Chief Financial Officer

Name: Bettina Bornmann
Age: 56
Degree: Master in Economics
Profession: Global Head Planning and Performance Management (FP&A), CFO
Employer: formerly Zurich Insurance, currently on sabbatical

Describe your job in one sentence.

Responsible for the financial management and reporting of a market-leading insurance business.

What are the three main tasks in your job?

Financial management, personnel management, transformation.

What do you think is the best / most exciting thing about this job?

Very dynamic and versatile, strong business focus, major influence on corporate management.

What is the biggest challenge in this job?

As CFO, you also have to lead restructuring programmes when necessary.

What do you need to enter this profession or to be successful in it?

Financial understanding, leadership, persuasion, collaboration.

What promotion/further development opportunities are there?

All in finance, long-term board positions.

What would you have liked to have known about this profession as a graduate?

That it can only be learnt ‘on the job’ and that it is really fun.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in this job?

Start somewhere in the financial sector and find out if you like it.

In terms of your career, is there anything you would do differently looking back? Why?

No, I am very satisfied.

Is there anything else you would like to pass on to current students?

Enjoying what you do, and being open to change will help you find your way.

As of March 2025