Having actually been a CFO, I was excited to learn how I might improve on how I do things, challenge any old thinking I had picked up, etc. However, this book says nothing new. In fact, it says almost nothing at all.

PwC has assembled a collection of jargon and case studies that are so high-level as to be of no use. I give it one star instead of zero because the eCFO checklists at the end of each chapter are, in fact, useful in terms of giving you some things to think about -- but you don't need to buy the whole book just for that. Check it out at the library -- better yet, just make photocopies of the checklists.

Is this book also an indication of what you get by hiring PwC consultants?

For a real CFO, this one is actually too heavy to read through. As for the practician, although graced with beautiful charts and diagrams, it ain't provide any real beef, either. It is a sample of "anything about nothing and nothing about anything". Vague!

The gang at PricewaterhouseCoopers discusses the chief financial officer's role in the changing corporate landscape. The eCFO is no longer only involved with financial management, but must become an internal venture capitalist, opportunity seeker and risk taker who works closely with the CEO to anticipate trends, recommend new enterprises and manage company investments as a portfolio of financial ventures. The authors draw on in-depth interviews with leading CFOs, case studies, independent research and analysis of the latest best practices. Though charts, bullets and boxes impart a textbook flavor, and the trend material is a little familiar, the book is generally solid and informative. We from getAbstract suggest it to CFOs and CEOs who need that "e" awareness, or to any manager who is trying to drag the boss into the 21st century, or even the 20th.

As its predecessor, CFO: The Architect of the Corporation's Future, eCFO continues PwC's collection of financial masterpieces.

eCFO provides a major turnaround in the finance function for the
21st century. The new CFO profile will demand a series of capabilities in order to lead companies through the e-world. Technical skills no longer suffice; CFOs are to be great visionaries and good communicators/motivators in their new leadership role.

For example, the new finance function has to take into account that budgets no longer work. They inhibit growth and creativity. I particularly liked a comment that said that budgets are an exercise of how small a company wants to be. Instead, the authors suggest using rolling forecasts as an alternative to foster creativity and at the same time control risks/costs.

I highly recommend this book. This is the third book I buy from PwC's finance team: CFO, eCFO and In Search of Shareholder Value.

Although it contains more than its fair share of populist concepts and views it does provide an excellent insight into the expanding role of the CEO. Particularly useful were the comments of leading CEO's at some of the worlds most dynamic companies.