Job Termination

CFOs enjoy greener pastures

For many chief financial officers (CFOs), the greenest pastures are right in their own backyard, a new survey shows.
[ 2002-08-28 ]

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When asked about their career aspirations, 44% of finance executives said they plan to stay in their current jobs, and 22% hope their next move will be retirement. Only 10% of CFOs cited starting their own business as a goal, although these numbers increased when funding of the new company was not a factor.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Management Resources, North America's largest consulting services firm providing senior-level accounting and finance professionals on a project basis.

It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 270 CFOs from a stratified random sample of Canadian companies with more than 20 employees.

CFOs were asked, "Which one of the following comes closest to describing what you hope will be your next career move?" Their responses:


"Many CFOs tend to remain in their positions over the long term because they enjoy their challenging roles and broader responsibilities," said David King, a branch manager for Robert Half Management Resources. "Companies also recognize that providing attractive benefits and promoting greater work/life balance contributes to improved retention rates. The economic environment may also be a factor for CFOs when considering retirement."

The risks associated with starting a business outweighed the perceived benefits, according to the survey.

"While finance executives often consider the CFO position the pinnacle of their career, entrepreneurship is a significantly more enticing option when start-up costs are not a consideration," King said.

Robert Half Management Resources has more than 90 locations in major cities throughout North America, Europe and Australia, and offers online job search services at www.roberthalfmr.com.

-- Canada Newswire



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