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LEARNING RESOURCES

The CGMA Finance Leadership Program and digital skills, as well as agile strategic and
The CGMA critical-thinking abilities that can be applied in
Finance To earn the CGMA designation, you’ll need to a wide range of situations (see the chart, “The
Leadership complete the CGMA Finance Leadership Program. T-Shaped Finance/Accounting Professional”). This
Program This digital-first learning program is similar in scope
and rigor to a master’s degree. You’ll learn the professional also has deep technical and functional
finance, business, digital, people, and leadership knowledge and expertise, all based in ethics, integ-
skills that employers are looking for, today and in rity, and professionalism.
the future.
As part of that effort, a commitment to
COURSE lifelong learning is critical. Incorporating new
technologies involves far more than simply
acquiring and learning new systems. “Even more
From Financial Expert to Strategic Business
From Financial Leader: Leader Evolution important is changing the cognitive capacity and
capabilities of your teams,” Radziewicz said. That
Expert to Leaders develop through a set of clearly defined
Strategic stages that require different ways of thinking, includes nurturing nontraditional skills, such as
Business different perspectives, and new skills. This strategic and critical thinking, empathetic leader-
Leader: Leader workshop lays out the road map for every CPA and ship, and communication abilities.
Evolution finance and accounting professional who wants to The ability of organizations and their people
advance their career. to absorb and implement new skills is now a
CPE SELF-STUDY competitive advantage, he believes. “How we
learn and operate today may be obsolete in
three to four years,” he said, “so we may have to
Overview: Advanced Controller and CFO Skills
unlearn and relearn.” That can require making
Examine the best practices of leading-edge a personal and organizational commitment to
controllers and CFOs in the areas of business staying relevant.
planning, risk management, financial analysis,
change management, leadership, social styles, and Upskilling may also require going outside the
developing high-performing employees. organization to acquire new insights from new
sources. Radziewicz’s team has built a strategic
CPE SELF-STUDY partnership with the University of Connecticut.
It engages with a group of 30 to 40 data analytics
For more information or to make a purchase, go to aicpa.org/cpe-learning or students each semester who work on applying
call the Institute at 888-777-7077. advanced technologies to problems the company
is facing. That provides the business with access
to advanced technology skills that even newer
finance team members may not have learned in
school.
AICPA RESOURCES
Articles RIDING THE WAVES
“We are at a pivotal point in the profession,” Furr
“Finance’s Transformation Into a Value Partner,” FM magazine, Sept. 16, said. And CFOs should definitely be ready for
2021
ongoing disruption.
“Finance Leaders: Skills for a Career in the Digital Age,” FM magazine, “As leaders, we have to prepare our teams to learn
Sept. 2021
how to surf and ride these waves of transformation,”
Top Finance Skills series, FM magazine, June–July, 2021 Hood said. By doing so, and equipping the team
Podcast episodes to address continually changing expectations, “our
jobs will continue to get even better, and we will be
“Future of Finance: A Beyond-the-Numbers Focus on People, Process,” more valuable to our organizations.”
FM magazine, Dec. 16, 2022
“Future of Finance Takeaways: Talent, Transformation, Trust,” JofA, Dec. The finance executives interviewed for this article are all
14, 2022
members of the Future of Finance Leadership Advisory
Report Group, senior leaders who have been working with
Re-Inventing Finance for a Digital World AICPA & CIMA to redefine and reimagine the Future
of Finance in a post-pandemic world. For more informa-
tion, go to the Future of Finance resource center. ■

10 | Journal of Accountancy March 2023