A broader view of governance for CFOs and finance directors. Explore how board structures, risk oversight, accountability and stakeholder relationships connect with the finance leader’s work.
Free PDF · 70 pages · Handbook with practical tools
By Beyond Governance
- Explore governance responsibilities across nine chapters
- Review the roles of boards and their committees
- Use the evaluator comparison and stakeholder mapping tools
Governance across the CFO role
A CFO’s contribution to the board extends across risk, strategy, information and accountability. Understanding how these responsibilities fit together helps finance leaders participate in governance discussions with a wider view of the organisation.
The CFO’s Guide to Governance brings these subjects into one handbook. Its nine chapters cover governance frameworks, risk, audit committees, board committees, accountability, directors’ duties, board evaluation, ESG and stakeholder engagement. The guide also includes tools for comparing board evaluators and mapping stakeholders.
What the handbook covers
Governance frameworks and accountability
Explore how responsibilities and decision-making arrangements fit together, alongside warning signs that the framework needs attention.
Risk and audit committees
Consider the relationship between risk oversight, audit committee work and the questions finance leaders should be prepared to discuss.
Boards and their committees
Review the roles of different committees and their contribution to the board’s work.
Board evaluation
Explore the purpose of a board review and use the included comparison table to organise considerations when selecting an evaluator.
ESG and stakeholder engagement
Consider the governance questions surrounding environmental, social and governance matters, then use the stakeholder map to structure your thinking about key relationships.
Who the handbook is for
CFOs, finance directors and other directors who want a connected view of governance, including finance leaders broadening their board responsibilities or working more closely with the company secretary.
Two practical tools included
The handbook includes a board-evaluator comparison table and a stakeholder mapping template. Both provide space to organise your own information alongside the explanatory chapters.
Why download the handbook
Keep the main governance subjects together in one resource for discussion and reference. The chapters let you focus on the area relevant to your work, while the included tools help turn reading into a more structured assessment.
How to use it
Start with the chapter closest to your current responsibilities. Use it to prepare questions for the Chair, company secretary or committee, and complete the relevant tools with your organisation’s circumstances in mind.
Download the CFO’s Guide to Governance
Explore the governance questions that connect finance leadership with the wider work of the board.
Button: Download the CFO guide
Related resources
An Internal Audit Checklist for Corporate Governance
The Board Effectiveness Self Assessment
Further support
Explore our corporate governance training for further development on governance and directors’ responsibilities.
