The CFO as Facilitator: Why CFOs Are Uniquely Positioned to Facilitate Cross-Functional Strategy Meetings

In many organizations, the CFO is viewed as the “numbers person”—the one who tracks financial performance, ensures compliance, and keeps an eye on cash flow. But what if I told you that the CFO is actually one of the best people to facilitate strategic conversations and lead cross-functional teams?

I recently sat down with Mike Olinger, President and business transformation expert at GCON Inc. to discuss why financial leaders are in a prime position to guide strategic discussions and help organizations achieve their long-term vision. He has also been CEO, CFO (several times over!), so I think he has some street cred on this topic!  He says he’s “old” – I think he is “wise!” His insights were candid, thought-provoking, and—true to form—challenging conventional wisdom.  I will share them here.

The CFO’s Unique View: Seeing the Horizon and the Hemisphere

CFOs have an unparalleled wide-angle lens on the business. Unlike department heads who focus on their specific functions (e.g., sales, HR, operations), CFOs must understand how all the moving parts of a company fit together. They see the entire chessboard.

“You are the one person who is expected to see the horizon and the hemisphere at the same time,” Olinger said. “It’s a very hard skill to develop, and you have to care passionately about the long-term success of a company.”

This broad perspective allows CFOs to:
✅ Connect the dots across different departments
✅ Ask critical, unbiased questions about strategic initiatives
✅ Focus on long-term sustainability, rather than short-term wins

Unlike leaders with a vested interest in specific functions (Sales wants more budget for marketing, HR wants more investment in talent, etc.), the CFO’s stake is in the overall health and longevity of the business. Their only agenda? The right decision for the company – which makes them ideally situated to “facilitate” strategic conversations.

From Controller to CFO: Why Accounting Alone Isn’t Enough

One of the more surprising insights from my conversation with Olinger was how few accountants successfully transition into CFO roles.

“Just because you went to accounting school doesn’t mean you know crap about business,” he said bluntly. “You know a lot about accounting. But very few accountants transition to CFO.”

The key differentiator? Strategic thinking. A great CFO isn’t just managing the books—they’re looking at the future.  Again, CFOs are a great resource – and instigator – of strategic conversations.

“If you can’t look out past 12 to 36 months, you don’t have a CFO,” Olinger emphatically stated.  To move from being an accountant to a strategic financial leader, one of the best experiences a CFO-in-training can get is HR exposure.

“I’ve done this three different times—if I want to take a controller and turn them into a CFO, I give them HR,” Olinger shared. “It forces them to think about people, motivation, and culture—things that go beyond just numbers on a balance sheet.” It forces that professional to think forward, not in the past, where accounting is focused.

The CFO as Facilitator: Creating the Process for Collaboration

Facilitation isn’t just about running meetings—it’s about guiding a conversation that helps a team arrive at the best possible decision.

A skilled facilitator:
✔️ Structures the process – Develops the agenda and conversation flow
✔️ Ensures participation – Makes sure all voices are heard
✔️ Removes bias – Keeps the discussion focused on facts and strategy
✔️ Drives accountability – Ensures follow-through on decisions

This is where the CFO shines.

“The CFO is often the most trusted person in the room,” Olinger explained. “They aren’t seen as favoring one department over another. They just want to know: ‘How does this help the business?’”

And that’s exactly what you need in a facilitator.

We also talked about the importance of psychological safety—creating an environment where people feel comfortable asking tough questions.

“The CFO should be a safe space,” he said. “I believe in management by walking around. Employees know me as Mike—they know they can ask me anything. There are no bad questions.”  They must know that you are thinking of their personal future as well as the business.

What Makes a Great CFO Facilitator? The 4 F’s

According to Olinger, great CFOs possess four key traits that make them effective facilitators:

1. Facilitate – CFOs need to guide conversations, not dictate them.  A true facilitator doesn’t impose their viewpoints; rather, they help the group debate ideas, explore trade-offs, and align on a shared direction.
2. Futuristic – They must think beyond the next quarter.  If the CFO isn’t challenging the team to think three to five years ahead, then they’re not playing the role a company needs. “Your job should be dreaming, looking at the horizon, debating strategy with the executive team, and be doing a lot of research” Olinger said.
3. Forecast – The ability to translate vision into numbers.  Great CFOs take big ideas and turn them into concrete business cases with clear ROI and measurable outcomes. “Most CEOs dream,” Olinger mused. “The CFO’s job is to turn that dream into a plan.”
4. Fearless – Willing to challenge the status quo.  CFOs must ask the hard questions that others might avoid. “If you don’t challenge assumptions, you’re just a rubber stamp,” Olinger said. “The CFO’s job is to make sure we’re making the best decisions for the company—not just the most popular ones.”

What Gets in the Way? Ego and Over-Promotion

While CFOs are ideally positioned to facilitate cross-functional strategy meetings, not all financial leaders are up to the task.  Two big obstacles?

1. Ego.  The best CFO facilitators leave their ego at the door and don’t make the discussion about them.  Just because they have a “chief” in their title doesn’t mean they are the chief of the meeting.
2. Over-Promotion.  Many CFOs are just accountants with a bigger title and lack the strategic mindset needed for facilitation.

“If a CFO is just an over-promoted accountant, they aren’t going to be a good facilitator,” Olinger warned.

Final Thought: The CFO’s Ultimate Role is Truth-Teller

At the end of our conversation, I asked Olinger what separates a great CFO from an average one.

His answer? Truth.

“The CFO’s job is to always tell the truth,” he said. “There are a lot of CEOs who are great at sales, great at motivation, but they aren’t always great at truth. The CFO has to be the one person who will always tell it like it is.”  If the business is headed for economic challenges, they must see it coming and bring it up, continuously.

And that is exactly why a CFO is an ideal facilitator—because they aren’t pushing an agenda. They’re focusing on the future, facilitating honest conversations, and making sure the team makes the best possible decisions.

So, if you’re looking for someone to lead your next cross-functional strategy session, maybe skip the COO or Chief Strategy Officer and ask yourself: Do we have a CFO who can see the horizon, the hemisphere, and the whole picture?

Because if you do, you’ve got the perfect person to guide the conversation.

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