PWM to CFO?

Hi WSO,

Here is my situation: I'm a 2013 grad from a non target, economics major, work in BB PWM, 3.2 gpa, great EC's. Ultimately I want to be a CFO because it allows me to:

1. work with companies
2. Help build something from the start to finish, should I join a startup
3. great mix between sales, investor relations, and a hard skill

What is the best path in accomplishing this? I put my stats because I was thinking about doing a master in accounting -> audit -> corp fin -> startup

Ultimately, I want to work within the life science/biotech industry and although I am learning a lot in PWM i'm just not happy because I see myself working in life sciences. Is an MBA in the future, then ib? or maybe a master in accounting? or night classes in accounting?

What are your thoughts? IB would be interesting but not sure if I have the grades and work experience for a top mba.

2 Comments
 
Best Response

I think you may have some misconceptions of what a CFO actually does. The CFO is usually a more internally focused role so it's not really about working with other companies or selling, outside of dealing with banks/lenders/investors.

Most startups don't really have a need for the CFO function. The person in charge of finance usually does other things as well. This might be more of the role you are looking for, but it usually is more of a jack-of-all trades business role that does include things like selling, strategy, fundraising, etc. There are pretty minimal finance needs at an early stage startup, particularly those that are pre-revenue. As a startup grows, it is usually a controller that runs the books. Often times the general business needs are covered by the CEO or COO, depending on the management structure of the company.

 

Rerum unde cum aut voluptate. Vel totam qui soluta et adipisci. Ad rerum modi libero neque similique ea voluptatibus. Hic at corrupti voluptatem dolorem accusamus quibusdam. Rem consequatur quis suscipit quas voluptatem porro vero. Aspernatur aut velit facilis consequatur.

Placeat voluptatem modi expedita laborum dolorem tenetur. Aperiam quia id est dolorum eos commodi.

Assumenda expedita non omnis corporis aut. Sed quos ducimus sint voluptas.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”