The recent global economic downturn has drawn CFOs into more frequent boardroom conversations and not just about forecasts, profitability and risk management but about weighty strategic and operational issues.

As a result, they are emerging with far more influence at (and exposure to) the enterprise level. Has this heightened exposure to operations and strategy, against the backdrop of an altered business world, fundamentally and permanently changed the role of the CFO?

This Criticaleye film, completed in association with IBM, tackles this question.

In this clip, one of the four speakers, Ian Tyler, the Chief Executive of Balfour Beatty plc, gives his thoughts on how the role has changed.

• How do you effectively engage trade unions in a downturn?
• What metrics are in place for vendor management?
• Should end-to-end management always have an 'ideal scenario' in mind?
• What role does IT play in a downturn & should it be an area of cost reduction?
• Should the UK government support initiatives such as shorter working hours?
• Is this a time for insourcing or outsourcing?
• How do you discuss the value proposition with CFO's who are just focused on cost?
• How important are internal communications in a downturn?
• How do you measure the correlation between customer satisfaction and profit?
• How is the issue of increased unit costs resolved against the quality of service?
• How do you communicate the cost-reduction internally?