Business · Companies · 3 hrs ago
Accounting skills are helping executives reach top leadership roles
Accounting knowledge is becoming an important foundation for executives seeking top leadership roles in Brazil.
Pedro Augusto Melo, a former CEO of KPMG Brasil and a member of company boards, says people moving toward senior roles often need to learn how to understand financial information.
Accounting courses also attract professionals trained in fields such as law, engineering, business administration and economics.
The work is shifting from recording figures and handling tax duties toward helping companies make decisions.
Automation can free accountants to study data and suggest business directions, but they need to keep their skills up to date.
This matters because leaders use financial statements to understand how a company is doing and to make decisions.
The people interviewed describe demand for accountants in decision-making roles, but no specific next step is given.
Accounting skills are helping executives move into C-suite and board roles, according to professionals interviewed by Folha.
Pedro Augusto Melo says executives seeking senior roles often tell him they need to understand accounting and numbers.
Fipecafi director Welington Rocha says accounting is shifting from calculating figures toward supporting business decisions.
Guy Almeida Andrade says automation gives accountants more time to analyze data and advise companies.
Professionals interviewed say accounting knowledge helps leaders understand financial statements and make decisions.
- Who
- Executives and accountants, including Pedro Augusto Melo, Welington Rocha and Guy Almeida Andrade.
- What
- The article describes how accounting skills and training can help executives reach senior leadership and board roles.
- When
- Not stated
- Where
- Brazil, including São Paulo and the Fipecafi institute linked to the University of São Paulo.
- Why
- Accounting helps leaders understand company finances and supports decision-making.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
What I hear most from professionals who want to advance to a C-level career or a board and are distant from the accounting world is: ‘I was invited to a very senior position, I need to understand accounting, I need to understand the numbers.
The accountant is the builder of this trust.
The accountant stops being a calculator of values and becomes a supporter in decision-making and in reaching C-level positions.
Accounting is how the company communicates.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Experience
- Pedro Augusto Melo has more than 40 years in independent auditing.
- Fipecafi students
- Some Fipecafi classes for graduates are 95% lawyers.
- Guy Almeida Andrade
- He has more than 50 years in independent auditing.
- Publication
- Folha published the article on 2026-10-12.
Sources
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