Consero’s COO and CFO Mike Dansby recently served as the moderator for a panel hosted by The CFO Leadership Council’s Austin Chapter. Members of the panel — which discussed Best Practices for CFOs in Managing Key Relationships — included Dominica McGinnis, CEO and Executive Coach with BridgeField Group; John Berkowitz, Founder and CEO of Ojo Labs; and Tiffany Kosch, Managing Partner with CenterGate Capital.
The following is a recap of some of the highlights of the panel discussion.
The CEO-CFO Relationship
John Berkowitz started things off by pointing out that the CEO and the CFO are a duo so they should complement and augment each other. They might have very different personalities and styles — one might be more financially conservative while one is more aggressive, for example — but that’s OK. “Strong communication between them will lead to success,” said Berkowitz.
“Sometimes people will say, “This is what the CEO should do, or this is what the CFO should do,” said Berkowitz. “But this assumes that every CEO and CFO are the same — which, of course, they’re not.”
Dominica McGinnis added that while people often say that the CFO and CEO should strive to develop a strong relationship, they often don’t know how to do this. “CFOs and CEOs should try to get to know and understand each other not just professionally, but also personally,” she said. “They should know that they’re on each other’s side and are there to help each other succeed.”
A good CFO-CEO relationship often comes down to managing expectations and building trust. “They both have to be credible and reliable and selfless,” said McGinnis. She used a marriage analogy in describing the CFO-CEO relationship: “Sometimes it seems like CFOs are from Venus and CEOs are from Mars, so try to align around a common language and approach.”
“Figure out where you are in the relationship,” McGinnis added. “Have you experienced anything difficult together yet? If not, it can be hard to build trust.”
CFO Relationships with Board Members
Relationships between CFOs and board members can be some of the most vexing of all. “It’s an interesting dynamic,” said Tiffany, who called this a “three-headed dog: the CFO, CEO and board members.”
Berkowitz has an eight-member board for his company, Ojo Labs. “My CFO and I meet with each board member individually before the board meeting because they all have different opinions and view the business differently,” he said.
CFO Relationships with Bankers
The banker relationship is obviously one of the most important relationships CFOs have. Berkowitz encouraged CFOs to put themselves in their banker’s shoes and think about what their banker needs from them to help their business succeed. “This way, when you need support, your banker will know you and your business and be ready to help.”
McGinnis stressed the importance of building a relationship with your banker before you need help. Dax Williamson, Managing Director of Silicon Valley Bank who attended the panel discussion, concurred: “I get several ‘ace in the hole’ cards every year to use with customers. I always use them with customers who have taken the time to build a strong relationship with me, not ones who show up once a year to renew their credit facility.”
Dax also stressed the importance of being transparent with your banker. “As bankers, we can always deal with bad news, but bad news deferred is never good,” he said. “If you have bad news about your business, share it with your banker immediately. Waiting is never a good idea.”
CFOs should view their bank as more than just a vendor. “There’s a big difference between a banker as a vendor and a partner,” said McGinnis. Dax added, “If you just look at us as your vendor and go for the cheapest source of capital, you’ll get what you pay for.”
Tiffany points out that private equity firms have long-term relationships with bankers, but the CFOs she works with might just be working with them on one deal. “So we start with what we call a ‘have a beer chat’ between the CFO and the banker so they can get to know each other.”
General CFO Relationship Management Advice
The panelists offered the following general tips for CFO relationship management:
Dominica McGinnis: “A CFO can be a bridge builder since you have interactions with so many people. Strive to be a trusted advisor both within your organization and with key stakeholders on the outside.”
John Berkowitz: “As the CFO, don’t limit yourself to just one role, like being ‘the cost cutting person.’ View yourself more dynamically.”
Dominica McGinnis: “Managing staff can be a big transition for new CFOs. It doesn’t matter what your title is: If you’re directing others, you’re a leader.”
Contact Consero Global to Learn More
If you would like more guidance on managing key CFO relationships, this article may be helpful. You can also request a complimentary consultation from Consero.
