CFO
An American business publication and digital media brand serving chief financial officers and other senior financial decision-makers.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
CFO is an American business-to-business media brand focused on chief financial officers, corporate finance leaders, and other senior decision-makers. It began in 1985 as a magazine created for the increasingly influential finance executives of large and midsize companies in the United States. Its editorial subject matter has centered on the practical responsibilities of corporate finance, including financial management, accounting, risk, governance, technology, strategy, regulation, and the changing role of the chief financial officer. The brand was initially known as CFO Magazine and developed as a specialist trade publication during a period when the CFO role was becoming broader than traditional accounting and financial reporting. In 1988, The Economist Group acquired the magazine, giving the publication an international business-media owner. The Economist Group later sold it in 2010 to Seguin Partners, a private-equity firm. The change in ownership was part of a wider transition in business publishing, as specialist print titles increasingly developed digital products and sought more focused operating models. CFO expanded beyond its print identity through the launch of CFO.com in October 2000. The website eventually became the principal home for the brand’s editorial content. Rather than replacing the magazine’s specialist audience, the digital platform allowed CFO to publish more frequently and to serve readers across regional and global markets. Its coverage is directed at finance chiefs and related executives who need analysis, news, research, and practical perspectives on corporate finance and enterprise management. In 2016, CFO Magazine and CFO.com were acquired from Seguin Partners by Argyle Executive Forum. In 2020, Industry Dive acquired the brand. Industry Dive is a business-to-business publisher whose portfolio is aimed at professional and industry audiences. After the acquisition, CFO’s digital presence became central to the operation. Industry Dive closed the print magazine in spring 2021, while retaining CFO.com as the host for CFO Magazine content and as the brand’s continuing publication platform. CFO.com now combines online editorial coverage with recurring email and social products. The Daily Balance is a daily newsletter, while The Weekly Close is a weekend-oriented newsletter. The brand also publishes the LinkedIn newsletter Preferred Shares and hosts multiple virtual events during the year. These offerings extend CFO’s reach beyond a conventional website and allow the brand to maintain regular contact with finance executives through newsletters, professional networks, and online programming. The publication reports a reach of approximately 440,000 individually qualified readers. Its current editorial operation includes Senior Editor Lauren Muskett, Reporter Adam Zaki, and Reporter Dan Niepow, according to the referenced publication description. CFO is therefore best understood today as an active digital trade-media brand rather than as a currently published print magazine. Its historical identity remains tied to the CFO Magazine title, but its present business model is centered on CFO.com, newsletters, professional social publishing, and virtual events.
History
CFO was established in 1985 as a U.S. trade magazine for chief financial officers and other senior financial executives. Its launch reflected the growing importance of the finance function in corporate decision-making. The publication addressed readers whose responsibilities extended beyond bookkeeping and reporting into planning, risk management, governance, technology, and enterprise strategy. The Economist Group acquired the magazine in 1988. Under that ownership, CFO remained a specialist business publication while benefiting from association with an established international business-media group. The Economist Group sold the title in 2010 to Seguin Partners. This ownership change occurred as trade publishers were adapting to declining dependence on print and to the increasing importance of targeted digital audiences. CFO entered the web publishing era with the launch of CFO.com in October 2000. The website gradually became an increasingly important channel for the brand’s reporting and analysis. It enabled more timely coverage and broadened the publication’s reach beyond the traditional print readership. The digital service addressed both U.S. and international finance executives and became the central platform for the brand’s later development. In 2016, Argyle Executive Forum acquired CFO Magazine and CFO.com from Seguin Partners. In 2020, Industry Dive acquired the properties. Industry Dive operates business-to-business media products for professional audiences, and its ownership placed CFO within a publisher oriented toward focused industry and executive communities. Industry Dive discontinued the print magazine in spring 2021. The closure ended the regular print phase of the brand but did not end CFO as a publication. CFO.com continued as the main home for CFO Magazine content and developed a broader digital publishing mix. The current offering includes website journalism, The Daily Balance daily email newsletter, The Weekly Close weekend newsletter, the Preferred Shares LinkedIn newsletter, and multiple virtual events each year. The modern CFO brand is consequently a digital executive-information service rather than simply a periodical. Its audience remains centered on CFOs, controllers, treasurers, finance directors, and other decision-makers who use financial information in corporate management. The publication reports approximately 440,000 individually qualified readers. The referenced description identifies Lauren Muskett as Senior Editor and Adam Zaki and Dan Niepow as reporters. No verified information in the supplied material establishes the company’s headquarters, founder, or a more detailed corporate ownership structure beyond Industry Dive.
- 2021
Print edition discontinued
[1]Industry Dive closed the print magazine in spring while continuing the brand through CFO.com and related digital products.
- 2020
Acquired by Industry Dive
[1]Industry Dive acquired the CFO Magazine and CFO.com properties.
- 2016
Acquired by Argyle Executive Forum
[1]Argyle Executive Forum acquired CFO Magazine and CFO.com from Seguin Partners.
- 2010
Sold to Seguin Partners
[1]The Economist Group sold CFO Magazine to Seguin Partners.
- 2000
CFO.com launched
[1]The brand established its online publication with the launch of CFO.com in October.
- 1988
Acquired by The Economist Group
[1]The Economist Group acquired the specialist finance publication.
- 1985
CFO Magazine launched
[1]A U.S. trade magazine was established to serve chief financial officers and other corporate finance executives.
Products and positioning
A specialist business-to-business information brand for chief financial officers, corporate finance leaders, and senior executives responsible for financial strategy, governance, risk, and enterprise performance.
Print trade magazine · 1985
CFO Magazine
The original print publication, launched in 1985 for chief financial officers and other senior financial executives. It covered corporate finance, accounting, governance, risk, strategy, and related executive-management issues. Industry Dive discontinued the print edition in spring 2021, although the brand’s editorial content continued online.
Digital publication · 2000
CFO.com
The brand’s principal digital publication, launched in October 2000. CFO.com hosts news, analysis, and other content for finance chiefs and business decision-makers in regional and global markets, and now serves as the main home for content associated with CFO Magazine.
Email newsletter
The Daily Balance
A daily email newsletter that provides a recurring digital touchpoint for CFO.com’s audience outside the main website.
Email newsletter
The Weekly Close
A weekend-focused newsletter extending the publication’s coverage and analysis to readers through an email format.
LinkedIn newsletter
Preferred Shares
A LinkedIn newsletter associated with CFO.com, using a professional social platform to distribute editorial content to finance and executive audiences.
Executive events
CFO virtual events
A program of online events for CFOs and related decision-makers. The publication hosts multiple virtual events each year as part of its broader digital and executive-engagement offering.
Brand decisions
2021
Transition away from printStrategyBackground
After Industry Dive acquired the brand in 2020, CFO’s digital channels had become central to its publishing model.
Action taken
Industry Dive shut down the print magazine in spring 2021 and retained CFO.com as the main content platform.
Aftermath
CFO continued as a digital publication supported by newsletters, LinkedIn publishing, and virtual events.
2000
Launch of CFO.comProduct launchBackground
The established trade magazine expanded into online publishing as business audiences increasingly required timely digital information.
Action taken
The brand launched CFO.com in October 2000.
Aftermath
The website later became the primary home for CFO Magazine content and the foundation of the brand’s continuing digital operation.
Recent events
- 2021
CFO print magazine discontinued[1]
Other
Industry Dive shut down the print magazine in spring 2021, while continuing CFO.com as the home for the brand's content.
- 2020
Industry Dive acquired CFO[1]
M&A
Industry Dive acquired the CFO Magazine and CFO.com brand from Argyle Executive Forum.
- 2016
Argyle Executive Forum acquired CFO Magazine and CFO.com[1]
M&A
Argyle Executive Forum bought CFO Magazine and CFO.com from Seguin Partners.
- 2010
The Economist Group sold CFO Magazine[1]
M&A
The Economist Group sold the magazine to Seguin Partners, a private-equity firm.
- 2000
CFO.com website launched[1]
Product launch
The publication expanded into digital media with the launch of CFO.com in October 2000.
Sources2 sources
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