The purpose of this short paper is to identify and define the main roles and characteristics of two key players in the modern business world: the financial manager and the accountant. Once presented, we can delve into a handful of real world situations and compare their functions, deciphering with some clarity We can begin this analysis by suggesting that in many instances and in many most mid to large companies these professions tie together closely. In brief, the goal is to establish a synergistic relationship between them designed to handle most financial aspects of business , helping to create profit through the accurate and organized processing of internal economic information coupled with sound financial decision making.
The term 'financial manager' is a general term indicating a person who is responsible for a part or all of the investing and financing decisions of a company. As the size of the company grows, the roles are delineated and rarely does any one individual control every aspect of financial dealings. There are now over a million people employed in the financial services industry in the United States, working in commercial and investment banking, insurance, stockbroking firms, and a myriad of other institutions and companies.