What does a Controller do?

I get asked this question often. In a nutshell:

In the case of the Los Angeles City Controller its as follows:

The Controller shall be the auditor and general accountant of the City and shall exercise a general supervision over the accounts of all offices, departments, boards and employees of the City charged in any manner with the receipt, collection or disbursement of the money of the City.

As a Controller in the corporate world you are in charge of everything financial for a company. You hold the purse strings of a company. You make sure the revenue that is due a company is coming in, and that expenses are paid out. You create reports such as profit and loss statements. You make recommendations to increase revenue and where possible cut back on expenses.

Kathleen "Suzy" Evans for City Controller