Better Business Partners: CFO and CEO

The CEO-CFO partnership stands as one of the most pivotal relationships within any organization, serving as the cornerstone for strategic decision-making and financial stewardship.

This relationship extends beyond mere financial management; it involves cultivating a shared vision, engaging in open and honest dialogue, and driving innovation that lays the groundwork for long-term success.

This week on The CFO Show, Hunter Madeley, CEO of Vena, shares his insights on aligning the CFO and CEO to ensure financial stability while driving sustainable growth for the business.

Finance’s Strategic Role: A Unique Vantage Point for Future Growth

Finance leaders have a distinct role in shaping not just the financial outcomes of a business, but the entire operational strategy.

CFOs' proximity to the organization’s objectives, combined with a broader view of resource allocation and business trajectory, allows finance teams to provide unique insights that support both immediate results and long-term success.

As you can imagine, this kind of insight is invaluable for CEOs to know and understand.

How Finance Can Drive Organization-Wide Strategic Alignment

CFOs can influence many parts of a company, but they are especially important when it comes to helping build long-term objectives. This is why they can be such a key to the success of a business and help guide CEOs.

Let’s explore some key strategies for CFOs and CEOs to cultivate a robust and highly effective business partnership.

Finance can keep a broader perspective. A good CFO knows everything from the tiny financial details to the bigger picture. This duality enables them to see how individual functions contribute to company-wide goals. While they are close enough to understand the challenges and opportunities within departments, their distance from the day-to-day operations allows them to get a higher-level view of everything going on.

CFOs can build a future-centric financial strategy. One of the finance team’s most critical responsibilities is to forecast future business performance and guide the company’s long-term strategy. Functional leaders may focus on immediate opportunities, but finance ensures that the pursuit of short-term growth aligns with sustainable long-term goals. A CFO can forecast whether new opportunities, while exciting today, align with broader strategic imperatives and long-term profitability.

Collaborative resource optimization. Finance teams play an integral role in optimizing the use of resources across departments. Beyond simply managing capital, finance helps align departmental activities with the company’s strategic objectives, considering both the current state and future trajectory. This involved balancing operational needs with financial realities, helping leaders stay on track with their financial and operational plans while also encouraging them to think critically about how they can innovate.

Supporting and challenging leadership. A strong CFO-CEO business partnership does more than track and allocate resources — it inspires leadership to think differently. By challenging the way things have always been done and offering new insights, finance can help other leaders consider alternative strategies that may better align with long-term goals. Finance’s role, therefore, is not just about supporting existing plans but actively influencing them to create a more sustainable, forward-focused business.

Looking for a roadmap to building a powerful CFO-CEO partnership? Tune in to this week’s episode of The CFO Show, available on all major podcast platforms.

Take FP&A Beyond Boundaries…

Register now for Excelerate Finance 2025, taking place from May 12-15, 2025 in Las Vegas. Unlock exclusive insights into revolutionary AI technologies, and connect with trailblazing leaders in strategic finance. Dive into the next-generation tools that are redefining the future of finance, and sharpen your expertise by engaging with top minds from Vena, Microsoft, and industry-leading companies. Together, we’ll redefine what’s possible in FP&A.

In case you missed it…

Last week, we delved into the crucial impact of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on CFOs and their organizations with Greet Gemels, Chief Financial and Operating Officer of Advantage Group International. We examined how GDPR has transformed data management practices, highlighting the significant financial and operational risks of non-compliance, as well as the costs associated with achieving full compliance. The episode also underscored the importance of strategic resource allocation, fostering cross-departmental collaboration, and implementing key metrics to measure the bottom-line effects of GDPR initiatives.

What’s next…

Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to attend Vena’s Excelerate Finance 2024, where we connected with FP&A and accounting leaders to gain deeper insights into the most pressing challenges they face, the support they need to thrive, and the sources of fulfillment in their roles. Their perspectives highlighted key areas for growth, from streamlining processes to enhancing strategic impact. These insights are not only eye-opening but also essential for any CFO looking to elevate their team’s performance, foster greater collaboration, and drive more meaningful results across the organization.