News: Performance Management
Research shows importance of financial skills for leaders
01 May 2008
The managing director of recruitment consultants Robert Half, has stated that those with strong financial skills and a solid finance career history are more likely to become chief executive officers (CEOs).
Phil Sheridan made his comments after new research revealed that chief executives in the UK tended to be younger and more financially skilled than their global counterparts.
The survey consisted of FTSE 100 companies and Standard and Poor's Global 100 companies.
Around 32 per cent of the 200 CEOs interviewed had some sort of finance background, with the figure rising to 39 per cent for British bosses, before assuming their executive positions.
Mr Sheridan believes the results highlight the importance of financial skills in the boardroom.
"Our analysis shows the world's leading companies continue to put a high significance on financial skills when choosing their boardroom leaders, and in the current economic environment this is unlikely to change," he said.
Robert Half was founded in 1948 and is a specialised recruitment company.
