Monday, December 21, 2009

Sector - Aerospace & Defense
Company - Finmeccanica SpA
CFO - Alessandro Pansa
Country - Italy
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
“Alessandro’s job is more complicated than the CFOs of banks and financial institutions. He has a huge job to do because of the backlog Finmeccanica has in many countries. He needs to and does have a good edge in currencies and is able to manage all the different markets they operate in.”

Sector - Automotive
Company - Porsche Automobil Holding SE
CFO - Holger P. Haerter
Country - Germany
What do shareholders say about this CEO?
"Holger is available for investor access more frequently than Porsche’s other people. He is very reliable and has done an excellent job hedging and protecting the company during the downturn."
"The company is driven by the CEO and CFO. They have a brilliant track record in hedging."
"I am able to access him more frequently and he is reliable."


Sector - Banks
Company - Itau Unibanco Banco Multiplo SA
CEO - Silvio Aparecido de Carvalho
Country - Brazil
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Silvio has created good visibility and a good track record. People have complained that there wasn’t a lot of visibility during the merger with Unibanco but it’s unfair because no company wants to release that kind of information while doing a deal of that size. Ever since the deal went through, his communication to the market and the bank’s disclosure has been clear, transparent and detailed. The bank is one of the most profitable in the world and he is largely responsible for it."
"He is always ahead of the curve when it comes down to seizing growth opportunities."
"I have been tracking the company for several years. If you were to compare the CFO of Itau to other CFO he is definitely top quality. He is much more focus on return on assets and profitability as opposed to market share."
"He's a good banker. There's nothing particularly special about him but he's contributes to being a part of a very good company."
"He's pretty focused and straight to the point. He manages the company in a good way and is always worried about capital structure."
"Everything he does, it's with a business plan. For example, if they are going to buy something, they'll do the math, they'll figure out the cost and how it will work.
He has shown good financial management during the crisis, especially combating inflation."
"He is one of the best CFO's in the world."


Sector - Banks
Company - BNP Paribas SA
CFO - Philippe Bordenave
Country - France
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Philippe Bordenave has been the right man for the job during this tough time for banks. He has been able to address the accounting issues that came about due to the crisis, has a clear strategy and has instrumented a strict cost discipline throughout the bank. Moreover, he has good communication skills with investors and the market in general."
"There has been no hesitation from him and no negative surprises."
"There is no problem is all. He is very competent and a very good communicator."
"He delivers their information well and he has a quick reaction speed."
"In the conference calls we've had with them, they have a reasonable approach to their results and that's better than most in their sector."
"He tries to make things simple. He has a high level of communication ability with the analyst community."


Sector - Banks
Company - Banco Santander S.A.
CFO - José Antonio Álvarez Álvarez
Country - Spain
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Jose Antonio has an excellent technical background. He has successfully managed several integrations and has a deep knowledge of the sector and the bank as a whole. He not only knows their balance sheet inside and out, he’s kept it in good condition during a year when most of his peers have been embarrassed by their own."

Sector - Banks
Company - HSBC Holdings PLC
CFO - Douglas J. Flint
Country - United Kingdom
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Doug is a TopGun for his grasp of all the issues. His strongest asset is that he always highlights the risks first before highlighting the opportunities, especially in a market where everyone is feeling particularly pressured. Again, they have made mistakes and finally confessed to them honestly, and tried to moved on; it’s more than I can say for a lot of his peers. In fact, he is a bit of an outlier in that respect.""
"He's always very approachable and very honest and down to earth. All the analysts appreciate having lunches with him."


Sector - Building & Construction
Company - Vinci SA
CFO - Christian Labeyrie
Country - France
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Christian has shown shareholders that he can make good decisions and knows how to guide the business."
"The CFO has shown us that he can make good decisions and knows how to guide the business in the right direction."


Sector - Building & Construction
Company - Holcim Ltd.
CFO - Theophil H. Schlatter
Country - Switzerland
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Theo is an honest guy, and in terms of managing the finances of the company he has not made any major mistakes, especially in comparison to his peers in the building and construction industry. The CEO relies on him quite a bit for advice and strategy decisions as well."
"He is a good guy, and in terms of financing the company he has not made any major mistakes especially in comparison to Lafarge. He also gives good advice to the CEO."


Sector - Chemicals
Company - BASF SE
CFO - Kurt W. Bock
Country - Germany
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Kurt Bock has been very good in terms of refinancing the debt over the last 6 months, which was a key issue for most shareholders. The terms he got on the deal were fairly good as well. It was a very smart move on his part."

Sector - Consumer Products
Company - Colgate-Palmolive Company
CFO - Stephen C. Patrick
Country - United States

Sector - Entertainment
Company - The Walt Disney Company
CFO - Thomas O. Staggs
Country - United States
What do shareholders say about this CEO?
"Tom has done a good job as CFO. Over the last few years, they've hit the numbers better than most had expected and also have the lowest debt-to-equity ratio in the industry. Nobody can argue that he’s mainly responsible for that. He is excellent strategically and is excellent at communicating with investors."
"He's done a good job. Over the last few years, they've hit the numbers better than most. They have the lowest debt-to-equity ratio in the industry."
"He is excellent strategically and is excellent at communicating with investors."


Sector - Food & Beverages
Company - Kellogg Company
CFO - John A. Bryant
Country - United States

Sector - Gold & Precious Metals
Company - Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd.
CFO - David Garofalo
Country - Canada
What do shareholders sayh about this CFO?
"David is very approachable and knowledgeable about the business. Some companies have a CEO that dominates the management team and the CFO is just along for the ride whereas, this guy actually markets as well. The company is also one of the best financially positioned, most attractive to investors in the world, not only Canada."
"He is very approachable and knowledgeable about the business. Some companies have a CEO that dominates the role and the CFO comes along for the ride whereas, this guy actually markets as well."


Sector - Hardware
Company - ASML Holding N.V.
CFO - Peter Wennink
Country - Netherlands
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Peter Wennink is a great CFO. He's got absolute control of the figures at the company. Over the last year, he has been able to improve the flexibility on the P&L and reduced the cash burden in the downturn. The massive pile of cash they had and the clean balance sheet will see them coming out of the crisis on top of the pack."

Sector - Hardware
Company - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
CFO - Lora Ho
Country - Taiwan
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Lora Ho is doing a great job at the resource allocation and cost control. She is able to think in a timely manner to support the CEO's business expansion and controls cost effectively."
"The CFO is very capable to maintain the company’s financial shape in a healthy condition. He is also shareholder friendly with high transparency."
"This CFO is able to think in timely manner to support CEO's business expansion and controls cost effectively."


Sector - Hardware
Company - Acer Inc.
CFO - Howard Chan
Country - Taiwan
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Howard Chan is very capable at maintaining the company’s financial shape. The company has lots of different currencies and he is able to balance that, as well as being an expert on the hedging side. He is also shareholder friendly with high transparency."
"The CFO is very capable to maintain the company’s financial shape in a healthy condition. He is also shareholder friendly with high transparency."
"The CFO is open to shareholders and is willing to answer questions. He has the transparency."
"The company has lots of different currencies and the CFO is able to balance. He did well especially on hedging side."
"This CFO is very experienced in terms of cost control."


Sector - Hardware
Company - Hewlett-Packard Company
CFO - Catherine A. Lesjak
Country - United States
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Cathie is doing very well at the cost control. The company does a lot of deals each year, including several acquisitions but she’s still able to maintain a healthy balance sheet. That’s really the mark of a good CFO."
"She is doing a great job in communicating to foreign investors."


Sector - Healthcare Equipment
Company - Fresenius SE
CFO - Stephan Sturm
Country - Germany
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Stephan is a young CFO in his forties and has a background in the investment banking, which is always helpful for a CFO to have. He has got a good handle on what's going on in the business, is accessible to analysts, and sets reasonable guidance for the company."
"He's got a good handle of what's going on in the business, is accessible to analysts, and sets reasonable guidance for the company."
"He is a young CFO in his forties. He has a background in the investment banking and knows how to run the business."


Sector - Heavy Industries
Company - ArcelorMittal
CFO - Aditya Mittal
Country - Luxembourg
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Aditya is obviously very young but extremely intelligent. He knows the business inside and out and works very closely with his father. He was the one that was largely responsible for the merger in 2006 and just look at what it’s done for the company."
"I think he is quite good but he has made some mistakes recently. But in his defense, very few people have been able to come out of a crisis of this magnitude without making any mistakes."


Sector - Heavy Industries
Company - Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
CFO - Lee Jai-seong
Country - South Korea

Sector - High Tech
Company - Apple Inc.
CFO - Peter Oppenheimer
Country - United States

Sector - Industrial Electronics
Company - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
CFO - Doh-Seok Choi
Country - South Korea
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Doh-Seok is one of the best in Korea. He is very open-minded and has very strong presentation skills. Shareholders are very confident that everything he does is in their best interest."
"The CFO is one of the best in Korea."
"The CFO is very open-minded and has very strong presentation skills."
"The CEO takes care of shareholders' benefits."


Sector - Insurance
Company - Manulife Financial Corporation
CFO - Peter H. Rubenovitch
Country - Canada
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Peter Rubenovitch has knowledge of the industry, knowledge of the company and a great understanding of the financials and numbers. He knows the business really well. Dominic is about to step down and shareholders’ concern is mitigated by the fact that Peter is staying in his position, ensuring the company’s financial structure is sound."
"He has knowledge of the industry, knowledge of his company and his company’s financials and numbers. He knows the business really well."


Sector - Insurance
Company - Munich Re.
CEO - Jörg Schneider
Country - Germany
What do shareholders say about this CEO?
"Jorg has been doing quite a good job in these market conditions. Financially speaking, he is quite prudent. He has steered the business well. He knows the business well and has good communication with the market."
"They are all doing their job in an okay manner. CFO is the sub part of the CEO and he is being financially prudent."
"I do not think their targets and objectives will be met. It will be very very challenging for them and I think they should be acting more radically."
"When he says something, he delivers on it."
"Their CFO delivers on his promises."
"He has steered the business well. He knows the business well and has good communication with the market."


Sector - Internet
Company - Google Inc.
CFO - Patrick Pichette
Country - United States
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Patrick came on board and has been very aggressive in cost cutting. I don’t know if he timed it perfectly but he did a good job there. He is able to manage the cost structure well even under the economic downturn."

Sector - Manufacturing
Company - Atlas Copco AB
CEO - Hans Ola Meyer
Country - Sweden
What do shareholders say about this CEO?
“Hans Ola Meyer at Atlas Copco knows the whole financial picture of his business. He is a solid communicator to the market. He gets a lot of creditability because he has done a good job predicting the downturn early.”
"He has been there for a long time and takes a long term view for the company. He is also down to earth and sticks to the company's core business."
"They get a lot of creditability because they have done a good job predicting the downturn early."


Sector - Manufacturing
Company - ABB Ltd.
CFO - Michel Demaré
Country - Switzerland
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"The company was very close to being bankrupt and Michael played a key part in bringing them back from that. He was the CEO before Hogan joined and I've had a lot of meetings with him. I got a really good impression from him. He understands the business, is open-minded and gives decent answers to our questions."
"The CFO has strong communications with the streets and leads the company in a transparent manner. The CFO also has strong interpersonal skills when communicating."
"He’s a great guy, but he’s been overlooked, or he didn’t get the top job, so I’m not sure he’s there for long term."
"He's pretty clear in talking to the market and providing information."
"He was the CEO before Hogan joined and I've had a lot of meetings with him. I got a really good impression from him, he understands the business, is open-minded and gives decent answers to our questions."
"The company was very close to being bankrupt and he played a key part in bringing them back from that."
He has a good track record, even though I'm a little less familiar with him.
He's one of the best CFO's in the sector. He knows how to communicate to investors."


Sector - Mining
Company - BHP Billiton Limited
CFO - Alexandre Vanselow
Country - Australia
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Alexandre came out of actually managing one of their aluminum divisions. He is not just a finance guy. Within the sector, there are very few companies which have not made any significant mistakes and BHP is one of them. That is why I think BHP has the top CFO."
"He is well established with lots of credentials, and in general he is an appropriate person for the position."
"The CFO seems to understand what the business needs are and to ensure they have got adequate financing in place."
"He came out of actually managing one of their aluminum divisions. He is not just a finance guy."


Sector - Mining
Company - Vale S.A.
CFO - Fabio De Oliveira Barbosa
Country - Brazil
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Fabio Da Oliveira Barbosa knows his business, is dynamic intelligence and a strong candidate to be the next CEO. He's pretty focused and straight to the point. He manages the company in a good way and is always worried about capital structure."

Sector - Oil and Gas
Company - Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.
CFO - Douglas A. Proll
Country - Canada

Sector - Oil and Gas
Company - Total SA
CFO - Patrick De La Chevardiere
Country - France
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Patrick is following in some very big shoes but he's been the old-CFO's right-hand man for some time. I think he's the guy to get them through this uncertain time. His messaging to investors is very clear. He has great ability in recognizing how to lead the company and to keep the flows positive in a tough and falling commodity environment by bringing the working capital down and lowering the expenses. Better management of leverage has been one of the major concerns for the past few years as many companies inflated their profits for using a lot of leverage. Now they are paying the bill and I strongly believe that leverage management is something which is very important. A good CFO should very carefully manage the leverage especially when they realize that the downturn is coming it is good to give up on profits and get the margins up as much as possible."
"The CFO is quite good, but he just arrived. He is straightforward, which is nice."
"He's very keen on cash generation.""
"He's following in some very big shoes but he's been the old-CFO's right-hand man for some time. I think he's the guy to get them through this uncertain time. His messaging to investors is very clear."


Sector - Oil and Gas
Company - Petrohawk Energy Corporation
CFO - Mark J. Mize
Country - United States
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Mark does a good job in terms of financial management and is good with communicating to investors."

Sector - Oil and Gas
Company - XTO Energy Inc.
CFO - Louis G. Baldwin
Country - United States
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"I like the way Louis Baldwin handles his company's capital structure. He is very consistent as well."

Sector - Oil and Gas
Company - Range Resources Corp.
CFO - Roger S. Manny
Country - United States
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Roger S. Manny at Range Resources Corp. is a top gun CFO because of his good exposure to the financial markets. He knows the ins and outs of the business and is good at keeping costs at a minimum."
"He does a good job in terms of financial management and is good with communicating with investors."


Sector - Pharmaceutical & Biotech
Company - Roche Holding AG
CFO - Erich Hunziker
Country - Switzerland
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Erich is very smart and well-trained. He focuses on cash-flows. No doubt I have very high confident in his abilities. He's fairly dynamic, more so than their CEO."
"They have a solid balance sheet, mostly due to the CFO's aptitude."
"The company is in a good position because the CFO has made good decisions in the past."
"He's fairly dynamic, moreso than their CEO."
"He is very smart and well-trained. He focuses on cash-flows. No doubt I have very high confident in his abilities."
"Whenever he gives a forecast or guidance, they always deliver on it."


Sector - Power
Company - Alstom SA
CFO - Henri Poupart-Lafarge
Country - France
What do shareholders say about this CFO?"
"Henri was very active in the recovery of the company. The balance sheet used to be very weak and he's done a good job strengthening it. He played a key part in bringing the company back from bankruptcy."
"He played a key part in bringing the company back from bankruptcy."
"He was very active in the recovery of the company. The balance sheet used to be very weak and he's done a good job strengthening it."
"He has a very good track record but he isn't as significant as the CEO. Kron dominates over him."
"Even though he places a lot smaller of a role than Kron, he still played a large part in the turnaround of the company."


Sector - Power
Company - Iberdrola SA
CEO - Jose Sainz Armada
Country - Spain
What do shareholders say abouit this CFO?
"Jose is a very focused individual who understands every area of the business. He presents himself very well and is able to very accurately explain the company's performance and clearly transmits its message very clearly to the market and investors. His knowledge and experience are well above average."
"He's a very focused individual who understands every area of the business. He presents himself very well and is able to very accurately explain the company's performance and clearly transmits its message very clearly to the market and investors. His knowledge and experience are well above average."
"He has a good track record and performance compared to the rest of the market."
"He has a very direct line between strategy and communication."
"The CEO's strategy, vision and his ability to communicate those things to the market are excellent."
"He's well-respected for his ability to communicate clearly and honesty to shareholders."


Sector - Real Estate/REITs
Company - RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust
CEO - Raghunath Davloor
Country - Canada
What do shareholders say about this CEO?
"He could be the CEO, and is very accessible to me. If the current CEO was hit by a bus, I think he could step in and run the business successfully. The quality of the financial reporting, and the comfort level that the investment community has are both strong. He delivers on his promises. He is just a strong financial guy with a significant amount of business experience, and the ability to takeover the helm if required."
"He could be the CEO, and is very accessible to me. If the current CEO was hit by a bus, I think he could step in and run the business successfully. The quality of the financial reporting, and the comfort level that the investment community has that what they say actually occurs, and in fact probably they under promise, and over deliver. He is just a strong financial guy with a significant amount of business experience, and the ability to takeover the helm if required."


Sector - Retailing
Company - Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV
CEO - Rafael Matute Labrador
Country - Mexico
What do shareholders say about this CEO?
"Rafael is very conservative and that is what I like most about them. This is important for retail because they are a cash cow so they have the incentive to do a lot of things with this cash but they don't. In the short term, the company is expanding which will give them good figures for the coming quarters. Also the expansion of their bank facility can also be quite positive for the CFO as well."
"They aren't worried about investment downgrades and have a solid financial structure."
"He's very conservative and that is what I like most about them. This important for retail because they are a cash cow so they have the incentive to do a lot of things with this cash but they don't."
"He's very conservative and that was important during the crisis."
"I have a good relationship with him. When he participates in meetings and presentations, he provides good information and shows that he is very knowledgeable."
"They have proven to be consistent. He is very conservative. I have no problems with him."


Sector - Retailing
Company - Koninklijke Ahold N.V.
CFO - Kimberly Ross
Country - Netherlands
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"She is even better than the CEO. She was the one who made the decision to increase promotions. She's been there for 2.5 to 3 years. She has done a fantastic job."
"She's been there for 2.5 to 3 years. She has done a fantastic job."


Sector - Retailing
Company - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
CEO - Thomas M. Schoewe
Country - United States

Sector - Retailing
Company - Costco Wholesale Corp.
CFO - Richard A. Galanti
Country - United States
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Richard is very seasoned and understands the member profile and what they want. He really puts the customer first, employees second, and shareholders third. The company also has good sustainable growth targets."
"They have good sustainable growth targets."
"Costco has just released a favorable quarter and this can be attribute to the management team."


Sector - Software
Country - SAP AG
CFO - Werner Brandt
Country - Germany
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Werner has had the responsibility of defending the price of acquisitions and the investments. Their strategy of stopping investments to make acquisitions has worked. He is one of the most respected CFO's in the investment community. He's never shy to speak with investors and always knows what he's talking about."
"He has had the responsibility of defending the price of acquisitions and the investments. Their strategy of stopping investments to make acquisitions has worked."


Sector - Telecom. Equipment
Company - Nokia Corporation
CFO - Richard A. Simonson
Country - Finland
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Richard does a good job of explaining how the numbers come out and what the impacts of the market fluctuation are. He has a good understanding of how the margins are made. He is a top gun CFO because he is very good to communicate to the market. He is very active and perhaps one of the best CFO’s in the sector."
"I do like him, but in the first quarter, he was running around Barcelona, almost giving profit warnings. But when they actually reported their numbers, they were quite good. There's always a slight suspicion that he thinks too much in the short-term."
"They are all doing their job in an okay manner. CFO is the sub part of the CEO and he is being financially prudent."
"He communicates very well and regularly with investors."
"He's very transparent and has done an excellent job managing the financial position of the company."
"He's got such a good head on his shoulders. They've been hit in the face with their recent results and he's taken a much more conservative approach because of it."
"I do like him, but in the first quarter, he was running around Barcelona, almost giving profit warnings. But when they actually reported their numbers, they were quite good. There's always a slight suspicion that he thinks too much in the short-term."


Sector - Telecom. Equipment
Company - HTC Corporation
CFO - Hui-Ming Cheng
Country - Taiwan
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"HTC Corporation has successfully transferred from an OEM to a branding company for recent years. Its marketing or branding performance is the major reason for its success. As the company’s CFO, he has carefully allocated the resources and well controlled the budget. Further, HTC Corporation has successfully transferred from an OEM to a branding company for recent years. Its marketing or branding performance is the major reason for its success. As the company’s CFO, he has carefully allocated the resources and well controlled the budget. Lastly, he is of high transparency and is able to deliver reasonable guidance to investors. That helps fund managers and analysts watch the company positively. He is also strict in terms of cash management and balance sheet control."
"This CFO has solid experience of working capital management."


Sector - Telecom. Equipment
Company - QUALCOMM, Inc.
CFO - William E. Keitel
Country - United States

Sector - Telecommunications
Company - America Movil SA
CFO - Carlos Jose Garcia-Moreno Elizondo
Country - Mexico
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"They aren't worried about investment downgrades and have a solid financial structure and income."
"He has good timing and always make long term decisions. He is not aggressive and he is able to foresee what's going to happen in the next four years."


Sector - Telecommunications
Company - Koninklijke KPN N.V.
CFO - Marcel H.M. Smits
Country - Netherlands
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"His financial management of the company is excellent. He's overwhelmingly good."

Sector - Telecommunications
Company - Telefonica SA
CFO - Santiago Fernandez Valbuena
Country - Spain
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"The key to their success has been careful financial planning so in that respect, you have to give credit to Santiago. I think all the expansions which have been huge, have been engineered through the financial department. He has also done an excellent job in terms of internal growth, financing and communication. Telefonica is probably the most dynamic companies in terms of financing and refinancing activities. Further, he is one of the best CFOs in the world. When the 3G licenses were issued, huge amounts of money were spent. The big incumbents bought them all at the biggest price. They were the first company not to bid on all of them and when they realized they had a problem with them, they put them out of the balance sheets. One of the biggest pieces of success with Telefonica is their financial management. He is brilliant."
"He is one of the best CFOs in the world. When the 3G licenses were issued, huge amounts of money were spent. The big incumbents bought them all at the biggest price. They were the first company not to bid on all of them and when they realized they had a problem with them, they put them out of the balance sheets. One of the biggest pieces of success with Telefonica is their financial management. He is brilliant."


Sector - Transportation
Company - Canadian National Railway Company
CFO - Claude Mongeau
Country - Canada
What do shareholders say about this CFO?
"Claude Mongeau is very good. He is one of the contenders for the CEO which is how I know him. The company also provides information that is straightforward."
"He is very good. He is one of the contenders for the CEO which is how I know him. The company also provides information that is straightforward."

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