Isn’t That the Job? A Call for Strategic Ownership in the CFO Seat

Every time someone says “CFOs should be more strategic,” I wince a little. Should be? It is the job. Finance isn’t adjacent to strategy—it’s the blueprint. When you’re leading the capital story, shaping trade-offs, and narrating company growth, strategic ownership isn’t a bonus feature—it’s the operating system.

So why is “strategic CFO” still treated like an aspiration?

The Bar Is the Bare Minimum

Let’s be clear: delivering great reporting and closing the books on time doesn’t make you strategic. It makes you competent. But the CFO seat demands more than accuracy—it demands insight. Capital allocation, hiring velocity, pricing logic, debt tolerance... these decisions are strategy. If you're not engaging with them, you're not a strategic leader—you’re filling a functional gap.

If you're buried in ops, streamline. If you're unclear on positioning, sharpen it. If you're passive in decision-making, speak up. Strategic deficiency isn't circumstantial—it's a leadership problem.

Respect the Profession, Elevate the Practice

Accountants, controllers, finance managers—they drive precision, compliance, and rigor. They’re indispensable. But the CFO role should build on that foundation, not duplicate it. Being strategic isn’t “better”—it’s different. It’s about shaping velocity, not just measuring it.

When I once referred to a non-strategic CFO as “an accountant in disguise,” it wasn’t a jab at accountants. It was a signal to anyone in the seat who’s outsourcing judgment, reacting instead of leading, or letting systems dictate their bandwidth. That’s not accounting. And it’s not strategy.

Strategic Posture Is a Choice

Founders deserve partners in the finance seat—people who push toward clarity, help craft compelling narratives, and lean into ambiguity with resolve. Titles don’t tell stories. People do. If you’ve got “CFO” on your email signature but your contributions never transcend compliance, you owe it to your company to reflect, recalibrate, or reroute.

A great CFO doesn’t wait for strategy to be delegated. They make it their job, because it always has been.

Final Thought

Strategy isn’t a perk of the CFO role—it’s the proof. The profession deserves respect. The seat demands more.