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, Alan Bannatyne, Group Finance Director at Robert Walters plc, gives his thoughts on how the role has changed.

• Why do we, in the UK, allow Accountants to run our public companies?
• Are other directors on boards under the same increasing pressure as CFO's?
• What is the role of the CFO within the team?.
• Is the role of the CFO becoming more difficult?
• How are the roles of the Controller and the CFO reconciled?
• How can CFOs develop and gain the necessary breadth?
• What mechanisms are there for CFO's to build their leadership skills?
• How do you develop 'technicians' into the more rounded executives?
• Is there scope for a re-think on the role of the Company Secretary?