FINANCE
AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS ARE among the happiest in the world , so it ’ s no surprise the country ’ s top business executives have followed suit . According to reports , Australia ’ s financial leaders are currently happier than ever in their current roles , as several Chief Financial Officers ( CFOs ) would prefer to remain in their current role for the long term .
To take it a step further : The Michael Page Global Insights CFO and Financial Leadership Barometer revealed that CFOs in Australia are content to remain in their same position instead of being promoted to Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ), as 77.8 per cent of Aussie financial leaders are generally happy with their current title . In addition , over half of those who responded to the survey ( 54.4 per cent ) anticipate being in the same position they ’ re currently in within the next two years .
The role of CFO is now looked upon as a career destination , as it has become more businessoriented than ever before . CEOs are looking for their CFOs to be more of a business partner to the executive teams , so today ’ s CFO spends more time leading the business through
strategic review and change , as well as finding new ways to generate revenue . They often combine traditional skill sets with new responsibilities , such as giving their expertise in IT , legal , HR and procurement .
CFOs of the present There are several paths to take for CFOs in today ’ s world , as what was once believed to be a stepping stone toward becoming a CEO , is now a
8 June 2015