Interim chief financial officer leading financial strategy and governance at a local government council. Driving fiscal sustainability and operational excellence.
The Brief
A local council faced an urgent need to fill the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) on an interim basis. Reporting directly to the Director of Corporate Services, the appointed CFO would play a critical role in aligning the council’s finance function with both technical and cultural objectives.
The council required strong leadership to manage their finance team while addressing specific challenges, including finance system inefficiencies, the redesign of foundational processes, and ensuring year-end statutory reporting obligations were met. Additionally, the development of the 2024/25 budget needed immediate attention.
Increase in General Management Skills
According to the American Management Association, only 14% of businesses consider themselves “well prepared” to handle a sudden loss in senior management. Add to that the fact that it takes at least four months to fill an executive role, and an Interim Executive experienced in operations makes a lot of sense!
Increase in Customer Experience Skills
These days experience is everything. What truly makes for a good experience? Speed. Convenience. Consistency. Friendliness. And human touch. Our Interim Executives deliver a great experience while improving your customer experience!
Increase in People & Culture Skills
Organisations are constantly changing as they respond to internal and external pressures. Continual process improvement can enable team engagement and lead to growth. Interim Executives bring fresh eyes and effective industry best practice to the execution.
Increase in Data Analytics
Complex challenges require critical thinking and in the age of information-overwhelm it is imperative to have analytical minds at the table. These skills range across finance, data science, systems and more. An Interim Executive can be the right person to optimise your inputs to maximise your output.
The Process
To address the council’s immediate need, we leveraged our interim associate talent pool and deep networks within the CFO community through the Future Leadership CFO practice. By drawing on our established relationships, we quickly identified a shortlist of highly qualified candidates with the experience and skills necessary to meet the council’s strategic and operational requirements.
We ensured that we presented candidates who not only possessed strong financial acumen but also aligned with the council’s cultural and leadership needs. The selected interim CFO had a proven track record of navigating complex financial challenges within the local government sector, ensuring they could swiftly integrate with the existing leadership team and address pressing financial system inefficiencies and critical statutory obligations.
Emerging Capabilities
Project Management
Expert in leading complex projects, with a focus on delivering results within scope, time, and budget constraints.
Capital Management
Skilled in managing capital projects, ensuring efficient use of resources and alignment with organisational goals.
Facility and Property Management
Proficient in overseeing facility and property management, with a deep understanding of operational impacts and efficiencies.
Operations Management
Experienced in driving operational excellence, ensuring that projects are delivered with maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
PMO Implementation
Adept at establishing and leading Project Management Offices (PMOs), creating frameworks that drive project success and organisational improvement.
The Outcome
Within the first two months, the interim CFO delivered key achievements for the council. A comprehensive review of finance systems identified inefficiencies, with improvements already underway. Foundational finance processes were redesigned to enhance operational efficiency and support long-term improvements.
The year-end statutory reporting was completed ahead of schedule, ensuring full compliance with regulatory requirements. Additionally, the CFO developed a detailed 2024/25 budget plan, aligning with the council’s strategic objectives. Through close collaboration with the CEO and Director of Corporate Services, the CFO provided steady leadership, fostering a culture of financial accountability and strategic foresight, positioning the council for continued success.
