What is the office of the CFO?
The office of the CFO is the chief financial officer together with the functions that report to them: usually accounting and the controller's team, financial planning and analysis, treasury, tax, internal audit and often procurement, investor relations and finance systems. Vendors and analysts use the phrase for the group of buyers and users of finance software inside a company.
Also calledfinance functionCFO organisationCFO office
Compare the softwareBest AI tools for CFOs →All 6 FP&A and forecasting vendors →
- Led by
- Chief financial officer
- Main functions
- Accounting, FP&A, treasury, tax
- Category
- FP&A and forecasting
What the office of the CFO covers
Responsibilities split into recording, planning and protecting. The controller's team keeps the books, closes each period and produces statutory and management reporting. FP&A builds budgets and forecasts and explains performance. Treasury manages cash, banking, debt and currency risk. Tax handles compliance and planning across countries. Internal audit and risk test controls, often reporting to the audit committee as well. In smaller companies one person may cover several of these, with a fractional or part-time CFO and outsourced bookkeeping; in large groups each is a department with its own systems. Software is bought to match: ERPs and close tools for the controller, planning platforms such as Pigment and Anaplan for FP&A, treasury tools such as Panax, tax engines, and reporting and disclosure tools such as Workiva.
Common questions
What is the difference between a CFO and a controller?+
The controller runs accounting: the books, the close and reporting. The CFO is responsible for the whole finance function, including planning, funding, treasury and strategy, and usually sits on the executive team.
What is a fractional CFO?+
A CFO who works part-time for several companies, common in start-ups and small businesses that need senior finance input without a full-time hire.
Which software does the office of the CFO use?+
An ERP or general ledger at the centre, with close and reconciliation tools, planning and forecasting platforms, treasury and cash tools, spend management, tax software and reporting tools.
Software used across the office of the CFO
PigmentCollaborative business planning across finance and operations.Profile →
AnaplanConnected planning across finance, sales and supply chain.Profile →
WorkivaClose data linked to filings and regulatory disclosures.Profile →
PanaxAI cash visibility and forecasting across multi-entity groups.Profile →
NetSuiteCloud ERP for mid-market companies outgrowing basic accounting.Profile →
RampCorporate cards, expenses and bill pay with savings insights.Profile →Part of Accountio’s accounting technology coverage · Glossary
