Q2 2013

A Message from Keith Pearson, Vice Chairman and President

At our recent Spotlight Series breakfast, our panel of finance experts agreed that a CFO’s job is no longer limited to financial matters. Today’s top finance executives spend much of their time spearheading efforts as diverse as finding talent, developing strategies, inspiring teams to implement them and overseeing information technology initiatives. A Pearson Partners CFO survey released this February backs up our experts’ observations, with Fortune 1000 CFOs saying that factors such as increasing globalization, regulation and risk management place unprecedented demands on CFOs, exponentially increasing their skill set. The vast majority of CFOs (80 percent of our survey respondents) said that company strategy is their No. 1 priority. But even as the job gets tougher and the risks grow higher, most CFOs say they love what they do and appreciate the rewards that come with their increasing responsibilities. Read our summary of the recent breakfast discussion in this issue of Searchlight, and learn why being a CFO today involves so much more than financial savvy.

In This Edition

Spotlight Series Breakfast:
The Constant Evolution of the Chief Financial Officer

In today’s corporate structures, the title “CFO” represents much more than “finance executive.” CFOs play an important role in strategy setting, talent acquisition, technology initiatives, regulatory compliance, risk management, mergers and acquisitions—and the list goes on. At our recent Spotlight Series breakfast, our panelists provided insight into the diverse challenges CFOs face, and why they love their jobs because of them.
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Tips from the Leadership Coach:
A Critical Leadership Skill: Avoiding “Task-Toggling”

Have you ever looked back on a busy day at work and realized that you didn’t accomplish as much as you had planned to? New research details what many of us already know: Too often, distractions in the workplace cause us to switch mental gears multiple times a day, inhibiting our ability to tackle the big issues that need our attention. Pearson Partners’ Director, Professional Services Lisa Thompson has several suggestions to help executives reduce “task-toggling” and boost productivity.

Pearson Partners in the Community:
Pinion, Benefiting Special Olympics

When Jill Pearson, a principal at Pearson Partners International, joined a local organization called Pinion that supports Special Olympics, she had no way of knowing how transformative the experience would be. Five years later, she is a Pinion board member who has formed countless new personal and professional connections while having a lot of fun supporting a great cause.
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June DFW HR Roundtable:
Social Media, Especially LinkedIn, for HR Executives

with Terry Pope, Social Profile Masters

While most everyone in corporate America now has a LinkedIn profile, relatively few have mastered the art of maximizing this social media tool’s networking and marketing value. At the most recent meeting of the DFW HR Roundtable, a networking and knowledge-sharing group of senior human resources executives in the North Texas area, attendees learned how to get the most out of their LinkedIn profiles, to the mutual benefit of their companies and careers.
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