Becoming a CFO is a critical moment in any leader's career, and it comes with the responsibility to get some early wins. Stakeholders want clarity, confidence, and momentum – quickly. That's why your first 100 days are so important. It establishes your leadership style, your decision-making, and how you will shape the future of the company's finance function.
In a 2007 McKinsey global survey, it was found that CFOs were generally expected by both CEOs and finance staff to be an active member of the C-Suite, improve the efficiency and quality of the finance function, and contribute to the company’s performance. It is important, however, to understand that these things don’t happen overnight. It takes time to understand the business, its goals, and its people, and to consider how to acknowledge the issues and challenges facing the organization, strengthen whatever is working, and build a sustainable pace for growth and transformation. Below is a roadmap to assist you in realizing an impact on day one.
Your First 30 Days: Assess and Listen
Your first 100 days as a CFO begin with clarity – understanding the company’s business drivers is the most critical opportunity to address in the early days and form the backbone of your CFO onboarding plan.
Meet with key stakeholders – the CEO, department heads, investor partners, etc. Get to know their priorities, expectations, pain points, and gaps. Review existing financials, reports, budgets, forecasts, and cash position. And assess whether the finance team is positioned with the right structure, capabilities, and tools, etc., to meet the needs of the organization. At the same time, identify immediate risks, such as compliance issues, unreliable reporting, liquidity concerns, or missing controls.
Today’s volatile business environment also necessitates a look into the current economic state and how that could impact your strategies moving forward. A recent PwC Pulse Survey gives several interesting insights to consider:
- US economic policy is driving short-term strategy shifts over the next one to two years.
- Many companies are responding to uncertainty and volatility by implementing cost reductions, adjusting financial forecasts and budgets, and diversifying suppliers.
- Companies that are struggling to keep pace are those that can’t make decisions quickly enough.
A good CFO marries insights from both internal operations and external factors and finds a balance that ensures sustainable operations and a competitive advantage in all scenarios.
Your Next 30 Days: Stabilize and Simplify
Once you understand the landscape, your next priority is stabilization. High-growth companies often suffer from broken processes, outdated systems, or inconsistent reporting, which become major blockers for operational speed and efficiency. See what’s slowing the business down, and take the steps to address it: simplify workflows, streamline reconciliation processes, and own the month-end close.
Remember that the goal isn’t to design a full-blown transformation; you can just implement quick improvements, like standardizing reporting templates or tightening cash controls, removing slowdowns and complications wherever possible. These quick wins build credibility internally and assure leaders that your finance function is on a path towards better consistency, accuracy, and efficiency.
Days 61-100: Build and Lead
The final phase of your first 100 days as a CFO is about crafting your long-term vision and putting the right infrastructure in place to support it. This is where you shift from tactical to strategic leadership. PwC presents a good roadmap to follow, from driving strategy and growth through capital allocation to embedding AI in finance delivery to redefining resilience to changing policies.
Define where the finance function needs to be in one to two years. What does that look like? Lay out your finance transformation strategy, which could include strengthening FP&A capabilities (which is what takes up the time of most newbie CFOs), implementing scalable systems, and building dashboards that support executive decision-making. Establish your leadership cadence: monthly business reviews, forecasting cycles, finance ops meetings, and cross-functional planning. By now, your credibility has been built, and it's time to leverage this trust to impact real, consistent, and sustainable change.
The Pivotal First 100 Days of a CFO
A CFO used to be a financial steward, but the role has progressed into a strategic operator. In high-growth environments, being able to make an impact becomes more than optional – it’s expected. Your new CFO roadmap becomes the blueprint for future success.
By taking on your first 100 days in an organized way and bringing clarity and intent to your decisions, you position yourself as a leader capable of driving immense scale. And with the right partners behind you, you can accelerate your progress even further.
MAVI is designed to be a long-term partner for CFOs looking to drive impactful change in their organizations, while keeping costs low and minimizing the drag of management. Our AI-driven solution can embed high-skilled, US-caliber global finance and accounting talent into your teams to support your early initiatives and build a well-oiled finance function for scale. Book a call now to start building your CPA bench!
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a new CFO focus on in their first 100 days?
Your first 100 days as CFO should be spent assessing the business, stabilizing finance operations, and beginning to develop a long-term strategic plan. As a new leader, it's important to start with listening and learning before making operational changes.
What is the biggest challenge for new CFOs?
The biggest challenge for new CFOs is getting real-time visibility on the true financial position of their company and building trust with leadership and decision-makers. This is often a result of inconsistent data from unreliable sources and, potentially, silos with missing or incomplete processes, making decision-making in the early days difficult. Additionally, according to PwC’s 2nd SEE CFO Compass Survey, establishing a strong control environment is among the biggest challenges – and top priorities – of many CFOs.
How can a new CFO make an immediate impact?
Stabilize month-end close, improve reporting quality, simplify workflows, and address any urgent compliance or cash issues. Early wins create momentum and build credibility.
How does MAVI help new CFOs during their first 100 days?
MAVI helps new CFOs build a reliable accounting team by placing pre-vetted global talent, ensuring new CFOs have clean data, reliable reporting, and operational stability quickly – enabling faster decision-making and strategic execution.
Why do investors care about a CFO’s first 100 days?
Investors view the first 100 days as a signal of leadership effectiveness. A strong start indicates that the CFO can develop structure, improve financial visibility, and support growth with disciplined execution.