Proformative presents Insights and Strategies for Seasoned Executives in Transition. Special thanks to Cindy Kraft, CFO Coach and Cliff Scheffel, Managing Partner, KarrScheffel. To download full presentation, visit http://bit.ly/bWaori

1. THE RESOURCE FOR CORPORATE FINANCE, ACCOUNTING AND TREASURY PROFESSIONALS
Insight and Strategies for Seasoned
Executives in Transition
Sending the Right Signals to CEOs and Executive Recruiters
Cliff Scheffel, Managing Partner, KarrScheffel
Cindy Kraft, CFO Coach
January 28, 2010

2. THE RESOURCE FOR CORPORATE FINANCE, ACCOUNTING AND TREASURY PROFESSIONALS
What the CEO, the board and
recruiters look for in Senior
Financial Executives
Cliff Scheffel, Managing Partner, KarrScheffel

3. The Market
• Better than ’09, but don’t expect a return to
2007
• Will vary by region and by industry
• Strong IPO and tech market…clean tech is a
bright spot
• Changing industries is harder than you think; be
prepared for a “downshift”

4. If In Transition….Network!
• Former colleagues…bosses, peers,
subordinates
• Outside professionals..bankers, Walls Street
contacts, CPA firm, attorneys
• Other…professional associations, social
contacts, neighbors, church
• How much time devoted to recruiters

5. How to Approach Recruiters
• If you have an established relationship:
– Let them know you are available
– Send updated resume
– Follow up, best by email not more than every
6 weeks

6. How to Approach Recruiters
• If a new relationship
– Email blasts…do they work?
– Do the work to ID key recruiters in your
industry.
– Find someone who can introduce you
– Present resume, but do not insist on a
meeting. Realize that the recruiter has work
priorities, a family and other time constraints
– Accept a call if the meeting is not possible

7. How Does The Recruiter View You?
• The recruiters outlook is the same as their
client’s, i.e. the CEO and Board
• Will look at your level of experience
• Industry background is key
• Quality of past companies
• Size of past companies
• Public or private company experience
• Relationship….who was the referral source

8. Your Resume
• Chronological is best ..with dates!
• Never leave off a job..can be a one liner
• Focus on industry, size of company and key
achievements..IPO, financing transactions,
systems implementations
• Don’t provide references until asked
• Do not try to make it a work of art!

9. THE RESOURCE FOR CORPORATE FINANCE, ACCOUNTING AND TREASURY PROFESSIONALS
Packaging & Positioning ...
So You Can Land!
Cindy Kraft, the CFO-Coach
www.CFO-Coach.com
813-655-0658
www.CFO-Coach.com

10. Packaging & Positioning to Land
• Why value trumps responsibilities &
mitigates issues
• Why differentiation rules
• Why a targeted search strategy beats
the spaghetti strategy

11. Packaging
Commodity:
Something for which there is demand but with
no qualitative differentiation. The same no
matter who produces it.

12. Packaging

13. Packaging
He who trims himself to suit everyone will
soon whittle himself away.
~Raymond Hull

14. Packaging
... acting like a jack-of-all-trades ends up causing
others to think that if you’ve spent the time learning
how to do everything, you haven’t had the time
to become really good at what they actually
need you to do.

15. Packaging
When you claim your brand is perfect for
everyone, you’re just admitting that you
don’t know what matters to most.

16. Packaging

17. Packaging
Email me two tweets. The first should be about
your experience. The second should by why you're
perfect for this job. If you exceed twitter's allotted
character count, you're done.

18. Positioning
Target Market
Network
Digital Footprint

19. Positioning
• Canned invitations
• Incomplete profiles
• Twitter anonymity
• Embracing lazy informality
• Wallflower

20. Positioning
What does Google say about you?

21. Positioning
The tighter your niche,
the BIGGER your brand

22. Packaging & Positioning ...
So You Can Land!
Cindy Kraft, the CFO-Coach
Cindy@CFO-Coach.com
813-655-0658
www.CFO-Coach.com

23. THE RESOURCE FOR CORPORATE FINANCE, ACCOUNTING AND TREASURY PROFESSIONALS
Q&A

24. THE RESOURCE FOR CORPORATE FINANCE, ACCOUNTING AND TREASURY PROFESSIONALS
Please complete the webinar survey and
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in Transition” to continue the conversation
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Proformative Contacts
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CEO Senior Director
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