Financial Director
On this page
- What's it like to be a Financial Director?
- How to become a Financial Director
- Top skills and experience for Financial Directors
What's it like to be a Financial Director?
Financial Directors report to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and oversee the Finance Managers within a company’s finance department. They direct the activities of the finance department by forecasting cash flow, mitigating risks, and designing financial strategies. They also identify opportunities for a company to increase profit and reduce expenses. Financial Directors work at corporations, banks, and insurance and investment firms.
Tasks and duties
- Forecasting the financial trajectory of the company.
- Building and maintaining relationships with clients and investors.
- Analysing and optimising the company’s financial performance.
- Presenting and coordinating finance reports with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
- Creating strategies and goals to be implemented by Finance Managers.
- Ensuring company compliance with government and industry regulations.
- Monitoring audits and mitigating risks.
Leadership, attention to detail, and the ability to see the big picture are key skills for the role. Financial Directors commonly start out as Accountants before getting promoted to managerial and executive roles.
How to become a Financial Director
To work as a Financial Director, a bachelor degree and years of management experience in finance are required.
Graduate with a bachelor degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or another related field.
Complete an internship in the finance department of a recognised company.
Obtain a professional accounting licence from the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA). The process may take as long as 3-5 years and involves passing a number of examinations. If you have a degree in accounting recognised by the Malaysia Institute of Accountants (MIA), this step may be skipped.
Gain 3 years of professional accounting experience to be eligible for registering as a Chartered Accountant with the Malaysia Institute of Accountants (MIA).
Register as a Chartered Accountant with the Malaysia Institute of Accountants (MIA).
Pursue promotion to managerial positions such as Accounting Manager or Finance Manager.
Consider completing a postgraduate degree in accounting, finance, or business administration and advancing in your career to Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
