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The Activist Role of CFOs The need of the day Raj G Viswanathan Financial Advisor Oriental Insurance Company. Background. OIC is a public sector company carrying out general insurance business since the last 3 decades and has been one of the top 3 players in the industry
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The Activist Role of CFOs The need of the day Raj G ViswanathanFinancial Advisor Oriental Insurance Company
Background • OIC is a public sector company carrying out general insurance business since the last 3 decades and has been one of the top 3 players in the industry • The annual turnover is around Rs.3100 crore. The company has been generally making profits and has reserves of over Rs.1300 crores and fair value of equity of about another Rs.3500 crores • The company has 900 offices all over the country an has 3 foreign operations. The company has around 16,000 employees
Role of CFO (FA) • The CFO in the past was the head of the accounting and investment functions and had very little role outside this canvas • Considered more of a number cruncher • His advise was not acceptable to the management as it was perceived to be from an ‘accountant’ who didn’t understand business • Then came the competition and the opening up of the market • The number started falling and everyone attributed this all kinds of reasons till the CFO stepped in with a sound financial cum business analysis plan and a roadmap ahead
Why the CFO to handle this Role? • Advantage of having a close watch on numbers • Never a comment made without supporting numbers • Always privy to the larger picture of profitability • Advantage of having a analytical mind • Being able to identify the week areas without much difficulty
New Role of CFO The new role of the CFO involves • Growth of company's sales and profitability • Implementation of best practices and contribution towards (a) Business Strategy & Transformation (b) Financial Strategy, Controls and Cost Optimization (c) Corporate Governance and Stakeholder Relations and (d) Reporting, general accounting, cost accounting, internal controls, tax, and treasury
New Role of CFO • Aligning Financial management with long term business plans • CFO has to look beyond being an accountant and a number cruncher ………he has to take a more proactive role of being an financial advisor to the CEO. • In a scenario where the CEO is not responsive, he has to tirelessly sell the concept of the active CFO by demonstrating his value time and again. • If there is a clash between the CEO and the CFO, the Audit Committee has always been a good forum to thrash out such differences…. Not always in a confrontationalist manner