Profitable Expectations

Douglas T. Hicks is a consultant, writer, speaker and educator who has spent thirty-five years helping accountants grow into value-adding members of their company's management. During that time he has served over 200 clients, authored three books on management accounting, written scores of articles for professional and trade publications and spoken at nearly 400 professional events.

THE CEO WANTED A CONTROLLER TO BE MORE THAN JUST AN ACCOUNTANT. WOULD SHE BE ABLE TO MEET THOSE EXPECTATIONS? After three years on the job, Marcella was comfortable and confident in her role as controller of PlumbCo, a $20 million manufacturer and distributor of plumbing products. That all changed, however, when a new CEO arrived and she found that his view of a financial executive's role was dramatically different than that of her previous boss. He expected her to not only be a highly effective accountant, but also a dynamic, value-adding member of PlumbCo's management team. Could she move beyond the "controller" stereotype and become a true management accountant, not just a "bean counter?" Her financial accounting background had not prepared her for such a role, but a chance meeting with an elderly, one-armed mentor, known simply as "the Major," helped her escape conventional thinking and embark on an adventure that took her into all aspects of PlumbCo's business. What obstacles will she face? What solutions will she develop? Will she see above and beyond an accountant's conventional thinking, rise to the occasion, and meet the CEO's expectations? And what will it take for her to make this transformation?