Jeff Dunn
Jeff Dunn is a Partner with CFO Selections, serving as the Practice Manager for the Oregon & Southwest Washington region. Jeff has led the practice since establishing it in 2013. During that time, he has also served as an outsourced CFO to clients in the emerging tech space, manufacturing, distribution, digital media, and marketing industries.
As he leads the Oregon & SW Washington Practice, Jeff’s extensive experience in business leadership, strategy, and finance has enabled him to quickly understand and assess each client’s unique needs and develop strategies for the CFO Selections team to add value to each engagement.
Outside of CFO Selections, Jeff can be found in the mountains on a bike, on foot, or on skis. An accomplished mountain bike racer, Jeff volunteers his time and talent as Treasurer for a nonprofit trail advocacy group and leads beginner skills clinics and group mountain bike rides, sharing his passion and knowledge with others.
Having a hard time finding talented accountants for your business? That’s no surprise. I see news headlines every day that indicate many businesses are struggling with this hiring challenge. Here are just a few:
The reasons for today’s accounting shortage are well-documented, and include:
- A changing educational landscape
- Competition from other fields
- Increased demand
- Work-life balance concerns
- An aging workforce with fewer younger entrants
While there is a lot of press around the shortage of accountants and challenges in finding accounting talent, I think it’s important to consider why accountants are leaving their jobs and strategies to retain key accounting talent.
Let’s answer the question, “Why is there so much turnover in accounting these days?” …and more importantly, “How do we stop it?”
Whenever I read about a company embroiled in accusations of fraud, my first thought is, "Where was the CFO?" As I've written, risk mitigation is a critical element of the CFOs' responsibilities. What could be riskier than being an officer of a company engaged in fraudulent activities?
Much is written about embezzlement or malfeasance, generally carried out by a single individual with access and need. While these cases can run into significant amounts of money, they are nothing compared to systemic fraud that the entire executive team of a corporation may carry out.
Like a lot of small business owners, I never expected to own a business. I didn’t think that I had an entrepreneurial bone in my body. I had always been a corporate guy. It's not latent in my DNA either. My dad spent his 40+ year career with General Motors. His dad tried his hand at owning and running a commercial painting business, but alas, after years of struggling, it failed.
What now? One thing is certain, most businesses have been impacted and their 2021 results will differ significantly from previous budgets and forecasts.
Now is the time for serious planning and strategizing. Business owners and CEOs should be considering what reopening looks like in all markets in which they operate. Will your business return to normal operations or will there be significant changes needed? Involve your key leadership team and advisors in these planning sessions.
After a year of strategizing, planning, training and stress, my wife, Heather and I participated in the one-of-a-kind 7-day BC Bike Race in beautiful British Columbia.
Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing. - Warren Buffett
One of the pillars of a CFO's responsibilities is risk management. From overall financial compliance to the IT department, a fractional or full-time CFO is the first line of defense in establishing and maintaining adequate risk management and mitigation for today's organizations.
The threats may come in many forms - from lack of internal controls to cybersecurity in a privately held business or social enterprise. The CFO is charged with understanding and mitigating the risks that your organization faces.