|
| CFO
PROFILES |
"I Like Innovative, Disruptive Businesses"
Can an online jeweler survive the massive pullback in consumer spending? An interview with Marc Stolzman, CFO, Blue Nile Inc. Interview by Kate Plourd (February 2009) |
RICHARD MEDDINGS, GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR OF STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
Group finance director Richard Meddings tells CFO how manages risk at a time of unprecedented danger for banks. Interview by Tim Burke (Dec 08/ Jan 09) |
PROFILE OF THE CFO
A reader survey shows how far Asia’s finance chiefs have come over the years. (November 2008) |
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
The careers of CFO Asia’s first interviewees demonstrate the rich possibilities of a job in finance. (November 2008)
 Mak Chee Wah, CEO of Melioris
Frank Lai, CFO of China Resources Microelectronics
Victor Koo, Founder and CEO of Youku.com
Where are they now?
|
CAN EX-CFOS SAVE FREDDIE & FANNIE?
Ex-CFOs, Freddie and Fannie; CFOs on the move. (November 2008) |
MISSING THE CORNER OFFICE
CFOs on the move. (October 2008) |
IT TAKES A CRISIS
A CFO’s trial by fire at Siemens. (September 2008) |
| JENNIFER LI, CFO OF BAIDU (September 2008) |
| JIM AYALA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF AYALA LAND (July/August 2008) |
| S. RAMAKRISHNAN, CFO, TATA POWER (Jun 2008) |
MAKING THE PIECES FIT
Confronting a cultural mismatch; CFOs on the move. (Jun 2008) |
| STEPHEN ROACH, CHAIRMAN, MORGAN STANLEY ASIA (May 2008) |
STAYING IN THE GAME
CFO Rahul Gupta puts finance in the lead of Shinsei Bank’s survival strategy.
(April 2008) |
| RON WIRAHADIRAKSA, CFO OF LG PHILIPS LCD (April 2008) |
TIME FOR A TIGER
CFOs on the move. (April 2008) |
| ZENJI MIURA, CFO OF RICOH (March 2008) |
TRUE BELIEVER
Pakistan is not for the timid, but at least one CFO believes its economy is structured to thrive. (February 2008) |
| JIM MARSH, CEO OF CABLE & WIRELESS (February 2008) |
LOOK HOMEWARD, CFOS
Back home to India; Remembering Baidu's Shawn Wang. (February 2008) |
| MAYAWATI, CHIEF MINISTER OF UTTAR PRADESH (Dec 2007/Jan 2008) |
BIG SPENDER
SM Investments makes a huge bet on the growth of overseas remittances and consumption in the Philippines. Are the risks too great? (November 2007) |
| EDWARD BASTIAN, CEO OF DELTA AIR LINES (November 2007) |
MEET THE FAMILY
What to do if you are being asked to professionalize the finance function of a family-owned firm. (October 2007) |
| JOHN ZDANOWSKI, CFO, SECOND LIFE (October 2007) |
GOODBYE, SINGAPORE
Jackson Tai resigns from DBS Group Holdings; CFOs on the move. (October 2007) |
BANDWIDTH
BARON
India’s VSNL
owns much of the world’s internet highway. Can the former
government-owned monopoly transform itself into the global player
it wants to be? (September
2007) |
| MONTEK SINGH
AHLUWALIA PLANNING COMMISSION OF INDIA (September
2007) |
FAREWELL,
JUDY LEWENT
Merck’s
Judy Lewent retires; CFOs on the move. (September
2007) |
| ANWAR IBRAHIM,
FORMER DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA (Jul/Aug
2007) |
|
THE
END OF AN ERA
Lenovo’s
Mary Ma retires; CFOs on the move. (Jul/Aug
2007) |
|
| SUMANT SINHA,
CEO OF ADITYA BIRLA RETAIL (June
2007) |
|
| CHRIS LIDDELL,
CFO OF MICROSOFT (May
2007) |
|
A
TALE OF TWO BONUSES
A turbulent
bonus time at PCCW; CFOs on the move. (May
2007) |
|
| STEPHEN
HARTWELL GREER, CEO OF SMORGON HARTWELL RECYCLING (Apr
2007) |
|
IN
THE US, ‘A LITTLE LESS FUN’
The career-life expectancy of CFOs in major US corporations
is diminishing; CFOs on the move. (Mar
2007) |
|
JOHN NOBLE,
CFO OF BEST BUY INTERNATIONAL
(Mar
2007) |
|
A WALK ON
THE WILD SIDE
Ng Wai Lun
makes the switch many dream of – from multinational to
maverick.
(Feb
2007) |
|
ALAISTER
MURRAY, CFO, JUMEIRAH GROUP
(November
2006) |
|
SINGTEL
CONNECTS
Hail to the chief:
Chua Sock Koong gets the top job at SingTel; CFOs on the move
(October 2006) |
|
XU LING-LING
OF LIANHUA SUPERMARKET
(October
2006) |
HERE COMES
THE SON
How Mittal Steel’s
young CFO fought for and won Europe’s largest steelmaker.
(September 2006) |
|
CLIVE STANDISH
OF UBS
(September
2006) |
|
TAKING
THE PEPSI CHALLENGE
Nooyi
takes the Pepsi challenge; CFOs on the move (September
2006) |
|
PROBLEMS
OF THE PIONEER
Orix has a
unique history and ownership structure, enabling it to pursue
a growth strategy even when other Japanese companies were downsizing.
(July/August
2006) |
|
WEIGHING
SCALE
Does China Paradise
have the formula needed to capture a larger share of China’s
retail market? (July/August
2006) |
|
THE ASIAN
DEVELOPMENT BANK’S MIKIO KASHIWAGI
(July/August 2006) |
|
| TOKYO STOCK
EXCHANGE’S YASUO TOBIYAMA (June
2006) |
|
| PEABODY
ENERGY’S RICK NAVARRE (May
2006) |
|
PAI
IN THE SKY
CFOs on the move.
(May 2006) |
|
TWO
YEARS AND A LOT OF MONEY
Day of reckoning for the CFO of Singapore-listed China Aviation
Oil; CFOs on the move (Mar
2006) |
|
LONELY PLANET’S
CAROLYN SUTTON
(Mar
2006) |
|
CHUA SOCK
KOONG
Chua Sock Koong talks
about her new, expanded role at SingTel, and the company’s
regional growth plans. (Feb
2006) |
|
MAGNA TATA
Already one of India’s largest
and most successful companies, the Tata group remains in expansion
mode. (Dec
2005) |
|
MARGARITO
TEVES
The Finance Secretary
of the Philippines speaks out on VAT, banking reform, and more.
(Dec 2005) |
|
CERTIFICATES
TO GO
Professional certificates
can play a supporting role in career development. (Dec
2005) |
|
GE’s
KEITH SHERIN
The CFO of
General Electric, the US industrial giant, talks about the company’s
plans in Asia, building a talent base in China, and gives some
advice to managers of Asian conglomerates. (Nov
2005) |
|
RAW ENERGY
The CFO of China Shenhua
Energy may run finance in a showcase company, but, increasingly,
that’s a limited advantage. (Nov
2005) |
|
GRAPEVINE
Who’s moving up, down, and
out in Asian finance. (Jul
2005) |
|
GRAPEVINE
Who’s moving up, down, and
out in Asian finance. (May
2005) |
|
A
FINAL PORT OF CALL
After
overcoming a series of disasters, CFO Lim How Teck leaves NOL
with bright prospects. (Apr
2005) |
|
THE
DOMINO EFFECT
When Jardine
Matheson’s CFO retires in March, the knock-on effect will
be felt throughout the company. (Mar
2005) |
|
TO BOLDLY
GO
The past, present, and
future of finance, as viewed by three of Europe’s top
retiring CFOs. (Mar
2005) |
|
AFTER THE
CARNAGE
Hong Kong fashion retailer
Bossini replaced its CFO, and then electrified the market with
a dramatic turnaround. (Nov 2004) |
|
HERE COMES
INDIA'S MOTOWN
SG Joglekar,
CFO of Bharat Forge, has built a small powerhouse among the
auto-supply companies based in Pune. Now government inefficiency
may be preventing his company from going global. (Nov
2004) |
|
FEATURE
: SINK OR SWIM
Malaysian appliance maker Pensonic faces the challenge of globalization.
Will it succeed? (Oct 2004) |
|
FEATURE:
INSIDE THE BEER WARS
How Anglo-African
brewer SABMiller decides which acquisitions to pursue - and
why it let go of China's Harbin Brewery. (Oct
2004) |
|
FEATURE:
THE BURGER MASTER
A Philippine
fast-food chain taps a Procter & Gamble CFO for its shared-services
initiative. JFC's strategy could hold lessons for other globalizing
Asian companies. (Sep
2004) |
|
COVER STORY:
DOES MICROSOFT NEED CHINA?
Microsoft,
the tech giant, is on the rebound, but its future may lie in
how it decides to adapt its pricing model to the developing
world. (Jul/Aug 2004) |
|
FEATURE:
TAKING THE HEAT
Amid talk of
a hard landing in China, CFO Leong Wai Leng of Philips China
stands unperturbed. Behind her confidence is careful planning,
and a modest leap of faith.
(Jun 2004) |
|
FEATURE:
REVVING UP
GM China CFO John
Kett sees continued market share gains from growth in the mainland.
But to ensure long-term profitability, he needs local suppliers
to rev up too. (May 2004) |
|
FEATURE:
CHINA GOES GLOBAL
TCL is on
its way to becoming the world's largest television maker. But
can it really become the next Sony? (Apr
2004) |
|
FEATURE:
THE UNITED KINGDOM OF CHALCO
Chalco's
CFO needed plenty of grit and determination to restructure and
lead the firm to an overseas listing. (Mar
2004) |
|
COVER STORY:
THE EXPLORER
CFO Mark Qiu of
CNOOC, the Chinese oil giant that has become the showcase for
overseas expansion, stands at the forefront of the nation's
bid for global recognition. (Nov 2003) |
|
COVER STORY:
'DO MORE, SAY LESS'
PetroChina's
aggressive policy of transparency has won admiration - and investment
dollars - from Warren Buffett. But can the state-owned firm
deliver? (Nov 2003) |
|
COVER STORY:
FEELING THE HEAT
Much has been
written lately about the possibility that China's red-hot economy
will super-heat with devastating economic consequences. CFOs
with major operations in China, although confident of the Middle
Kingdom's prospects, are taking measures to handle the risk,
if need be. (Oct 2003) |
|
COVER STORY:
AIR PLAY
AirAsia has launched
a bold attempt to introduce a budget airline in Asia and its
CFO is embroiled in what analysts see as a classic David versus
Goliath battle. But the Goliath, state-owned Malaysia Airlines,
is showing signs of being revived by the competition. (Jul/Aug
2003) |
|
WATCH OUT,
SONY
Long labeled as a pure
semiconductor play by investors, Samsung Electronics is pitching
its broader credentials as a manufacturer of telecommunications,
digital media and home appliances to the world - and its competitors.
In a first-ever interview with the press, CFO Doh-Seok Choi
tells CFO Asia how finance is supporting the company's bid to
be a diversified giant. (Apr 2003) |
|
TAKING ON
THE WORLD
Tapped by Kumar Birla
to take over finances at India's legendary Birla Group, Sumant
Sinha faces one of the toughest CFO jobs in Asia. Birla is a
monster company with more than 40 units. Meanwhile, the world
of global business is closing in on India, intensifying pressure
on Birla's many business sectors. Sinha has been given the mandate
to reorganize the business quickly - and grow. (Feb
2003) |
|
WORTH A
SOVEREIGN
Petronas is Malaysia's
most powerful company, with a bond rating higher than the country
itself. Part efficient multinational, part secretive behemoth,
the government-owned oil giant mixes world-class corporate governance,
information management, and capital structure with the jittery
specter of government intervention. As such, CFO Datuk Ishak
Imam Abas walks a tightrope. (Sep 2002) |
|
SPIN DOCTORS
Smooth-talking CFOs have emerged as
key players on China's burgeoning telecommunications scene.
They're charged with selling the new regime of cut-and-thrust
competition to financial markets and consumers - and loving
every minute of it. (Sep 2002) |
|
POWERS OF
INFLUENCE
Many decisions CFOs
make are influenced by politicians, financiers and others around
the world. Here are 24 of those most likely to have an impact
on business in Asia. (Jul 2002) |
|
STAYIN'
ALIVE
LGT
is in a desperate bid to survive as the third-ranked player
in Korea’s cellular market, and CFO Martin Lee has taken
his case to global investors. Lee has overseen the company’s
bold strategy since it demerged with its chaebol parent by making
LGT everything its competitors are not. The company is building
its 3G network incrementally, spending less, and improving finances
and internal corporate governance. After several breakthroughs
in March and April, Lee’s mission looks less quixotic
day by day. (Jun 2002) |
|
MICROSOFTER...OR
NOT?
John
Connors, the CFO of Microsoft, has seen his job go from a laugh
to the bank to making the numbers quarter by quarter. A raft
of challenges now faces Connors declining earnings, an
antitrust case, and impaired investments made by his predecessor.
Microsoft hopes Connors, its fourth CFO, is the right man at
the right time. How will he cope with these challenges? (Jun
2002) |
|
FLYING TANDEM
China Southern is a publicly
listed company that also falls under the control and ownership
of China's bureaucratic government-run Civil Aviation Administration
of China. China Southern's CFO sees moves by its largest shareholder
to consolidate the industry as ultimately in the best interest
of all shareholders. But other obligations, coupled with the
mergers, could overstretch the company. Mounting debt is one
inevitable result. (May 2002) |
|
ASSET LITE
Li & Fung has inspired traders
in Asia with its unique asset-light business model. Noble Group
is using the model as well with its commodity-based business.
Li & Fung's CFO runs the company's back-end machinery, while
Noble's CFO runs the equivalent of an internal bank. The wide
range of functions these CFOs manage makes them more business
partners than employees. (Apr 2002) |
|
SIXT SENSE
Hutchison Whampoa, the
Hong Kong conglomerate, has made a make-or-break bet on third-generation
mobile phone technology. In an exclusive interview, CFO Frank
Sixt explains Hutchison's strategy, and why the company just
might win. (Mar 2002) |
|
BEST PRACTICES
The CFO of Goldman Sachs
wins CFO magazine's 2001 Excellence Award for Risk Management
by redefining the way Goldman analyzes value-at-risk. (Nov
2001) |
|
RIGHT PLACE,
RIGHT TIME
Two CFOs left their
cushy jobs in the US for the comparative wilds of Shanghai.
Hoping to capitalize on the vast potential for growth in China's
mobile phone sector, they founded two companies that service
this fast-growing sector. The services were an instant hit,
and the companies anticipate dynamic growth – if they
can stay ahead of the competition. (Nov
2001) |
|
TAI BREAKER
With its financial muscle and young
management, DBS Bank is breaking from the Asian mold of parochial
banks, taking risks to expand in bigger markets and compete
with global players. But these moves have taken DBS out of the
realm of comfortable cash-rich, government-linked corporation.
Can CFO Jackson Tai make all of the bank's grand ambitions come
true - without sinking the ship? (Jul
2001) |
BEST PRACTICES
Eurotunnel CFO Richard Shirrefs
joined this debt-laden company when it was beginning to recover
from near financial disaster. Then disaster of another kind
hit. Here's how Shirrefs and his team put the company back on
track. (Jul 2001) |
POWER STEERING
Although General Motors has fallen
out of grace in its home market, its China strategy may help
the company see growth with sparks again. The CFO of General
Motors China has tackled the restrictive industry policies,
limited funding sources, high tariffs, and cultural differences
that make China a minefield for multinationals – and so
far, is managing to come out ahead of the game. (May
2001) |
WINGS OF
DESIRE
Corruption, towering
debt, embarrassing crashes, and abrupt management changes have
long been the hallmarks of Asia's airline industry. That's because
the major carriers are stuck between their government's privatization
plans and political fears of relinquishing control of a key
industry. This bind has left most of the region's big airlines
in financial free-fall. Yet a turnaround may be on the horizon,
and dedicated CFOs are making the difference. (Apr
2001) |
ROYAL AMBITION
A strict acquisition strategy has helped
Royal Ahold grow from strength to strength. But with recession
looming, the company has begun to rethink its global strategy.
For CFO Michael Meurs, this means helping the 114-year-old company
step up its diversification drive, move further into the food-service
industry, and also focus on organic growth as a food retailer.
(Apr 2001) |
RAISING
CAPITAL
Han Ying - AsiaInfo's
CFO raised US$145 million within 12 months for the young Beijing-based
company. (Mar 2001) |
TURNAROUND
MANAGEMENT
Hee Sang Cho - Facing
bankruptcy three-and-a-half years ago, E-Land is now profitable
and poised to go public. (Mar 2001) |
MANAGING
FINANCE IN AN SME
Deepak Ghaisas
- I-Flex's CFO has ensured that the growth rate has been matched
by its cost reductions at this Mumbai-based company vying to
be a global competitor. (Mar 2001) |
MERGERS
AND ACQUISITIONS
Lim Cheng
Cheng - Innovative thinking and a cool demeanor helped Singapore
Power International's CFO keep the cost of capital down. (Mar
2001) |
RAISING
CAPITAL (SPECIAL COMMENDATION)
Chia
Song Hwee - Chartered Semiconductor's head of finance pulled
off an IPO and further fund raising with spectacular timing.
(Mar 2001) |
RAISING
CAPITAL (SPECIAL COMMENDATION)
Harvey
Chang - Prudent cash management by the CFO helped TSMC execute
the largest corporate equity issuance in Asia to date. (Mar
2001) |
MANAGING
FINANCE IN AN SME (SPECIAL COMMENDATION)
Han
Ying - Faster collection on accounts receivables, tight cost
control and staff incentives have helped AsiaInfo become profitable.
(Mar 2001) |
SEEING THE
LIGHT
CLP Holdings plugs into
the region's markets in an effort to keep shareholders' returns
burning bright. (Feb 2001) |
VETERAN'S
DAY
As Carly Fiorina stirs
change at Hewlett-Packard, "old-timer" Bob Wayman
reinforces the company's venerable past. (Dec/
Jan 2001) |
CASH CONTROL
Mark Qiu started off his career as
an eCFO in Alaska trying to raise money from Eskimos. Things
have been looking up since then. (Oct
2000) |
GOING GLOBAL
A brash group of Taiwanese CFOs are
helping their companies take on multinationals at their own
game. (Sep 2000) |
IN THE LINE
OF FIRE
Can
Hyundai Electronic's CFO Jae Moon Hyun rebuild his company's
fortunes given the deep troubles of the Hyundai Group? (Jul
2000) |
BOTTLED
UP AT SAN MIG
San Miguel's
CFO Alberto M. de Larrazabal, one of the region's sharpest finance
chiefs, is now sitting on US$1 billion in cash. So far, his
efforts to find the right home for this money aren't working
- and time could be running out. (May
2000) |
A
CUT ABOVE
How two CFOs, Graham
Howe of Orange and Wolfgang Weik of Alcatel SEL, used finance
to remodel and revolutionize their companies' approach to business
- and became winners of the first European CFO Excellence Awards.
(Apr 2000) |
DEALWATCH
– DEAL OF THE CENTURY
The
man on the financial highwire in the Pacific Century Group's
US$38 billion mega-deal to buy Cable & Wireless HKT is Francis
Yuen, the company's vice-chairman and head of finance. A day-by-day
look at how he's managing the deal of the Century. (Apr
2000) |
THE
NEW SAMURAI
A new breed of
financial director is breathing life into corporate Japan, marking
the beginning of a genuine restructuring of Japan's companies
from within. These CFOs are young, ambitious and willing to
take risks. They use finance methods that favor transparency
and promote shareholder value, and they like their compensation
pegged to performance. (Mar 2000) |
21ST
CENTURY CFO
In the new
millenium, finance directors in Asia will shape corporate strategies,
partner with business units - and even sit on boards of directors.
They will also be challenged like never before. (Jan
2000) |
ABOVE
AND BEYOND
What does it
take to be the best in finance? Three CFOs, all winners of CFO's
1999 Excellence Awards in the US, show that innovation and creativity
are key to creating shareholder value. (Jan
2000) |
THE
STAR OF INDIA, VERSION 2.0
Infosys
is one of the most successful technology corporations in India.
So what will company managers - including finance chief Mohandas
Pai - do for an encore? (Jan 2000) |
PLUGGED
IN, LOGGED ON AND HYPED UP
A new generation of Internet CFOs is redefining the finance
function at some of Asia's fastest rising companies. (Nov
1999) |
SMOOTH
OPERATOR
Greg Maffei, CFO,
Microsoft Corporation (Oct 1999) |
THIS
YEAR'S MODEL
A new breed of
CFOs in Asia is focusing on corporate governance, financial
best practices and - gasp - shareholder value. (Jul/Aug
1999) |
LEGEND
IN THE MAKING
Mary Ma, CFO,
Legend Group Holdings Company (May 1999) |
ACER
IN THE HOLE
Philip Peng, senior
VP of corporate finance, Acer Computer (Apr
1999) |
THE
MAN WITH THE MIDAS TOUCH
Chay
Yee Meng, CFO, Natsteel Electronic (Feb
1999) |
LIFE
DURING WARTIME
Michael Healey,
head of group finance, First Pacific Company (Nov
1998) |
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