What 35 years in financial leadership have thought me
I have spent my working life making complex financial questions decidable - first as an auditor, then in finance and risk functions at major banks, in Switzerland and abroad.
Three things I learned along the way from the core of my work today.
- Understanding the numbers before you trust them: As an auditor, you learn to look behind every number, question the assumptions and find what isn't in the table.
- Put risks in order instead of pushing them aside: Risk management is not about ruling out every scenario. It is about knowing which one would really hurt and how much of a buffer you need against it.
- Prepare decisions: For years I produced the papers for boards and committees that move a lot of money and have little time. That means showing scenarios rather than forecasts, getting the essentials onto one page and point out the numbers the decision hinges on.
This is exactly what I do today for private clients - except that instead of an executive board or a board of directors, it is now you and your family sitting at the table.
