At director level and above, the reader is a search consultant or a CEO comparing a shortlist. They want to know the size of what you ran and what changed because you ran it. Duties are assumed.
The layout
- Name, title line ("Finance Director | FP&A, M&A, ERP transformation"), contact, LinkedIn.
- Executive profile: four or five lines. Scope, sector and two headline results.
- Core competencies: eight to twelve terms, in two or three columns of text.
- Experience: each role opens with one scope line, then three to five results.
- Board seats, advisory roles, education and certifications.
The scope line
Under each title, before any bullet, write one line giving the size of the remit: "P&L $120M, 4 countries, team of 85, reporting to the CEO." It lets a reader compare you with other candidates in seconds.
Results, with numbers
- "Led the sale of the Benelux division for $48M, 2.1x book value."
- "Cut month-end close from 12 days to 5 by consolidating three ERPs."
- "Grew enterprise revenue from $30M to $72M in three years."
These figures are illustrations. Use yours, and be ready to defend every one.
Cut the early career
Roles older than about fifteen years can go into a single "Earlier career" line with employers and titles, no bullets. Leave out graduation years if you prefer not to signal age.
Two pages
Two pages is normal. Page one must stand alone: profile, competencies and your current or most recent role.
See a finance director resume example on the Executive template.
Questions people ask
- How long should an executive resume be?
- Two pages. Three only with board roles and a long record of transactions or publications.
- Should an executive resume have a summary?
- Yes. A four- or five-line executive profile with your scope and two headline results is the most-read part of the page.
- How far back should an executive resume go?
- Detailed entries for about the last fifteen years, then one line for earlier roles.