The financial KPIs every CEO should track

A chief executive does not need a hundred indicators. A short, stable set, reviewed every month, is more useful than a dashboard nobody reads.

A starting set

• Revenue growth against budget and last year
• Gross margin, by product line or project
• Operating cash flow and the cash conversion cycle
• Overheads as a share of revenue
• Net debt and the headroom on bank facilities
• Receivables overdue by more than sixty days

Make each one decision-ready

Each indicator needs an owner, a target and a threshold that triggers action. Without these, the monthly review becomes a reading exercise rather than a management meeting.

Keep it stable

Change the set only when the strategy changes. Trends over twelve months are worth more than a new indicator every quarter.