While Mike Whitmire has read many career advice books, he has never seen one about the role of the controller. So he wrote it. “Controller’s Code: The Secret Formula for a Successful Career in Finance” was published last month and has already become the No. 1 selling book in the managerial accounting section of Amazon.com Inc. “I don’t think a lot of people fully appreciate just how complicated the controller’s role is,” said Whitmire, co-founder and chief executive of accounting software firm FloQast in Van Nuys. “So I wanted to put that in a book and offer career advice on first, how to get into that position, and then second, how to remain relevant in the future of accounting.” As a chief executive with a background in accounting, Whitmire believes there are specific skills applicable to the role of the controller, who oversees the accounting department and the production of financial reports for a company. These include having a vision for your department, leading a team and rallying them around a common goal, Whitmire said. The controller has to do those jobs in addition to being a stellar accountant, knowing all about staff accounting, dealing with the auditors, reviewing work papers from the team and hitting deadlines, he added. “When you step back and think about it, there are so many requirements on the controller that something like this (book) is necessary today,” Whitmire said. “Controller’s Code” is available at Amazon in paperback for $17 and on the Kindle Unlimited subscription program.