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The article reports on steps taken by some chief financial officers (CFO) to gain ascension to the position of chief executive officer (CEO). Becoming CEO is said to be very difficult for a CFO, given the perception that the latter is only good in numbers and skills associated with the position are not suitable for a CEO post. Some CFO have achieved their dream of becoming CEO by moving from a big company to a smaller one. Experts claim that the CFO's experience is best for the CEO position.

The article explores the way chief financial officers think. After being hired as Elders chief financial officer in 2009, Mark Hosking was tasked to introduce a more vigorous process after finding that their foray into becoming a conglomerate was based on cheap debt, which he did by using a three-part scoring system to weigh divisional request for investment. The author says scenario planning plays a significant part in investment decision making as it works out factors that support earnings. INSET: HOW TO KEEP EMOTION OUT OF FINANCING.

Profiles Terry Davis, chief executive officer at Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd. Personal background and education; Career highlights; Background on the company; Davis' plans to diversify into water, juice and milk products.

Focuses on chief financial officer's role in corporate governance in Australia. Stewardship and strategy aspects of the role; Responsibility of officer for monthly reporting and strategy planning; Difference between officer in Australia and the U.S.

Focuses on the profession of Peter Costello, a chief financial officer, in Australia. Contribution to the economy; Introduction of a charter of budget honesty; Increase in Commonwealth taxes.

The article profiles Rod Hanson and Tim Churcher, the chief executive and chief financial officer of Bendigo Mining, respectively. It includes background information on Hanson and Churcher and their extensive work experience in the mining sector of Australia, as well as their views on the ins and outs of the mining industry.

The article reports on the career of Peter Marriott as chief financial officer (CFO) of Australian bank ANZ since his appointment in 1997. Marriott has increased ANZ's share price by more than 230 percent and has also increased his own shareholding in the bank to $19.2 million, making him the richest CFO in Australia. Marriott started at ANZ as general manager of accounting following his completion of an internal reporting project assigned to him by the bank's chairman, Charles Goode. INSET: Models of excellence..

The article focuses on the role of the chief financial officers (CFO) in the top companies in Australia. The CFO has three types, one who plays the role of deputy chief executive, one who sees CFO and the one who is a potential chief executive. Position of CFO is evolving into a broader leadership role and it has become critical in company succession planning. The CFO role becomes more demanding as a result of new regulation and pressures on performance.

Discusses the need for accountants to be communicators and leaders in order to be a chief financial officer (CFO). Accountants' consideration of the CFO role as the pinnacle of a career; Evolution of the CFO role; Increase in the amount and scope of strategic and commercial work; Technical skills needed; Importance of getting some line management experience before taking on a CFO role.

Focuses on John Stanhope, chief financial officer (CFO) at Telstra Corp. Ltd. and the most admired CFO in Australia. Career background; Management skills; Management style; Achievements; Aspects where managers often fail; Advice for executives.

Profiles Brian Kruger, chief financial officer at BlueScope Steel Ltd. in Australia as of July 2004. Education and personal background; Career highlights; Experience and expertise; Management style; Business philosophy.

Reports on the increase in the audit costs and changes in the audit rules involving Australian audit companies in the U.S. Provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act pertaining to corporate governance; Development of an auditing standard on internal controls; Responsibility of the chief executive and the chief financial officer for the internal controls of their company.

Profiles Chris Lynch, a chief financial officer at BHP Billiton in Australia. Educational background; Career Background; Role in the company.

Discusses the changing role of chief financial officers (CFO). Details of a report published by the Institute of Chartered Accountants regarding the issue; Job descriptions of CFO; Changes in the role of CFO in business planning; Involvement of CFO in decisions related to buying and selling new business.

Presents a reprinted article from `Forbes,' magazine on the United States Internet company Amazon.com and its chief financial officer, Joy Covey. Her responsibility to bridge the gap between the rising stock price and the need to put billions of dollars back into building the business; Financial state of Amazon.com; What she will do with Amazon's shares; Her background and early career; Amazon's need for cash.

Discusses the changing role of chief financial officers (CFO). The increasing demand for CFOs to perform more than number crunching and address intangibles in business; The key role of the CFO in corporate strategy; The focus of many companies in Australia on data warehousing; Growing interest of chief executives in information technology. INSET: Youthful, educated and eyes on the prize..

Focuses on the role of chief financial offices (CFO) in the management of business enterprises in Australia. Possible breeding ground for future chief executives; Improvement of organizational process and efficiencies; Upholding of companies' profitability; Implementation and monitoring of change.

The article presents updates on management issues in Australia as of February 16, 2012. A survey by recruitment firm Robert Half said 82 percent of the chief financial officers (CFO) and directors polled are confident about business growth opportunities in 2012. A study by the Financial Services Council reported that age discrimination exists in Australian workplaces. Advertising agency Leo Burnett has been included by "The Gunn Report" in the top 10 creative agencies worldwide.

An interview with Rick Taylor, a chief financial officer, about which accounting firm he uses, what makes a good accountant, and which tax reforms he would like to see implemented immediately is presented.

An interview with Deutsche Post DHL global chief financial officer Larry Rosen is presented, in which he discusses the audit firms dealt with by his company, the qualities of a good auditor, and the great emergence of wealth in Australia.

The article reports on results of the Deloitte quarterly survey of chief financial officers (CFO) in Australia's largest publicly listed companies which showed that they have doubts about the strength of the country's economic recovery.

The article reports on the result of a chief investment officers' (CIO) investment index by the Financial Services Council (FSC) in Australia, which revealed concerns over uncertainty in European and U.S. economies.

The article offers information on the career of Melissa Claassen as one of the chief financial officers (CFOs) of Adidas AG in Hong Kong. It states that her desirability for accounting was attained from her father, a finance director and started her profession as an accounting officer with magazine distributor Gordon and Gotch Ltd. It mentions that Claassen emphasizes on accomplishing her part in settling the revenue gap between Adidas and other sports brand like Nike Inc.

The article focuses on the results of the survey conducted by the professional services company Deloitte Touch Tohmatsu which reports that 51% of the chief financial officers (CFOs) say that the revenue of their company for the first quarter of 2010 meets their expectations while 27% have experienced stronger growth than the expected.

The article features Neil Drabsch, the chief financial officer of QBE Insurance Group. It presents an overview on how the September 11 terrorists attacks have affected the insurance company, and what Drabsch did for the company to survive. Drabsch discusses how to manage risk, and emphasizes the role of planning in business. The thoughts of Drabsch on different issues including investor relations, managing people, and chief executive relationships are also included.

The article offers insights of chief financial officers (CFO) of various Australian companies on the need for accountants to learn how to make business forecasts. Tony Connon of Australian Unity Ltd. suggests that accountants should learn actuarial techniques or ask the help of actuaries for better forecasting. Peter Meehan of Australia Post says that CFOs should not rely on regulators and accounting standards-setter to do their task to avoid another financial crisis like the Enron collapse.

The article discusses the effect of the global financial crisis on the role of chief financial officers (CFOs). It says that financial crisis has driven the financial controllers to spend more than a third of their time to strengthen the relation of banks with investors. CFO Matt Bekier of Tabcorp Holdings relates that he spent more time on statutory accounting issues and balance sheet due to the crisis. Qantas' Colin Storrie asserts that the crisis has made it easy to overlook daily operations.

A calendar of events for Australia in 2009 and 2010 is presented which includes the Financial Review Higher Education Conference - Special Update 2009 to be held at Sydney Harbour in Marriot on November 9, 2009, the CFO Conference 2009 to be held at Sheraton on the Park in Sydney, and "BRW" Franchising Forum to be held at Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney on March 3, 2010.

A calendar of events for Sydney, New South Wales area from October 2, 2009 to March 3, 2010 is presented which includes the Chief Financial Officer Awards Gala Luncheon 2009 at Hilton in Sydney, New South Wales on October 2, 2009, the Financial Review Energy Conference 2009 at Amora Hotel Jamison in Sydney, New South Wales on October 23, 2009, and the Business Review Weekly (BRW) Franchising Forum 2010 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney, New South Wales on March 3, 2010.

The article announces several appointments at the National Broadband Network Co. (NBN) including Jean-Pascal Beaufret as chief financial officer, Christy Boyce as head of industry engagement, and Kevin Brown as head of human resources.

The article announces that John Collier has been appointed as chief financial officer (CFO) at PKF.

The article presents various strategies of the corporate finance executives to improve cash flow in their businesses. Chief financial officer (CFO) of GUD Holdings Ltd. Roger Wodson treats the new price negotiation as a chance to extend business terms. CFO of AGL Energy Ltd. Stephen Mikkelsen focuses on conducting weekly meetings with key people to discuss billing and debt collection. Ernst & Young managing director Ian Campbell states that the company sees a slow improvement on their business.

The article announces the appointment of James Pisano as chief financial officer of the National Institute of Accountants.

The article reports on the need of VerticalResponse, an email marketer from San Francisco, of a finance officer. According to the author, VerticalResponse's chief executive Janine Popick hires a chief financial officer (CFO) to monitor the budgeting and account management of the company. Guidelines in hiring CFOs are provided by the author.

An interview with Peter McClelland, chief financial officer (CFO) of Luxottica, is presented. When asked about the difference between a CFO and an accountant, he explains that the CFO helps in plotting company's performance and strategic direction and is a catalyst of change while an accountant is responsible for the accuracy of records and robustness of controls. He also talks abut the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) which he believes better than the alternative ones.

An interview with chief financial officer (CFO) Georg Chmiel is presented. When asked about the requirements needed by an accountant to move to a CFO role, he said that one should consider the willingness to take the responsibility for the finance function as a whole and become a value creator rather than value measurer. He also notes that underestimation of knowledge and potentials are the biggest error of accountants when dealing with their clients.

The article highlights David Knappick and his involvement with Felix Resources. It mentions that Knappick was the chief financial officer of the company. It explains that Knappick has managed to retain the investments of the company. Formerly, Knappick was the finance director of White Mining that has merged with Felix Resources.

The article offers information on the Australian publication entitled "Reporting to Shareholders: A Good Practice Guide," released by Ernst & Young and the Group of 100 chief financial officers. The publication shows increasing shareholder dissatisfaction with increasingly complex annual reports and increasing use of narrative-based reporting.

The article focuses on millionaire Chris Catlow, one of the contenders to reach the elite level of "BRW" magazine's Rich 200 List in Australia. Catlow is the chief financial officer (CFO) of Fortescue Metals Group. The value of his 0.29 percent share in the company has grown substantially in the past few years. His total wealth in 2008 is worth $76 million.

The article reports that forty-five percent of chief financial officers (CFO) in Australia admit that they lack confidence in their provision for carbon reduction over the next five years based on a survey conducted in May 2008 by Carbon Planet. Three-quarters of CFOs rated their understanding of the issues as only fair or poor.

The article profiles Mark Chatterji, chief financial officer of the Western Australian oil and gas company Woodside. Chatterji was a former Wall Street banker. He joined Woodside in 2004 and is believed to have played a crucial role in the outline agreement signed in September 2007 to sell up to $46 billion worth of liquefied natural gas to PetroChina.

The article reports that corporate tax departments around the world are spending more time on compliance activities, according to a survey of corporate tax professionals by KPMG. Compliance activities include demands for more documentation and greater accuracy. Two-thirds of tax professionals reported greater scrutiny from chief financial officers.

The article reports that none of the 21 chief financial officers in Australia surveyed by Deloitte said their company has an "excellent" measures of innovation, customer satisfaction and other aspects of non-financial performance. Almost half of the respondents condemned the measures are "poor" or average.

The article discusses a survey of chief executives, chief financial officers and business owners to determine the barriers to the growth of business enterprises in Australia. Most of the respondents identified skill deficiencies as a major barrier to growth. Other barriers include profitability and revenue growth, regulatory compliance, technical expertise, succession strategy and competition.

The article reports on the success of a mentoring program for aspiring chief financial officers (CFO) in Sydney, New South Wales and Melbourne, Victoria since it was launched in 2003 by professional association Financial Executives International of Australia. The program will be introduced to Brisbane, Queensland in 2007. One of the benefits of the program is that mentors meet with the aspiring CFOs several times a year for private meetings of up to 90 minutes.

The article reports that cost pressures and tighter regulatory compliance are forcing chief financial officers (CFOs) in various parts of the world to focus on conventional accountancy. CFOs in top corporations are now more closely involved in decision making and providing better forecasting. Almost half of the companies surveyed by KPMG expect to have problems in finding the right CFO.

The article reports that Australian companies are following the Australian Stock Exchange's recommendation for chief executive officers (CEO) and chief financial officers (CFO) to sign off on annual reports. A new KPMG study has found that the proportion of companies to include sign-offs rose from 44 percent to 69 percent last year. The CEO and CFO sign-off is considered an important indication of good corporate governance.

A correction to the article "Most Admired Chief Financial Officer," that was published in the July 13, 2006 issue is presented.

The article profiles Gene Tilbrook, who was chosen as the most admired chief financial officer in Australia. Tilbrook, the finance director of Wesfarmers, emerged as the second ranking executive in Australia's most successful diversified industrial company, through additional master of business administration degree. He then rose to head the business development department of the company.

The article discusses that chief financial officers (CFO) in Australia and New Zealand are not providing analysis to help their companies to increase the revenues as surveyed by IBM Business Consulting Services. The survey reveals that complexity in accounting standards, increasing company regulations and lack of accounting software systems has added the burden among CFO's. The CFO in the two countries showed better performance compared to the U.S. and European countries.