How do I become a CFO? The right-hand man of managers

What does the job of financial director consist of?

Are you working in a fast-growing company? It is preparing to open a subsidiary abroad. Have you ever wondered who validates the solidity of the project and assesses the risks and reassures investors? It is the role of chief financial officer. Ce strategic partner of the manager gives numbers the strength to guide strategy.

Its main missions

As a CFO, you analyze financial data for the future of the business. On a daily basis, this role involves several essential missions:

• Develop the financial strategy : define budget priorities, establish reliable forecasts and inspire confidence in investors;
• Manage cash flow and risks : secure cash flow (cash flow), anticipate unexpected events and maintain financial solidity;
• Making accounts and reporting reliable : ensure the transparency of results and provide managers with a clear vision to make decisions;
• Oversee management control and budgets : support teams in monitoring their objectives through precise benchmarks;
• Manage financing and M&A transactions : negotiating with financial partners, evaluating the profitability of projects and achieving successful integrations;
• Ensuring compliance and governance : protect the company's reputation and strengthen the trust of stakeholders.

Essential skills

To succeed as a CFO, it's not enough to know how to read balance sheets: you need to master a set of technical skills that allow you to manage the business accurately.

• Mastering accounting and consolidation : guarantee the reliability of accounts and ensure that they comply with standards;
• Excel in Management Control and Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) : build budgets, make forecasts and analyze variances to guide strategic choices;
• Managing cash and financing : optimize cash flow, negotiate with banks and secure the resources needed for growth;
• Understanding taxation : apply regulations and anticipate their impact on company decisions;
• Leveraging data, BI and AI : use digital tools to produce clear reporting and anticipate trends;
• Master business English : communicate with international partners and present the results to investors;

The qualities of a financial manager

Beyond technical skills, you must cultivate soft skills that will make you a real strategic partner for the manager.

• Leadership : mobilizing teams, inspiring trust and engaging in dialogue with other departments;
• Political sense : understand internal balances and know how to convince the management committee;
• Integrity : guarantee responsible management and maintain the credibility of the company;
• Communication : transform complex data into accessible messages through the storytelling of numbers;
• Crisis management : make quick and effective decisions in the face of the unexpected;
• Vision business : going beyond pure finance to grasp operational challenges and support growth.

📌 His soft skills are developed at BSB with the devices Pathfinder™ and Leaderskills Institute. Students are supported at every stage of their personal and professional lives.

What studies to become a controller?

Achieving the position of financial director requires a demanding career. The Bac+5 in Business school Or in Finances is the standard for aiming at this strategic position. After high school, several options exist. The business school offers a privileged environment: technical skills, development of soft skills and concrete experiences thanks to internships, international and work-study programs.

Possible courses after the bac

If you're aiming for financial management, it's essential to start with a demanding academic base. At BSB, the Bachelor in Management allows you to acquire these basics from the first year, with courses in management, marketing, law, data and finance. In the third year, you can opt foralternation and choose the specialization Finance, which provides you with a first level of expertise and prepares you for further studies. The Bachelor's degree alone is not yet enough to become a financial director, but it is a ideal gateway to the Grande École Programme to deepen your skills and prepare for your rise to positions of responsibility.

There are also other courses after high school, such as a BTS, a GOAL Or a licensing, which offer an initial approach to management and finance. However, the business school is distinguished by its broader framework: the diversity of courses, semester abroad, thealternation, the alumni network, the partner companies, as well as personalized support with  Pathfinder™.

📌 How to join the BSB Bachelor in Management?

• After high school: via Parcoursup for entry into the 1st year.
• After a BTS, a BUT or two years of license: via parallel admissions in 2nd or 3rd year.

Long studies: the Bac+5 course in business school

To become a CFO, you need to acquire in-depth technical expertise, develop a strategic vision, and build a profile that can inspire the trust of managers and investors alike. That is precisely the objective of Master Grande École offered by BSB.

In Master 2, specialization Corporate Finance & Management Control brings you the fundamentals of the business: budget control, performance management, development of dashboards and control of solutions BI/ERP.

It is also possible to choose the specialization Banking & Financial Engineering. This course opens the doors to professions close to management control, such as credit analyst, bank account manager or financial engineering specialist, while developing solid financial expertise.

Accessible after a Bac+3 (via Passerelle competition or after the BSB Bachelor), this program prepares you to manage the financial performance of an organization, to manage cash flow and financing, to anticipate risks and to participate in major company decisions, whether it is an ambitious SME or a large international group.

Its major advantages:

• Initial format or alternation, to accumulate up to 24 months of business experience;
• Courses in French or English, taught by professors and international speakers;
• International opportunities : academic exchanges in more than 200 partner universities and the possibility of a double degree;
• Advanced specializations in M2: Corporate Finance & Management Control, or Banking & Financial Engineering, depending on your professional project;
• Development of soft skills thanks to Leaderskills Institute, to develop your leadership and political acumen.

Do you want to go even further and strengthen your expertise in a global context? Les Masters of Science (MSc), accessible after a Bac+4 or in M2 from MGE, are intensive programs and 100% in English. The MSc Corporate Finance & Investment Banking prepares you for transaction finance jobs (investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, financial advice). The Master Data Management & Business Analytics, for its part, trains you in the use of data and AI to improve the performance and strategic management of companies.

📌 In summary : to become a financial director, it is essential to aim for a Bac+5 in Business school. The degree counts, but it's only one step. You don't become a CFO as soon as you graduate from a Master's degree. This strategic position is obtained in climbing the ladder, thanks to several years of experience in management control, audit or corporate finance. On the other hand, a Master, especially when combined withalternation, allows you to quickly access management positions and to evolve more quickly towards financial management. Without this level of qualification, however, access to these functions remains limited.

Salary and evolution of a financial director

With a Bac+5 in business school, you are preparing for a solid career in financial management. It remains to be seen what this role offers in practice: what remuneration and what career prospects?

Average earnings

In 2025, the remuneration of financial directors reflects the strategic importance of their role. According to the guide of wages Robert Half, a CFO or CFO earns on average between €110,000 and €220,000 gross per year, with differences related to company size, sector and geographic location.

To this are often added a variable linked to performance, as well as pros (profit-sharing, participation, company car, stock options in large groups). From the first positions of responsibility, remuneration evolves rapidly, especially if you have chosen work-study programs and accumulated significant experience.

Opportunities for progression

The path to financial management is gradual. Many CFOs start their careers in management control, audit or treasury, before evolving into functions of Business Unit CFO, then CFO group.

With experience, you can broaden your scope by integrating legal supervision or financial information systems. Some then choose to go a step further towards Directorate-General, the strategy consultancy, the bank Or theentrepreneurship.

Our alumni in the finance sector

FAQ — How do I become a controller?

What diploma to become a CFO/CFO?

To access the financial department, the Bac+5 is the norm. Business schools with a specialization in finance offer the best framework, thanks to thealternation, international exchanges and career support.

What daily missions and with what tools?

The CFO manages the financial strategy, the treasury And the management control. On a daily basis, it relies on tools from consolidation, of Business Intelligence (BI) And of automated reporting, such as Power BI or specialized ERPs.

What is the salary of a financial manager in 2025?

According to the guides Robert Half and Michael Page, the average CFO earns between €110,000 and €220,000 gross per year in France, with a package that often includes variables and additional benefits.

How to move from control/audit to financial management?

The most common way is to start with management control, audit or treasury, then to evolve into a position of financial manager before accessing the CFO function. On average, you need 8 to 12 years of experience to reach that level.

What is the impact of AI and sustainability on the role of the CFO?

The CFO must now integrate the extra-financial reporting (CSRD, ESG) and use theAI to automate consolidation or forecasting. Its role goes beyond traditional finance to include sustainable performance and data management.

Source: Robert Half

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