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Understanding Key Players In Your Finance & Accounting Department

accounting department CFO
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A company’s finance and accounting department is critical to a business’s success. While a weak, disintegrated accounting and finance department can result in information gaps, reactive decisions and inaccurate numbers, a well-functioning department can lead to increased operational efficiency, clearer strategic direction, and ultimately greater profitability. 

As such a vital branch of a business, a company’s finance and accounting department must have the right key players in order to be most effective. In this article, we will highlight the team members who matter most to your company’s finance and accounting department, as well as share insights on the role of each.

Chief Financial Officer

Of course, at the helm of the finance and accounting department is the organization’s chief financial officer (CFO). Whether fractional or full-time, an organization’s CFO is critical. The head of the finance and accounting department, a company’s CFO is responsible for overseeing the financial operations of the organization and leading strategic direction. Additionally, the CFO is ultimately in charge when it comes to how the company’s financial resources are managed. 

The CFO takes the lead when it comes to the overall financial health of the business. As such, they must keep a finger on the pulse of the organization’s financial performance and adjust strategic direction as needed. The CFO also plays a unique role in terms of relationship management. They are responsible for developing and maintaining strategic relationships with banks and other financial institutions – these connections are beneficial for securing funding/capital, etc. 

While the CFO has business expertise to draw upon as they determine their company’s next financial steps, they cannot effectively steer the ship without an A-level finance and accounting department to guide strategy and direction through timely, relevant information. 

For more insight on the role of CFOs, check out our content on the subject HERE.

Accounting Department CFO Key players

Financial Controller

Another key player in a company’s finance and accounting department is the financial controller.

Essentially, the financial controller manages the entire finance and accounting department on an operational level, while ensuring effective monitoritng of internal controls.

The controller also plays a key role in designing and implementing systems and processes, as well as ensuring compliance of financial activities, and accuracy of financial reports and transactions.

Accounting Manager

The accounting manager plays a crucial role in the finance and accounting department, especially if your company has a team of multiple accountants on the ground.

Responsible for overseeing and managing the daily operations of the accounting team itself, the accounting manager is in charge of ensuring the accounting team produces accurate and efficient financials, in accordance with standards.

Staff Accountants

Staff accountants are the tactical members of the finance and accounting team. They are responsible for executing on a range of accounting duties including recording transactions, reconciling accounts, and preparing financial statements.

Staff accountants, operating on both junior and senior levels depending on their experience, are vital to the performance of the finance and accounting department as a whole.

Without great accountants at the forefront, there is increased risk of running the company with inaccurate or incomplete data. With great accountants, on the other hand, the business will be primed for effective strategic decision-making from the ground up.

Each member of the finance and accounting department has a unique way of looking at the company’s financials, and a distinct role to fulfill. By working together and sharing insights, the accounting and finance department will be equipped with the strong, data-driven insights needed to drive growth through strategic decision-making. 

Do you want to take your finance and accounting department from good to great? Whether you are starting from scratch or are seeking strategic direction with your existing team, we can help. Reach out today!

Valuation Planning

Blueprint CFO will work with executive leadership to determine shareholder value, and run various models to determine estimated company valuation. Together, we will determine milestone objectives to increase shareholder value and track company performance in relation to these targets. We will review your company’s organic and acquisition growth options to create shareholder value, and emphasize tax planning to optimize shareholder value upon a sale or purchase. We can also focus on Initial Public Offering (IPO) Planning and Readiness.

Analytics & Business Intelligence

We believe that being data-driven is key to profitability. As such, we can help you create meaningful dashboards and scorecards for your business, analyzing performance against key performance indicators and other factors. Our profitability reporting and analysis tools will help drive business decision-making and provide insights into trends, predictions, results, and potential strategic direction moving forward.

Goal Setting & Tracking

Our team can partner with company leadership to establish goals and objectives for the company, for both the short and long term. Additionally, we will help leaders develop meaningful Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track and measure results.

Insurance & Tax Planning

Blueprint CFO can work with businesses to review insurance needs and requirements, as well as plan for taxes and R&D credits.

Human Resources

We can assist your HR department with employee benefits planning, and can also perform compensation studies to ensure best practices are implemented across the business.

Accounting & Finance Support

Whether you have an internal team in place or need more hands-on assistance, Blueprint CFO can oversee and advise your accounting and finance department. From preparing general ledger transaction entries to completing month-end closes, forecasting to crafting financial statements, developing customized reporting packages to implementing more effective software, Blueprint CFO can bring you everything from a supportive junior or senior accounting team, all the way to high-level strategic CFO consulting.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Blueprint CFO can partner with company leadership to improve strategic business plans and assist with the development of organizational growth strategy. We can also create financial reporting packages and proformas for capital raises, investments, acquisitions and/or banking requirements, and provide due diligence on company-focused deals.

Financial Planning

We can prepare, create and/or review financial statements. This includes providing trend analysis, developing cash flow projections, and tracking operational and financial performance, with insight into budget and forecast variances.

Banking Services

Our team can help your company to establish high-level banking relationships, and offer expert advice and support when it comes to sourcing bank loans, etc. Additionally, we can review and determine the optimal capital structure for refinancing or a liquidity event.

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