Setting the Right Platform for CFO’s to Uphold Real Transformational Change: Sean Unwin, Colliers International

1. Setting the Right Platform for CFO’s to
Uphold Real Transformational Change
Sean Unwin
Chief Financial Officer, Australia
Colliers International

2. 2
A History of Accounting

3. 3
Moments in Accounting History
Collapse
of Enron
GFC
Sarbanes
Oxley
BASEL 1
BASEL 2
BASEL 3
2018
Post GFC
Period of
uncertainty

4. 4
Where Does That Place the CFO?
How well positioned we are
• CEO needs the CFO
• Sustained period steering the ship
• High regulation
• Sustained volatility
• CIO has now become the CTO(CFO is now CIO)
• How lucky we are !!!!!???

5. Scorekeeper
$220k
Integrator
$280k
Catalyst
$XXXk
Strategist
$XXXk
Knowledgeofbusinessissues
Individuals Personal Development
Responsible for processing
transactions fast and
producing accurate information
Leverages IT and HR to
deliver value through integrated
systems and collaboration between
Business Services teams
Drives innovation and
performance improvement throughout
the business by partnering with
Line of Business managers
2IC to
CEO
Runs a
High Performance Team in
a High Performing organisation
$1m
$2m
$4m
$10m
4.5x
7x
10x
14x

6. 6
Activities We Don’t Like
Checking spreadsheet links
Eating Pizza
in the office
at 10.30 at
night
Being told by someone that
the numbers are wrong
Reconciling
data from
one system
to another

7. 7
Activities We Do Like
Business Direction Setting
Business
Performance
Measurement
Business Problem Analysis
Business
Intelligence

8. 8
Getting It Right
Disciplined ActionDiscipline ThoughtDisciplined People
TechCulture of
Discipline
Hedgehog
Concept
Confront the
Facts
1st Who then
What
Level 5
Leadership
BUILDUP…
Jim Collins
Good To Great

9. 9
How Does The Scorekeeper Think
Just past the scorekeepers view

10. 10
How Does The Strategist Think
Andrew Penn – CFO Telstra, ex CFO AXA

11. 11
How Does The Strategist Think
You need to think about this?
The strategists view

12. 12
How Does The Strategic CFO Think
• Can analyse the business through different strategy models
• Readily quantifies decisions in terms of the impact on the intrinsic value of
the organisation
• Consistently identify profit growth opportunities
• Leads M&A Activity
• Very strong relationship builders (esp in the capital markets)
• 2IC to the CEO
• Drives a culture of Continuous Improvement in a Learning Organisation
• Has Finance staff working in and on the organisation
• Has deployed Extended Enterprise systems
• Runs regional or global Shared Services
• Is recognised as an expert in the Accounting Profession

13. 13
Don’t Confuse
BOTTLENECK = CONTROL + AUTHORITY
• Delegated execution
• Performance management
• Trusted advisors
• Combine people and process
systems

14. Scorekeeper
$220k
Integrator
$280k
Catalyst
$XXXk
Strategist
$XXXk
Knowledgeofbusinessissues
Individuals Personal Development
Responsible for processing
transactions fast and
producing accurate information
Leverages IT and HR to
deliver value through integrated
systems and collaboration between
Business Services teams
Drives innovation and
performance improvement throughout
the business by partnering with
Line of Business managers
2IC to
the CEO
Runs a
High Performance Team in
a High Performing organisation
$1m
$2m
$4m
$10m
4.5x
7x
10x
14xHow can you accelerate your
progress