How does a CFO prep for an earnings call?
Short answer … it’s a shit ton of work.
Here’s what I do 👇🏼
1. Stay on top of performance
No good waiting until the quarter is gone. I use weekly reporting and monthly a management accounts to track performance vs plan inside the quarter.
If something comes off, I’m onto my Business Unit CFO to ensure there’s a recovery plan.
I’m tracking yoy sales, yoy EBITDA, & free cash generation in absolute.
If something falters I’ll keep digging (through monthly management reviews) to ensure we understand the root issue and got the right plan.
Ensure accountability is in right place, and monitor relentlessly
Sounds easy, but the art is creating the right organisational tension in the right place to make the right people jump at the right time.
And accordingly fix the root problem…
This is important because if the numbers are shit, it’s important that I’m able to explain what we are doing about it.
AND even more importantly, to already be doing it by the time the call comes round.