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Financial Director February 2015

The latest issue of Financial Director is now available for all subscribers. Download the latest Financial Director iOS App Edition on the App Store or read the Financial Director Digital Edition online

WHAT DOES the new year herald? Are you already counting the days until Easter? Or perhaps you’re thinking about a spring-clean of your career prospects?

There’s a thread of ‘digital promise’ throughout this month’s issue of Financial Director. In other words, digital experience – whatever form it may take – is important to your future, and that of board governance in general.

Most FDs perform a seal-like balancing act by wearing multiple hats: HR, IT, facilities, risk etc. The idea of being the board’s digital evangelist will fill many FDs with dread. Can they wear another hat? Probably not. But becoming a tech guru is not really the point – and isn’t something that FDs necessarily have to aspire to. The example of Patrick Burrows, London City Airport CFO, is one that sets a template for digitally focused success.

He sees his finance background and skillset as perfect for helping make the most use of data – in other words, understanding what questions need to be asked and gauging how well the information at hand can be moulded to help inform strategic decision-making. Perhaps ‘chief analysis officer’ will become a fashionable alternative to the CFO title? I would have suggested ‘chief information officer’, but I think that’s already taken.

Of course, you may well want to carry on as you were and aim for a big job in the FTSE 350. Our 2015 FD Salary Survey indicates that such a path is a lucrative one.

But bear in mind: if the thought of acquiring, borrowing or finding lots of data, and coming up with creative ways to analyse and interpret that information, doesn’t suit, then you probably won’t get a 350 role – and you could well find yourself heading to the Retirement Home for Defunct FDs.

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