The CFO'S Perspective

Kevin Briscoe

Kevin Briscoe

Kevin Briscoe’s professional career spans over nearly 30 years in finance, accounting, and operations in publicly traded corporate and small closely held settings. Kevin excels in financial analyses and accounting operations, implementing internal controls, and creating and implementing organizational systems. He has held ownership and management positions, demonstrating an outstanding ability to provide effective leadership in increasing profitable growth throughout his career.

Recent Posts by Kevin Briscoe:

5 Keys to Accurate Cash Flow Forecasting

Running out of cash is not only a sign of poor planning, but it's also one of the biggest reasons that businesses fail. Forecasting your company's cash flow can be tricky because of the many variables that determine how much cash you will need for operations versus the amount available.

Topics: Cash Flow Forecasting

8 Critical Steps to Take when Your CFO is Leaving

“My finance leader is leaving! Now what do I do?!”

In some sense, it’s tempting to offer the platitude, “a debit is a debit everywhere we go!” (which is a colloquial way to suggest that all accounting is created equal). However, while there’s some truth to that fact that every organization replacing a leader will need to take some core actions, you don’t need to drill down very far to realize that each business has unique elements to consider as well. Those unique facets will add complexity to how you respond to the reality of a financial leader leaving your organization.

The following guide will help your organization evaluate how ready it is for turnover in a finance leadership role, offer suggestions for how you can be better prepared in case your executive finance leader leaves, and provide key insights into what to do next if the loss of your financial leader happens suddenly.

Topics: CFO CFO Responsibilities Change Management Transition

What to do When You Don't Know What to do – A CFO's Perspective

There's an interesting quote I hear quite regularly regarding how to act in times of strife or turmoil.

The only way out is through." – Robert Frost

If you think about it, it's a simple allegory for a moment when you may face a challenge, whether work, personal, or otherwise. Given that this is a business-related article, I'll limit my thoughts to the work environment, specifically examples facing business financial executives. The point, however, is that bemoaning the issue, or moment, or whatever the challenge may be, does very little to help you move on from that issue or moment. Action is what helps you more than any other element. Doing something is better than doing nothing almost all the time.

Topics: Planning Leadership Transition

What Does a Recession Mean for You? It May Not Need to be What You Think!

I've been pondering the narrative around an economic recession for this entire year, along with many of you. Candidly, the discussion reaches back into 2022. Economists were wrestling with whether the consequence of the US Fed's economic tightening would lead to a recession. Or if the economy had so much momentum, while economic activity would slow, we wouldn't enter a technical recession.

(Ed: I won't spend much time offering technical rationale in this post. Ultimately, it's not the point I'm discussing. However, to frame the article, I'll define an economic recession as two consecutive quarters of declining GDP growth.) 

Flash forward to the end of Q2 2023, and I'd offer a recession is likely, though probably not declared until Q1 2024.

Topics: Economic Trends Leadership Forecasting

PODCAST: Mastering Your Financial Acumen as a Nonprofit Leader (Kevin Briscoe)

Is your organization positioned to navigate the unique strategic and financial challenges inherent in nonprofit settings? As a nonprofit leader, do you need more financial expertise but don’t know if you can afford it?

Topics: Non Profit Organizations Leadership

Maintaining Company Culture in Uncertain Times

If the past couple of pandemic-influenced years has taught us anything, it's that what we thought we had control over is as laughable as trying to predict what's next! I've had the opportunity to navigate some interesting economic periods in my career as a financial executive. The "Great Recession" was once a period I hoped never to have to revisit, given the far-reaching impact it had and the catastrophic financial toll it took on the life savings of so many. The uncertainty that period exhibited was challenging to say the least.

However, if I learned anything from that experience, it is that we would invariably be faced with something equally as challenging, and we would likely be as unprepared for it as many were for the Recession.

Topics: Company Culture

Evaluating the Cost of Hiring a CFO

Most business owners I speak to look at finance and accounting personnel as an overhead cost. While they are most certainly a cost, the benefits that a CFO brings can alter that “cost” narrative into one of “investment.” Today I will help you define a CFO's role as one who is viewing your organization in a forward-looking manner and how they can be a good investment.

Topics: Recruiting CFO CFO Responsibilities Interim CFO

2020 Pandemic Crisis – What to Focus on Right Now

This is an uncertain time for business owners.

Difficult questions like deciding whether to pause operations, continue a lease, apply for a loan, or lay off employees, are on the minds of business owners across the country. Many are confused about their tax obligations in the face of new legislation. Most are worried about maintaining proper security and managing communications effectively with a larger percentage of their employees working remotely. Some are concerned about how they will repair the brand damage that is occurring as a result of not being able to fulfill their brand promise to their customers.

Frequently shifting state and local regulations have left the waters murky for many businesses, especially in highly seasonal industries. Some business owners may be wrestling with the question of whether their businesses will be able to reopen at all after the shelter in place orders and social distancing recommendations have been lifted.

Topics: Change Management Transition Strategy COVID-19