Dr. Sebastian Stange is an Expert for Corporate Strategy and CFO Excellence at Boston Consulting Group, which he joined in 2004. He is a core member of the Corporate Development practice area. He has worked mainly in the industrial goods sector, but supports projects across industries globally.
Sebastian has a special interest in parenting strategy and the role of the corporate center, capital allocation, and corporate governance. He co-developed BCG's parenting strategy concept and is co-author of several BCG publications on those subjects.
Our new global CFO survey during the COVID-19 crisis reveals that many CFOs are less pessimistic than they were when we first conducted the survey in April. In fact, half of the respondents have a more positive outlook, while about one-third have more negative expectations. This change in outlook naturally varies by industry: semiconductor, retail, and software and services CFOs are much more optimistic about the revenue and profit impact of the pandemic than they were in April, while CFOs in industrial goods industries (such as automotive) still see relatively little cause for optimism. (See the sidebar “About the Survey.”)
CFOs, though surprisingly pessimistic, are making the right moves to keep their businesses viable. To prepare for the future, they should take a scenario-based approach to balance financial discipline with strategic flexibility.
Only a few CFOs lead finance functions that truly outperform in both efficiency and effectiveness. Here’s what sets them apart.
Digitalisierung, neue Handelsbarrieren, zunehmende Volatilität und interne Komplexität: Familienunternehmen stehen vor vielen Herausforderungen. Um diesen zu begegnen, müssen auch ihre Aufsichtsgremien eine aktivere Rolle wahrnehmen, ihre Kompetenzen erweitern und die Effizienz ihrer Arbeit erhöhen. Dabei bewegen sich Beiräte und Aufsichtsräte von Familienunternehmen als Mittler zwischen Familie und Unternehmen häufig in einem besonderen Umfeld. Wie können sie es dennoch schaffen, eine wertschaffende Rolle zu finden und den Wandel zu unterstützen? Dieser Artikel zeigt vier Ansatzpunkte zur Weiterentwicklung der Gremienarbeit in Familienunternehmen.
What makes a supervisory board successful? How can non-executive board members make a valuable contribution to their company? Based on the largest survey among 120 German and Austrian supervisory board members to date, we determined exactly what it is that successful supervisory boards do differently.
Was macht einen Aufsichtsrat erfolgreich? Wie kann das Gremium einen wertvollen Beitrag für das Unternehmen leisten?
Im Rahmen der bisher größten Umfrage unter deutschen und österreichischen Aufsichtsräte haben wir 120 Vorsitzende und Mitglieder zu ihrer Arbeit befragt.
In the largest survey of German and Austrian supervisory boards to date, we asked 120 chairmen and board members about their work.
Dynamic change in industries and markets is providing supervisory boards with new challenges.
Die dynamische Veränderung in Branchen und Märkten stellt Aufsichtsräte vor neue Herausforderungen.
