Finance function as support to growth

What role do CFOs have in abandoning the recession mind-set in companies?Even though traditionally considered to be the „cash register keepers“, the CFO conference organised by Deloitte and banka.hr held on 3 March in Zagreb has shown that their afore mentioned role is a matter of the past. The balancing act between costs and smart investments into the growth of their companies has become a CFO’s daily routine.

In the conference panel moderated by Željko Kardum in which, along with the CFO of Ericsson Nikola Tesla, Patrik Wahlgren, panellists were Nikolina Cvijetić, CFO of DOK-ING, Dario Silić, CEO of Bina Istra and Iva Brajević, Director of Accounting and Tax in Podravka, the mutual conclusion was that CFOs today have an important role to play in corporate strategic decision-making.

Participating in the panel, Patrik Wahlgren took the opportunity to present Ericsson's mission of transformation in which Ericsson as leader transforms itself to be able to better assist our customers and partners in their own transformation processes. The transformation of the finance function in Ericsson thus results in the creation of a structured organisation with the mind-set for growth that provides a highly efficient support to strategic decision-making. On this occasion, our CFO did not fail to mention the importance of partnership and trust between the finance function and other key company functions such as sales. He highlighted the excellent finance team behind him as one of the advantages in comparison to small companies. In conclusion, supplanting the traditional role of finance director as show stopper, Patrik Wahlgren offered a view of the CFO as the catalyst helping the company to step out of its comfort zone towards change and improvements driven by innovation.

Communications Ericsson Nikola Tesla