Firm Management
A Seat at the Management Table
A far too common myth in many CPA firms is that you must be a CPA to manage and understand the firm. This is simply not true and is costing firms a lot of time and money while reducing their ability to compete today and into the future.
Oct. 01, 2012
From the Blog: Bridging the Gap
A far too common myth in many CPA firms is that you must be a CPA to manage and understand the firm. This is simply not true and is costing firms a lot of time and money while reducing their ability to compete today and into the future. Requiring a CPA certificate to have a seat at the management table is holding back some of your best talent and limiting the firms potential for greater success.
One party that should have a seat at the management table is your CIO, especially if you want to leverage technology as a strategic asset. Let’s look at five ways CIOs can provide you a strategic advantage and why they should be contributing members of your management team.
- CIOs bring a different perspective to the table than most partners. They see the entire enterprise and approach strategy from the viewpoint of breaking down barriers and siloes.
- CIOs understand how technology can improve efficiency and effectiveness. They can provide innovative insight into firm and client strategies that will add value.
- The firms with the best technology are those firms with strong IT leadership. CIOs often have to deliver news that client service partners don’t want to hear – “we have to invest”. Having a strong CIO on your team who supports the firm’s vision and integrates technology is a strategic advantage.
- CIOs have project management skills essential to the success of the firm. These are skills that most partners, managers and staff lack even though they would be extremely beneficial.
- One of the key roles of the CIO is to assist leadership and management in developing new services and revenue streams. A quality CIO can assist you in meeting these challenges