LinkedIn·Wednesday, 29 July 2026·28d ago
Stop treating your CFO like an accountant. In my previous ventures, my CFO and I have been applying these “rules” informally for years.…
Joris Claes
CEO @ Spectr | Turning XR/BIM into Real Business Results | Interim Executive & Transformation Leader (15+ yrs) | Scale-up, Restructuring & M&A Advisory | Board Governance
Stop treating your CFO like an accountant.
In my previous ventures, my CFO and I have been applying these “rules” informally for years. Seeing them laid out so clearly here, I realize how close they were to our silent success formula.
1️⃣ No speed without direction
I often pushed for urgency, while my CFO dissected direction and risk: is this the right move, what does it cost, what does it risk? We didn’t celebrate speed; we chased outcomes. Viable growth > fast growth, every single time.
2️⃣ Treat the forecast like a product, not hope
Strong CEO–CFO pairs treat the forecast like a build: pressure-testing inputs, owning misses, updating constantly. No wishful thinking, no hiding bad news. Bad news has to travel faster than good news. No surprises.
3️⃣ End disagreements with real decisions
No meetings about meetings, no passive yes, no silent no. Debate hard, then commit fast. Make the call, own the outcome, move forward.
The essence:
- The CEO owns vision.
- The CFO owns viability.
When you respect the tension between those roles, the company stays strong.
Thanks to Wouter Born for putting this into words so sharply, what worked quietly for years is finally written down in plain sight.
#CFO #CEO #scaling #boardgovernance #turnaround
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