CFO: Career Path

A Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a senior executive responsible for managing the financial actions of a company. The CFO's duties include tracking cash flow and financial planning as well as analyzing the company's financial strengths and weaknesses and proposing corrective actions. The role involves a strategic level of financial management, focusing on the long-term financial goals and health of the organization.

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What does the CFO career path entail?

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Best books to explore the Finance career path.

A well-written and thorough book can be an amazing path to build deeper understanding and also act as a handbook as you discover the internet's vast resources.

These are our and our experts top picks to get started building career-relevant skills.

Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral and Drive Major Economic Events

In a world in which internet troll farms attempt to influence foreign elections, can we afford to ignore the power of viral stories to affect economies? In this groundbreaking book, Nobel Prize–winning economist and New York Times bestselling author Robert Shiller offers a new way to think about the economy and economic change. Using a rich array of historical examples and data, Shiller argues…

The Great Depression: A Diary

This collection of those entries reveals another side of the Great Depression—one lived through by ordinary, middle-class Americans, who on a daily basis grappled with a swiftly changing economy coupled with anxiety about the unknown future.

Capital Ideas: The Improbable Origins of Modern Wall Street

Book overview. Capital Ideas traces the origins of modern Wall Street, from the pioneering work of early scholars and the development of new theories in risk, valuation, and investment returns, to the actual implementation of these theories in the real world of investment management.

Too Big to Fail

From inside the corner office at Lehman Brothers to secret meetings in South Korea, and the corridors of Washington, Too Big to Fail is the definitive story of the most powerful men and women in finance and politics grappling with success and failure, ego and greed, and, ultimately, the fate of the world's economy.

The Black Girl's Guide to Financial Freedom: Build Wealth, Retire Early, and Live the Life of Your Dreams

In The Black Girl's Guide to Financial Freedom, Paris Woods takes the guesswork out of wealth-building and presents a plan that anyone can follow. Paris spent years working in education and wanted to find a way to build wealth without changing careers or taking the traditional real estate or business routes.

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy

The bestselling The Millionaire Next Door identifies seven common traits that show up again and again among those who have accumulated wealth. Most of the truly wealthy in this country don't live in Beverly Hills or on Park Avenue-they live next door.

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Courses to deepen your Finance skills.

These days, courses are no longer a sequence of videos. They are usually accompanied by projects and a learning community, keeping you accountable and on the path.

Our experts recommend these courses, from free selections to paid programs.

Introduction to Finance, Accounting, Modeling and Valuation

Learn Finance & Accounting from Scratch by an Award Winning MBA Professor, Ivy Grad, worked @ Goldman & VC

Finance for Non-Finance: Learn Quick and Easy

Obtain Suplemental Skills to Get a Raise, Better Job or Improve Your Own Business

Learn and Master the Basics of Finance

Finance for Non-Finance Professionals

The Complete Introduction To Accounting and Finance

The Original Course on Accounting & Finance! It's easy once you know the basics. Learn introductory accounting & finance

Get help with your learning journey

Learning through online courses can be challenging. Get 1:1 guidance from an experienced mentor who can help you stay accountable and answer your questions along the way.

Budgets, Cashflow Forecasting and Management Accounts

Financial Management and Making A Profit For Charities, Not-For-Profits & Small Businesses

Finance & Quantitative Modeling for Analysts Specialization

The role of an Analyst is dynamic, complex, and driven by a variety of skills. These skills range from a basic understanding of financial statement data and non-financial metrics that can be linked to financial performance, to a deeper dive into business and financial modeling. Analysts also utiliz…

Top Finance Certifications

Understanding all core concepts of Finance is key to claiming your next certificate. If you need help brushing up on your skills, consider reaching out to one of our mentors.

Certified Financial Planner ® (CFP®)

Hosted by cfp.net

Those with the CFP® designation have demonstrated competency in all areas of financial planning. Candidates complete studies on over 100 topics, including stocks, bonds, taxes, insurance, retirement planning and estate planning. The program is administered by the Certified Financial Planner Boar…

Finance Certification Coaching

Hosted by mentorcruise.com

Consider reaching out to a coach specialized in Finance certifications. They can help you prepare for your exam, and provide you with the necessary resources to succeed. MentorCruise is the best place to find a coach for your Finance certification. Here are a few top picks:

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®)

Hosted by cfainstitute.org

This designation is offered by the CFA Institute (formerly the Association for Investment Management and Research [AIMR]). To obtain the CFA charter, candidates must successfully complete three difficult exams and gain at least three years of qualifying work experience, among other requirements.…

Certified Management Accountant (CMA)

Hosted by imanet.org

The globally recognized CMA® (Certified Management Accountant) program, offered by IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) demonstrates your expertise of advanced accounting and financial management knowledge in critical areas such as financial planning, analysis, control, and decision suppor…

Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC)

Hosted by theamericancollege.edu

Individuals with the ChFC designation have demonstrated their vast and thorough knowledge of financial planning. The ChFC program is administered by the American College. In addition to successful completion of an exam on areas of financial planning, including income tax, insurance, investment a…

Certified Government Financial Manager ® (CGFM)

Hosted by agacgfm.org

Certified Government Financial Manager® (CGFM®) is a professional certification awarded by AGA, demonstrating competency in governmental accounting, auditing, financial reporting, internal controls and budgeting at the federal, state and local levels.

CGFM is a respected credential that …

Finance Workshop

Hosted by mentorcruise.com

Consider joining a workshop specialized in Finance. Workshops are a great way to learn new skills, and get hands-on experience. MentorCruise is the best place to find a workshop for your Finance certification. Here are a few top picks:

Certified Healthcare Financial Professional ® (CHFP)

Hosted by hfma.org

The CHFP® (Certified Healthcare Financial Professional) certification is designed mid-level healthcare professionals with a minimum of 3-5 years management experience in healthcare provider operations. CHFP certification demonstrates your qualifications to senior management, co-workers, and the …

Get the guidance you need on the CFO career path

There is no better source of accountability and motivation than having a personal mentor. What used to be impossible to find is now just two clicks away! All mentors are vetted & hands-on!


I bring over two decades of international experience in building, growing, selling, and managing global financial service institutions and start-ups. I have a results-driven approach and consistently enhanced business performance. I provide: • A personal mentoring approach with relaxed time constraints. • Proven experience in business mentoring or consulting. • …

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Unlock your potential with a seasoned and multi-faceted leader! Hey, I'm Federico! With 10+ years of experience in biz ops, program management, and strategic leadership, I’ve built and led teams across Finance, Operations, CX, and Strategy at Amazon and AWS. Now, as COO at The Collecting Group, I oversee scalable …

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Little money invested at the right time forced me to become a strong expert of the blockchain industry. I currently lead a team of developers at Sygnum Bank to successfully build and enable financial products built on the blockchain (DeFi) in the current legal framework. Ping me for anything related …

$70 / month
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2-time Tech CEO, with 1 exit. I've been a solo-founder, doing it on (extra) hard mode. I've taken a bootstrapped company to over £2m ARR in 18 months. Co-creator of an employee perks and engagement platform. Went from 0-$4.5m ARR in under 14months and one of the fastest growing SaaS …

$220 / month
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Do you feel overlooked? Do you believe you could perform at a higher level if you were given the opportunity? And yet, you are surrounded by incompetent managers who have been promoted above their capabilities? Nothing frustrates me more than this situation. To think they're not seeing your potential, that …

$330 / month
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Experienced Product Leader with superb written and verbal communication skills used for defining technical product roadmaps, coordination with sales and engineering teams, influencing key decision makers and organizing relevant market feedback and customer needs into product requirements ▪ Research & business aptitude used for analyzing market and industry trends, market …

$120 / month
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