020 -
Companies see covenant, indenture loosening as investors hunt for yield
The more frequent elimination of ratio debt is one of the key leveraged loan and high-yield bond trends this year.
By Ted Knutson • Dec. 20, 2020 -
Gorodenkoff via Getty Images
Large gulf between CFOs and reality on real-time capabilities, survey finds
Nearly 70% of CFOs say a real-time financial model will be key to responding to any crises that arise next year, an Accenture survey shows.
By Robert Freedman • Dec. 17, 2020 -
How a CFO learned from Napster's music piracy
Life360 CFO Russell Burke brings experience from his days battling the disruption of peer-to-peer file sharing.
By Robert Freedman • Dec. 12, 2020 -
CFOs optimistic but don't see normalcy in 2021, survey finds
Just over two in five CFOs said they expect to meet 95% or more of their pre-pandemic revenue expectations, Deloitte's 4th-quarter CFO Signals Survey found.
By Jane Thier • Dec. 09, 2020 -
Courtesy of Impossible Foods
Dive Awards
Innovator of the Year: David Lee, Impossible Foods
In David Lee’s first year as finance chief, Impossible, the brand known for meatless products, has squeezed in decades’ worth of accomplishments, in the midst of a pandemic that has brought countless competitors to their knees.
By Jane Thier • Dec. 09, 2020 -
Should CFOs let remote employees play 'paycheck arbitrage?'
Some companies are allowing permanent remote work, but don’t want to pay as much to employees who move to lower-cost areas.
By Robert Freedman • Dec. 08, 2020
