Definition

Noun: - The corporate executive having financial authority to make appropriations and authorize expenditures for a firm: The "chief financial officer" (CFO) is a senior corporate officer responsible for managing the financial actions of a company. This includes tracking cash flow, financial planning, analyzing the company's financial strengths and weaknesses, and proposing corrective actions.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The chief financial officer presented the annual budget to the board of directors.
  • A company's chief financial officer oversees all financial reporting and compliance.
  • She was promoted to chief financial officer after demonstrating exceptional skill in managing the firm's investments.

Advanced Usage

• "to report to the chief financial officer": to be under the direct managerial supervision of the CFO.
  • The heads of accounting and treasury both report directly to the chief financial officer.
• "interim chief financial officer": a person appointed to perform the CFO's duties on a temporary basis, often during a search for a permanent replacement.
  • The controller will serve as interim chief financial officer until a permanent hire is made.

Variants and Related Words

• CFO (n): A common acronym for "chief financial officer."
  • The CFO will join the CEO for the investor call.
• Finance Director (n): A similar high-level financial executive title, sometimes used interchangeably with or as a step below CFO, depending on the organization.
• Treasurer (n): A corporate officer often responsible for managing liquidity, risk, and capital, who may report to the CFO.

Synonyms

• Financial Controller (in some organizational contexts, though this role is often more focused on accounting and reporting).
• Head of Finance.

Related Phrases

• C-suite executive: A term referring to a company's most important senior executives, whose titles often begin with "chief," such as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
  • As a C-suite executive, the chief financial officer plays a key role in strategic decision-making.

Noun

1. the corporate executive having financial authority to make appropriations and authorize expenditures for a firm