A CFO is the corporate officer responsible for managing the company’s financial risks. CFOs are responsible for financial planning, record keeping, and financial data analysis.

A Controller is responsible for supervising the quality of the accounting and financial reporting of the company. Controllers are responsible for internal audit, overseeing accounting, and monitoring internal controls.

A Bookkeeper is responsible for recording day-to-day financial transactions in the accounting system. Despite not having advanced training, the bookkeeper’s responsibilities may be greater in small companies because there are fewer employees to manage the different components of a company’s finances. Bookkeepers typically do not prepare financial statements and are focused on ensuring the accuracy of daily journal entries.

Click on the tables to the right to get more details about the responsibilities typically handled by each of these positions.