Chief Financial Officer Resume Sample & Expert Tips for Improving Your Finance Resume
Leverage this achievement-based Chief Financial Officer (CFO) resume example to learn what recruiters expect to see in an executive resume.
You'll then be able to improve your finance resume following our tips - whether you are a finance manager, finance director, or in an entry-level finance role.
View additional examples of effective executive resumes and learn about our recruiter-approved approach to resume writing here.
At the executive level, recruiters expect to see a high-impact resume that is not only well-formatted and easy to skim but also clearly demonstrates the results that you were able to deliver.
Below, we outline each section of the sample resume and provide tips that you can leverage to improve your own.
CAREER SUMMARY
DO use bullet points and specific examples to outline your career trajectory and key achievements.
DO NOT use vague or overexaggerated language such as: seasoned, results-driven finance executive | outstanding team player | proactive and self-motivated leader | dependable advisor to executive team.
• Brings 20 years of global finance leadership experience with healthcare, strategic marketing, and media organizations
• Serves as CFO of UCLA Health System, with P&L responsibility for $6.8B in annual revenue; recently drove lucrative acquisition of 204-bed medical center to further expand medical system’s portfolio
• Increased operating income for Presence Health by $18.9M by strategically managing merger and integration of Resurrection Health Care and Provena Health; spearheaded successful financial systems integration
• Advised Fortune 500 companies on M&A strategy and FP&A process improvement at Ernst & Young
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
DO highlight industry-specific areas of expertise and hard skills that your target roles require (based on the job description).
DO NOT outline soft skills such as communication, adaptability, multitasking, and problem solving, which recruiters expect any competent executive to possess.
• Post-Acquisition Financial Integration
• Revenue Growth Strategy
• Financial Planning and Risk Management
• Due Diligence, Audit, and Tax Compliance
• Corporate Governance
• Global Finance Team Leadership
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
DO separate your day-to-day responsibilities (paragraph format) from your accomplishments (bullet points) and tailor your content to your target roles.
DO NOT provide a laundry list of everything you were "responsible for" in your position, which does little to differentiate you from similar applicants.
UCLA Health System | Los Angeles, California
Chief Financial Officer | January 2018—Present
UCLA Health System is comprised of four hospitals, seven institutes, and 200+ medical offices and clinics in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California ($6.8B annual revenue). Partner with executive leadership to lead annual operating and capital budgeting processes and assess feasibility of new programs and acquisitions, reporting to CEO. Lead finance team of 50, with six direct reports spanning accounting, finance, annual audits, tax and treasury, and financial risk management functions. Oversee strategic initiatives that achieved EBITDA growth of 15%+ to date, ensuring all financial frameworks aligned with organization’s overall mission and strategy.
• Consolidated disparate financial reporting systems and developed internal governance structure and processes, including SOPs for budgeting, financial reporting, and accounting
• Directed due diligence and acquisition of 204-bed Olympia Medical Center in Los Angeles from Alecto Healthcare Services; led comprehensive analysis to determine optimal future use for facility
• Integrated 48 new primary and specialty care facilities, urgent care centers, outpatient surgery centers, imaging centers, and clinical labs into UCLA Health portfolio, increasing revenue by over $850M
• Renegotiated agreements with ten suppliers and consultants, resulting in $20M+ in savings systemwide
• Improved cash flow and working capital management processes; raised debt and financing as needed
• Worked with regulators and government representatives to influence national healthcare policies
• Designed and rolled out new accounting procedures, cutting down close cycle timeline by half
Presence Health (formerly Resurrection Health Care Corp.) | Chicago, Illinois
Chief Financial Officer | June 2011—December 2016
Presence Health is the second-largest health care system in the Chicago metropolitan area, spanning 12 hospitals and 3,100 beds. Joined Resurrection Health Care to position system for proposed merger with Provena Health. Upon completion of merger, built consolidated finance function spanning budgeting, reporting, planning, and compliance. Served as key member of executive leadership team and advised division heads on strategic growth initiatives.
• Drove increase in operating income from $26.3M to $45.2M over tenure via topline revenue growth (+400M) and by developing and implementing forecasting, budgeting, and cost reduction procedures
• Optimized forecasting accuracy by implementing Sage Intacct healthcare financial management platform across all locations, resulting in automated finance and accounting processes and real-time reporting functionality
• Steered successful sale of two unprofitable outpatient care buildings, spearheading sell-side deal process
• Restructured treasury and banking operations, improving working capital management
• Implemented ADP payroll system, benefits program, 401(k), and ERP system systemwide
R.R. Donnelley | Chicago, Illinois
Vice President of Finance | January 2005—December 2010
R.R. Donnelley (RRD) is a multichannel business communications services and marketing solutions provider. Recruited by CFO during period of rapid growth and company acquisitions to implement standardized, integrated financial systems. Advised leadership on accounting, tax compliance, treasury and cash management, and investor relations matters.
• Managed implementation of companywide financial reporting systems as well as forecasting, budget, and cost containment procedures; reduced month-end reporting time by 50% via new systems and team training
• Led post-acquisition financial integration of Asia Printers Group and transformed company’s economic model to create sustained profitability, resulting in 20% gross margin improvement
• Negotiated and closed multi-year $80M contract with F+W Publications; conducted financial due diligence to assess potential impact of partnership on company EBITDA and presented findings to executive leadership
• Developed and deployed six-week onboarding program and professional development track that increased employee engagement for finance function by 18%
• Prepared board and investor reporting; represented organization externally at industry conferences and events
DO condense the amount of information you provide for positions held early in your career or that are no longer relevant to what you do.
DO NOT describe every single role in extensive detail, as recruiters are most interested in what you have accomplished in the last 10 years.
Ernst & Young | New York, New York
Director, Strategy and Transactions | January 2006—December 2008
Led Transaction Diligence team in executing comprehensive financial due diligence analysis engagements. Spearheaded financial analysis of company performance in preparation for M&A, overseeing financial data and trend analysis, forecast development, accounting record reviews, and SEC filing preparation. Conducted industry research and prepared reports outlining key transaction-related business issues for client executive leadership teams.
Ernst & Young | London, England
Senior Manager, Finance Change Delivery – FP&A | June 2003—December 2005
Joined EY’s Finance Business Consulting team post-MBA to deliver large-scale post-acquisition FP&A transformation projects for two Fortune 500 clients. Led team of eight consultants, supporting clients in overhauling existing FP&A processes from the ground up and implementing management reporting systems (Oracle NetSuite, Sage Intacct). Ensured systems aligned with company requirements, led build and testing, and managed training and post-go-live support.
EARLY CAREER
DO consider including an Early Career section to demonstrate your career progression, but also consider leaving off entry-level or irrelevant positions altogether.
DO NOT list positions that do not build upon your overall story or that may detract from your credibility (such as internships you held in college or administrative roles).
MGM Holdings | Los Angeles, California
Senior Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis | 2000—2002
Warner Music Group | Los Angeles, California
Finance Manager | 1997—1999
Universal Pictures | Los Angeles, California
Financial Analyst | 1995—1996
BOARD MEMBERSHIPS
DO list board memberships, volunteer experiences, and community involvement to demonstrate your engagement outside of work.
DO NOT go into significant detail on your board memberships unless you are specifically preparing a board/NED resume.
Global Advisory Board Member - Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management | 2018 – Present
Board of Directors - Chicago Scholars Foundation | 2016 – Present
CERTIFICATION
DO list certifications and professional development that are well-respected in your industry and that are relevant to your target roles.
DO NOT provide an exhaustive list of all trainings you have attended through your workplace, for example, as such as approach can detract from this section's overall impact.
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) | CFA Institute
EDUCATION
DO include all university degrees and list widely-recognized academic achievements such as Latin honors.
DO NOT list your high school (unless you are a recent college graduate) or online courses (such as HBS Online or eCornell) that are best placed in a "professional development" section here.
Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management | Evanston, Illinois
Master of Business Administration in Accounting | 2003
University of California Los Angeles | Los Angeles, California
Bachelor of Arts in Economics, cum laude | 1995
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About the AuthorMatt Glodz
Matt Glodz is the Founder and Managing Partner of Resume Pilots and a Certified Professional Resume Writer.
After studying business communication at Cornell University, Matt worked within Fortune 500 companies, where he noted that qualified candidates were frequently denied interview opportunities due to poorly written documents.
At Resume Pilots, Matt combines his business and writing background - which includes prior work for a Chicago Tribune publication - to craft resumes that give his clients the best chance of landing interviews. He works with clients ranging from CEOs to recent graduates and has been writing resumes for over 10 years.
He has been quoted on numerous business and career-related topics in outlets including Business Insider, CNBC, Fortune, Glassdoor, The Ladders, and Thrive Global.