{"id":9845,"date":"2024-03-28T08:07:35","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T12:07:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=9845"},"modified":"2026-02-12T04:09:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:09:03","slug":"top-qualities-to-look-for-in-your-saas-startups-first-cfo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/top-qualities-to-look-for-in-your-saas-startups-first-cfo\/","title":{"rendered":"Top qualities to look for in your SaaS startup\u2019s first CFO"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/accountants\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Accountants<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTop qualities to look for in your SaaS startup\u2019s first CFO\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2024-03-28T08:07:35-04:00\">March 28, 2024<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Top qualities to look for in your SaaS startup\u2019s first CFO\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/top-qualities-to-look-for-in-your-saas-startups-first-cfo\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/david-appel\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/07\/David-Appel-headshot-2023-1.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"David headshot\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">David Appel<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Bringing on your first CFO can be extremely exciting, and a strong hire can give your business a significant strategic edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW45337468 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW45337468 BCX0\">However, to make an effective hiring choice, you need to know what makes a great CFO.<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/~\/media\/McKinsey\/Business%20Functions\/Strategy%20and%20Corporate%20Finance\/Our%20Insights\/Strategy%20and%20corporate%20finance%20special%20collection\/Final%20PDFs\/McKinsey-Special-Collections_RoleoftheCFO.ashx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mckinsey report<\/a> on the role of modern CFOs put it this way: \u201c&#8230;it\u2019s important that COs step up to play a broader role, one that includes modeling of desired mind-sets and behaviors in transforming the finance function itself\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With this in mind, what makes a great CFO? What should you be looking for in your SaaS startup\u2019s first CFO?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-here-s-what-we-ll-cover-in-this-article\">Here\u2019s what we\u2019ll cover in this article<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#data\"><strong>Prioritize data-driven candidates<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#revenue\"><strong>Look for someone with revenue growth success stories<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#satisfaction\"><strong>A good CFO realizes that customer satisfaction is vital<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#cac\"><strong>They\u2019ll be able to improve your CAC &amp; CLTV<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#great-cfo\"><strong>Great CFOs know how important financial automation is<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">The Redefined CFO<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Discover how today\u2019s CFOs are embracing non-traditional skills, implementing emerging tech and championing purpose-led initiatives \u2013 and how you can do the same.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/sage-business-cloud\/intacct\/resources\/ebooks\/research-report-redefined-cfo\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-18970\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download the report<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-530281091-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-530281091-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"data\"><strong>Prioritize data-driven candidates<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW206356598 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW206356598 BCX0\">So, you want to narrow your search to find out <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW206356598 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW206356598 BCX0\">what makes a great CFO<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW206356598 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW206356598 BCX0\">.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW206356598 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without a doubt, one of the most desirable qualities in a potential CFO is a deep understanding of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/sage-business-cloud\/intacct\/industry\/subscription-saas\/saas-metrics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SaaS analytics<\/a>&nbsp;and the importance of leveraging data to achieve your company\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-key-performance-indicators-kpis\">Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The SaaS environment is fiercely competitive. This means that corporate decisions must be made based on hard data to be effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Specifically, be on the lookout for a CFO who understands and prioritizes Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KPIs are valuable benchmarks that allow you to gauge whether your company performance and making effective decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many KPIs that can make a difference to your company\u2019s long-term success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cfo-kpis\">CFO KPIs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the main KPIs your CFO should keep an eye on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW212750228 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW212750228 BCX0\">Cash flow <\/span><\/span><\/strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW212750228 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW212750228 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2013 <\/span><\/span>SaaS companies at a breakeven point or cash positive are in a much better position to grow. While a -50 percent margin is acceptable at the startup stage, breakeven or better is a strong predictor of future success.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW162451229 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW162451229 BCX0\">Committed Annual Recurring Revenue (CARR) <\/span><\/span><\/strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW162451229 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW162451229 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong>\u2013<\/strong> <\/span><\/span>this KPI accurately measures the health of a SaaS organization. It shows its monthly annual revenue cadence by recognizing signed deals and netting out known or projected churn. Growth in CARR of 100% or better is a solid indication of future performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW156717868 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW156717868 BCX0\"><strong>Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)<\/strong> \u2013 <\/span><\/span>customer lifetime value analyzes the future return of an organization. If the customer lifetime value is decreasing, the company will need to add more customers at a higher rate to achieve results. A healthy SaaS provider will achieve a 3x on CLTV while best in class achieve a 5x.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW161024963 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW161024963 BCX0\">Cash conversion <\/span><\/span><\/strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW161024963 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW161024963 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2013 <\/span><\/span>the cash conversion score is a calculation of committed-annual-recurring-revenue to capital-raised-to-date (debt and equity) minus the cash on the balance sheet. This measures the return on invested capital and shows how well these dollars convert into recurring revenue. Best-in-class SaaS organizations post a cash conversion score of 1X or better.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW81958550 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW81958550 BCX0\"><strong>Net Promoter Score (NPS)<\/strong> \u2013 <\/span><\/span>this KPI measures customer loyalty from a range of -100 to +100. The score is based on asking customers how likely they are to recommend the organization\u2019s software. A low NPS indicates the company is at a crossroads. They must make transformational changes or accept future losses and business decay.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW29719589 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW29719589 BCX0\">Deliberately tracking your SaaS analytics can give you a much better chance of improving them over time.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read more:<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/business-growth-tracking-strategies-for-saas-startups\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Business Growth Tracking Strategies for SaaS Startups<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"revenue\"><strong>Look for someone with revenue growth success stories<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditionally, direct profit-and-loss accountability often falls to the CEO. However, CFOs are increasingly being expected to play a more active role in developing and integrating revenue strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Applicants should be able to demonstrate how their financial leadership directly impacted revenue growth for their past employers. This is one of the key proof points of what makes a good CFO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW137020129 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW137020129 BCX0\">Were they able to improve employees\u2019 productivity by updating them on best practices and tools to use? Perhaps they reviewed their company\u2019s pricing tactics and and implemented improvements. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW137020129 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW137020129 BCX0\">They could even have used their financial credentials to help secure corporate funding from banks.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW137020129 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Remember: <\/strong>CFOs should be looked at as strategically accountable members of your board, not just objective financial reporters. The ideal candidate should have measurable and proven results to share with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Product Tour of Sage Intacct for SaaS<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-daeb12b3-73e9-414e-9cae-8b9fe59dd4a1\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Watch now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1369567969-1-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1369567969-1-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"satisfaction\"><strong>A good CFO realizes that customer satisfaction is vital<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For any SaaS company, avoiding subscription cancellations should be a top priority. The percentage of total users who end up cancelling across a specified time span is known as a company\u2019s \u201cchurn rate\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/sage-business-cloud\/intacct\/industry\/subscription-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SaaS finance<\/a>&nbsp;revolves around recurring and subscription billing, your CFO should aim to keep churn as low as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the interview process, be on the lookout for individuals who\u2019ve created effective \u201canti-churn\u201d strategies for other SaaS startups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW43065471 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW43065471 BCX0\">These could include anything that entices customers to stay engaged with your product.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW43065471 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few well-known approaches are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Prioritizing top customers<\/strong> \u2013 identify and cater specifically to your best, most loyal subscribers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Using direct feedback<\/strong> \u2013 leverage customer reviews or other direct subscriber feedback to make specific improvements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keeping in touch<\/strong> \u2013 by regularly reaching out to your customers on social media, email, and other platforms, you\u2019re more likely to stay top-of-mind. Make sure all communication is relevant, and don\u2019t overdo it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Asking why customers leave<\/strong> \u2013 a certain amount of churn is unavoidable for any SaaS product. Thus, when it does occur, try to get insight on what\u2019s causing it and view it as a chance to improve.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>CFOs will have a natural aversion to customer churn and have a variety of different strategies to correct it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cac\"><strong>They\u2019ll be able to improve your CAC &amp; CLTV<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your CAC is a measure of how much it costs your company to persuade a new user to sign up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a very important metric to watch. Spending too much on customer acquisition ties up resources you could use more effectively elsewhere.<span class=\"EOP SCXW123063210 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lowering your CAC should be a critical objective of any CFO you hire. Specifically, CFOs analyze the cost and effectiveness of different acquisition methods:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Your marketing team<\/strong> \u2013 does it seem like there are processes in your marketing department that could be streamlined? Can resources be used more effectively?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Advertising expenses<\/strong> \u2013 whether you\u2019re running social ads, email campaigns, or anything else, it\u2019s critical for a CFO to do a cost-benefit analysis of your advertising strategies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Your sales team<\/strong> \u2013 as with your marketing team, your CFO should look at the day-to-day effectiveness of your sales professionals. Are resources being maximized across the department?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In conjunction with lowering your CAC, your candidate should also devise plans to raise your customer lifetime value, or CLTV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your CLTV is a measurement of how much revenue an individual subscriber contributes to your company across the total length of their subscription history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By analyzing these two metrics, your CFO can help your company make more revenue from your customers. You&#8217;ll also convert them at a lower cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/glossary\/what-is-customer-acquisition-cost-cac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What is Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"great-cfo\"><strong>Great CFOs know how important financial automation is<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you understand what makes a good CFO, make sure you hire a candidate who gets the impact that financial automation can make on a SaaS startup\u2019s trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the hyper-competitive startup environment, CFOs who leverage automation accomplish more in less time. This will free up precious resources for high-value strategies and tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Editor\u2019s note: This article was first published in May 2022 and has been updated for relevance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-ab515c6e-7e90-4c2f-a67e-113872516e8b\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Working from home with tea in hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bringing on your first CFO can be extremely exciting, and a strong hire can give your business a significant strategic edge. However, to make an effective hiring choice, you need to know what makes a great CFO.&nbsp; A Mckinsey report on the role of modern CFOs put it this way: \u201c&#8230;it\u2019s important that COs step [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1433,"featured_media":9093,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[158,44,48],"tags":[2,299,396,420,168],"business_type":[312],"lilypad":[],"context":[418,429],"industry":[450],"persona":[150],"imagine_tag":[447,471,231,501],"coauthors":[599],"class_list":["post-9845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accountants","category-strategy-legal-operations","category-technology-innovation","tag-accountants","tag-cash-flow","tag-cfo-3-0","tag-cloud-financial-management","tag-sage-accounting","business_type-accountants","industry-software-saas"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"David Appel","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1152307915.jpg","imagine_tags":{"447":"Intacct Startup","471":"SaaS","231":"Start up business","501":"Subscription Saas David Appel"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1433"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9845\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/9093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9845"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=9845"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=9845"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=9845"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=9845"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=9845"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=9845"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=9845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}