Google may well have developed the most popular technology for searching the world wide web, but an entirely different - and in many respects, more challenging - search lies before the company after its chief financial officer, George Reyes, announced his retirement.

The company said that Reyes will leave by the end of the year following an orderly handover to his successor.

We can't help wondering if Google will find a successor online. Searching on "finance director" + dotcom experience returns over 16,000 results...

A couple of months ago we reported on a piece Microsoft Dynamics research about managing directors not really trusting their FDs to take on the top job. Not good. And, according to our own research, these managing directors are plain wrong because FDs do very well in the top job. Our research from 2003 showed that far more than half of FTSE-350 FDs-turned-CEOs outperformed the market.

Another aspect of the Microsoft research found that more than three-quarters of MDs said their next financial director wouldn't be an internal promotion but would be appointed from outside the company.

As well as keeping headhunters in expensive suits, this leaves financial controllers, and even divisional FDs, in a bit of a quandry. Where's the next job coming from, for a start...

Unilever is a case in point. The company announced today that James Lawrence, currently vice chairman and CFO of General Mills, has been appointed Chief Financial Officer. At least Unilever's chairman, Michael Treschow, attempted to cure any potentially bruised egos: "Despite having excellent internal candidates we believe the fresh insights that his external appointment brings will be of particular value at this time."

Zimbabwe. What can you say about Zimbabwe.

The number of people living below the poverty line, at 80%, is only matched by its unemployment rate. The official estimate of inflation now lies at a staggering 4,500%. Independent estimates put this closer to 9,000%.

So perhaps it should be no surprise that the powers-that-be thought it wise to issue a new $200,000 note - worth $13 at the official exchange rate. On the black market, however, you wouldn't get much more than a buck for it.

The note, reports the BBC, has been issued to "tackle the country's inflation". One would have thought that it would have exactly the opposite effect.