The document provides a checklist for a CFO's first 100 days in a new role. It outlines key tasks for the first 30 days, 31-60 days, and beyond 60 days. The first 30 days focus on stakeholder management, risk and compliance, and operational performance assessments. These include identifying stakeholders, reviewing financial reporting and controls, and assessing finance team performance. The 31-60 days then focus on developing strategies in these areas and continuing assessments. Beyond 60 days involves ensuring finance alignment with business strategy, reviewing risk management and budgets, and evaluating the finance operating model. The checklist is intended to help a new CFO efficiently stabilize and assess their new role.

1. GET TO KNOW BDO
CFO’s FIRST 100 DAYS – CHECKLIST
sdf
Management changes often results in an elongating
adjustment and stabilization period where the people
directly involved can be uncertain about the future and
unproductive in terms of attention as they attempt to
determine what is going to change and understand how
those changes may affect them.
A CFO coming into a new role from the inside or the outside has an obligation to
efficiently and effectively assess the landscape of their new role, quickly discern
the top issues, challenges and/or opportunities and then rapidly work to stabilize
the environment to ensure that obligations are met, regulations are complied with
and that risks are managed. Once stabilized, the CFO can then begin to craft their
role, their operating model and their governance with the structure and priorities
that best represents their management style and best supports the businesses’
strategic objectives.
THE FIRST 30 DAYS CHECKLIST
Stakeholder Management
 Identify and map all key stakeholders (internal and external)
 Understand the stakeholder’s agendas, motivations, views, issues, relationships
 Conduct leadership/peer expectation setting discussions – two way
 Determine who knows what and where the influence currently resides
 Prioritize/Sequence initial stakeholder engagement
 Assess vulnerable team members to manage undesired attrition
Risk & Compliance
 Assess external financial reporting review to ensure understanding/completeness
 Review of the current quality of data and key calculations shared externally
 Meet with external auditors to get a thorough briefing of all issues and changes
 Meet with controller and IAs to understand the current state of financial controls
 Review preparedness for any changes to regulatory or reporting requirements
 Understand transactional obligations to ensure the company is are current
Operational Performance
 Assess open roles, skill voids or excess capacity
 Review finance performance management role– clarifying finance as business partner
 Assess business leader’s perceptions – gain feedback on quality of services
“Risk management should be
an enterprise-wide exercise
and engrained in the business
culture of the organization.”
- Julie Dickson

2. Concentrating on
addressing business
needs and driving
business value that
is not directly audit
and tax related.
CONTACT:
Wm. Christopher Alger, MS, MBA
Managing Director
Business Performance Improvement
BDO Consulting
calger@bdo.com
(412) 281-4323
bdoconsulting.com
THE 31-60 DAY CHECKLIST
Stakeholder Management
 Establish stakeholder strategy to guide engagement and gain influence
 Establish/refine and communicate finance vision and role
 Focus on setting finance team expectations and direction
 Establish and define finance sphere of influence internally and externally
 Develop communications strategy (two-way)
Risk & Compliance
 Clarify tax filing status and critical issues or opportunities
 Meet with legal counsel, and/or regulatory leaders to review requirements
 Assess sufficient and appropriate skill availability to manage business risk
 Review funding arrangements and debt/equity obligations and commitments
 Schedule internal audit review and report to baseline risks and controls
 Assess degree to which risk management is included in planning processes
Operational Performance
 Ensure policy, procedures and controls are in place
 Assess Finance’s pragmatic use of leading practices in high value add areas
 Compare performance against leading practice
 Ensure appropriate planning is in place (e.g. tax, capital, etc)
 Assess contract obligations and service levels
THE >60 DAY CHECKLIST
Stakeholder Management
 Ensure alignment of finance priorities with overall business strategy
 Begin to proactively manage stakeholder to drive agenda and manage issues
 Refine and begin to communicate priorities and focus of future actions
 Evaluate strengths and deficiencies of finance lead team and organization
 Review and refine organization compensation and incentive structure
Risk & Compliance
 Assess existing Enterprise Risk Management program, practices and effectiveness
 Review reporting for monitoring external factors that impact business risk
 Assess risk governance and board reporting of risk information and changes
 Assess linkages between risk management strategy and executive behavior
 Evaluate the privacy and security of critical financial and enterprise information
Operational Performance
 Review and assess effectiveness and cost of budgeting and forecasting processes
 Establish clear linkages between strategy, capital, budgeting and performance
 Assess alignment of the finance operating model to support business strategy
 Conduct finance project portfolio review – based on value and priorities
 Assess the efficient enablement of finance by information technology
 Evaluate security of information technology applications
 Review finance operations productivity, quality and service delivery model
To ensure compliance with Treasury Department regulations, we wish to inform you that any tax advice that may be contained in this
communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) a voiding tax-related
penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or applicable state or local tax law provisions or (ii) prom oting, marketing or recommending to
another party any tax-related matters addressed herein.
Material discussed is meant to provide general information and should not be acted on without professional advice tailored to your firm’s
individual needs.
BDO is the brand name for BDO USA, LLP, a U.S. professional services firm providing assurance, tax, financial advisory and consultin g services to a
wide range of publicly traded and privately held companies. For more than 100 years, BDO has provided quality service through the active
involvement of experienced and committed professionals. The firm serves clients through 49 offices and over 400 independent a lliance firm
locations nationwide. As an independent Member Firm of BDO International Limited, BDO serves mu ltinational clients through a global network of
1,264 offices in 144 countries.
BDO USA, LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership, is the U.S. member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee,
and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms. BDO is the brand name for the BDO network and for each of the
BDO Member Firms. For more information, please visit www.bdo.com.
© 2014 BDO USA, LLP. All rights reserved.