Ever since the 1900s and even after the Great Depression in the 1930s, the primary role of a finance people was only a descriptive discipline on bookkeeping which means accurately recording all transactions related to the payment of suppliers, billing of customers, and handling of cash passing through the accounts department and issuing periodic financial statements. Until the late 1960s increased competition in industries forced financial managers to shift their focus towards evaluating investment opportunities and making decisions on the choice of assets and liabilities necessary to maximize the company’s value. The 1970s and 80s were a period of increased international competition, CEOs became concerned with operational efficiency to cope with the fast-growing market, this included the accounting functions which were streamlined and required to reach out to become a profit center for the whole organization. This transitional shift was gradual and finance manager’s roles are no longer stuck solely Continue reading