Career Strategies Post Recession

Talk about silver linings: thanks to the recession, the core skill set of the CFO has been highlighted like never before. From working-capital management to cost control to scenario planning, the CFO's expertise has proven to be the critical factor in corporate survival. Finance chiefs across the country have also taken the lead in explaining the economic crisis to skittish workers, fielding questions about everything from vendor and customer viability to ravaged retirement accounts. They have strengthened risk-management policies, identified a host of supply-chain vulnerabilities, and found ways to navigate in an environment in which forecasting is virtually impossible. As a result, the CFO role has arguably never been more important, more visible, or more respected.

But will the spotlight continue to shine as brightly as the economy begins to recover? Has the hard-won experience of the past two years permanently raised the profile of the finance chief, and will that translate into rosier career prospects? Most important, perhaps, will CFOs who made the tough calls on layoffs and budget cuts during the recession be able to change gears and help drive growth, be it at their current company or their next employer?

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