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The CFO Playbook
Today's CFO is expected to be a strategist, storyteller, risk manager, technology champion, and a business partner. In The CFO Playbook, Mr. Sambasivan G. offers a practical roadmap for navigating this expanded mandate with clarity and purpose.
Drawing on more than three decades of leadership experience, the author presents a structured guide for finance professionals seeking to create value beyond the balance sheet. The book moves seamlessly from foundational topics such as the "first 90 days" in the role to more advanced themes including automation, enterprise risk management, operational excellence, stakeholder engagement, and leadership development.
One of the book's central messages is that a modern CFO must evolve into a genuine business partner. As the author notes, the journey requires "moving beyond numbers" and developing the ability to influence strategy and decisionmaking across the enterprise. Equally compelling is his emphasis on transforming "data into insights, stories and decisions," a capability increasingly essential in today's boardrooms.
Particularly noteworthy is the book's relentless focus on execution. Chapters on standard operating procedures, outsourcing, and the author's memorable exhortation to "automate, automate, automate" provide practical frameworks for freeing finance leaders from routine activities and enabling greater strategic engagement.
Accessible, pragmatic, and rich in real-world insights, The CFO Playbook is a valuable resource for aspiring CFOs, finance leaders, and board members seeking to understand the evolving expectations of financial leadership.
Back to HomeAuthor
Sambasivan G.
He is the Chief Financial Officer of Tata Play and a distinguished finance leader with over 35 years of experience spanning finance, strategy, business transformation, and corporate leadership. An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, he is also a Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant, and Company Secretary. His illustrious career s p a n s l e a d e r s h i p ro l e s a c ro s s re n own e d organizations including Procter & Gamble, and the Tata Group. Prior to joining Tata Play, he held several senior positions within the Vodafone Group, including Regional Financial Controller for Northern Europe, gaining extensive international experience across diverse markets.
Owned by: Institute of Directors, India
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