Quick answer: CFOs get featured in the media by publishing bylined commentary in outlets like the Wall Street Journal's CFO Journal and CFO Dive, speaking at finance conferences, winning CFO of the Year recognition, and answering journalist requests on the economy and their sector. The difference for a finance chief is that everything you say is a potential disclosure event, so visibility and securities compliance have to be planned together.
Why visibility is now part of the CFO job
The finance chief has become the company's most trusted public voice. In institutional investor surveys, 94% of investors say they must trust a company's board and leadership before they'll invest or recommend it, and they rank the CFO as the single most credible source of information about the business. As markets grow more volatile and retail investors listen in directly, boards increasingly want a CFO who can build confidence in high-stakes forums, not just close the books.
That makes media visibility a career asset. A CFO with a clear public point of view earns easier access to investors and analysts, stronger recruiting pull, and the kind of external credibility that shapes board and CEO-succession conversations. The constraint is that a CFO can't speak as freely as a consultant or coach, which is exactly why the ones who do it well stand out.
The disclosure rules every CFO must clear first
Treat every media interaction as if it were subject to Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure). The discipline below isn't optional for public-company CFOs:
- Never selectively disclose material nonpublic information (MNPI). If something is material, it has to reach everyone at once through a public channel (a press release or 8-K), not a reporter first. Reg FD applies to media conversations just as it does to analyst calls.
- Speak only if you're an authorized spokesperson. Most public companies designate two or three people (typically the CEO, CFO, and head of IR) and route press through them in coordination with legal and investor relations.
- Respect the quiet period. Don't discuss the financial outlook outside the designated window after an earnings release, when the risk of an unintentional material disclosure is highest.
- Wrap forward-looking statements in the safe harbor. Any forward-looking commentary should carry PSLRA "safe harbor" language or a reference to the risk factors in your latest filings.
- Reconcile non-GAAP figures (Regulation G). If you cite an adjusted metric, be ready to reconcile it to GAAP and avoid giving it undue prominence.
- Stay aligned with your filings. Brief from the same messaging as your public disclosures, and prep a Q&A that anticipates the questions designed to pull you across the line, with answers ready that don't.
Handled well, these rules are a credibility asset: investors trust a CFO precisely because they're measured and consistent.
The CFO's media mix
Within those guardrails, the highest-value channels are:
- Bylined commentary in finance and business press: a thought-leadership piece on capital allocation or finance transformation.
- Podcasts aimed at finance leaders and investors.
- Keynotes and panels at CFO and industry conferences.
- Awards: peer recognition that signals credibility to boards and recruiters.
- Journalist requests: sector and macro commentary that keeps you visible between earnings cycles.
A realistic cadence for a time-poor CFO
You don't need a content calendar that competes with marketing. A sustainable rhythm: one bylined article or major interview a quarter (well clear of the quiet period), a standing willingness to answer two or three relevant journalist requests a month, and one conference keynote or podcast a quarter. Consistency beats volume.
Answering journalist requests
Macro and sector stories are a low-risk way to stay visible without touching your own numbers, whether the topic is interest rates, capital markets, or AI in finance. Reporters source these experts constantly. Featured, which operates Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and Connectively, surfaces the relevant queries in one place, such as "Seeking a CFO to discuss how higher-for-longer interest rates are reshaping capital allocation." Commenting on the environment rather than your company keeps you firmly inside the disclosure rules.
Build a point of view worth featuring
Editors and conference chairs book CFOs who stand for something. Pick a thesis you can own (disciplined capital allocation, the finance function's AI transformation, building resilience through volatility) and return to it across every byline, talk, and interview. A recognizable point of view is what turns occasional coverage into a reputation.
The most quotable CFOs also bring evidence. A proprietary data point from your own function, such as how your team cut the monthly close by four days or shifted capital toward higher-return lines, gives a reporter something concrete and gives you a story no one else can tell (cleared with IR first, and free of nonpublic specifics). Pair the thesis with a number and you move from "a CFO commented" to "the CFO who showed how."
Tools CFOs use to get featured
- WSJ CFO Journal (subscription): The publication finance leaders read and get cited in.
- CFO Dive and CFO.com (free): Trade coverage and contributed commentary.
- WSJ CFO Network and CNBC CFO Council (membership): Invitation-based peer communities and visibility.
- CFO Leadership Awards and regional CFO of the Year (nomination): Peer-reviewed recognition for the résumé and the boardroom.
- Forbes Finance Council (paid): A vetted contributor byline.
- Featured (free and paid): An AI co-pilot for PR. Build a workflow that runs as a 24/7 assistant, surfacing the macro and sector journalist requests that keep you visible between earnings.
Pair these with your IR and communications team. For a CFO, they aren't optional collaborators; they're the people who keep visibility compliant.
Frequently asked questions
Can a CFO talk to the media without violating Regulation FD? Yes, by never disclosing material nonpublic information selectively, staying aligned with public filings, observing the quiet period, and coordinating with IR and legal. Commenting on macro or industry topics rather than company specifics is the safest lane.
What should a CFO talk about in interviews? The environment and ideas: interest rates, capital allocation, finance transformation, AI in finance, and leadership. Save company-specific financial detail for official disclosure channels.
How do CFOs get quoted in the news? By answering journalist requests on economic and sector topics, where reporters actively need a credible finance voice on deadline.
Which awards matter for a CFO? Peer-selected programs like the CFO Leadership Awards and regional CFO of the Year honors carry weight with boards, recruiters, and investors.
Get started
The CFOs who become known aren't the loudest. They're the most credible and consistent, with a clear point of view and a compliant system for sharing it. The simplest first step is to let an assistant watch for the right moments. Set up a Featured workflow that runs as a 24/7 PR assistant, starting with the macro and sector requests that keep you visible between earnings.
CFODrive.com is owned and operated by Featured. This article is general information, not legal or compliance advice; coordinate media activity with your own legal and IR teams.