Financial professionals will need to have a global perspective in the coming years, according to a new survey from Robert Half Management Resources. Sixty-nine percent of chief financial officers said international experience will be at least somewhat necessary for accounting and finance staff five years from now.

“The world is getting smaller for accountants,” said Paul McDonald, Robert Half senior executive director. “Global businesses need staff well-versed in international accounting regulations and business practices to ensure sound reporting and compliance with local mandates and to support expansion into new countries and markets.”

CFOs’ responses to the question, "How necessary do you feel international experience will be for accounting and finance professionals five years from now?" include:

• Very necessary: 14 percent
• Somewhat necessary: 55 percent
• Somewhat unnecessary: 10 percent
• Not necessary: 21 percent

Demand for global expertise is most pronounced at larger companies. Seventeen percent of CFOs at companies with 1,000 or more employees said international experience is very necessary and 83 percent said it is somewhat necessary, while only 1 percent said it is somewhat unnecessary and none said it is not necessary.

Demand for international expertise also varies by industry. CFOs in the finance, insurance and real estate (79 percent) and the manufacturing (75 percent) sectors are more likely to look for this background.