Editorial
-AlayaBrown
The Strategic Minds Redefining Modern Finance
Intoday’svolatileeconomicenvironment,theroleoffinance
leadershasevolvedfarbeyondtraditionalaccountingand compliance.Theyarenolongerconfinedtobalancingbooksor managingbudgets—theyarethearchitectsofstrategicgrowth,guiding organizationsthroughuncertainty,digitaltransformation,andglobal competition.Themostexperiencedfinanceleaderstodayembodythe perfectbalancebetweenanalyticalprecisionandvisionaryforesight, shapingnotjustthefinancialhealthoftheirorganizationsbuttheir verydirectionanddestiny.
Thisspecialedition, “Most Experienced Finance Leaders Driving Strategic Growth to Follow,” celebratesthosewhohavemasteredthe artofturningfinancialinsightintocompetitiveadvantage.These leadersbringdecadesofexperienceandanuancedunderstandingof globalmarkets,capitalstructures,andorganizationalstrategy.Yet, whattrulydistinguishesthemistheirabilitytotranslatecomplex financialdataintoactionablebusinessintelligence—fueling innovation,enablingagility,andensuringresilienceinthefaceof disruption.
Eachfeaturewithinthiseditionoffersauniquewindowintothe mindsetofthesetrailblazingprofessionals—individualswholeadwith purpose,adaptwithprecision,andinspirewithintegrity.Theirstories reflecthowfinance,whencombinedwithstrategicthinkingand technology,becomesadrivingforceforsustainablegrowth.Whether it’sthroughleveragingAIandautomationinfinancialoperations, fosteringcross-functionalcollaboration,orredefiningvaluecreation throughESGprinciples,theseleadersdemonstratewhatitmeansto evolvewiththetimeswhilestayinggroundedinsoundfinancial stewardship.
Asweexploretheirjourneys,weareremindedthatexperiencein financeisnotmerelymeasuredbyyearsserved,butbytheimpact made—onorganizations,industries,andthebroadereconomic landscape.Thesefinanceleadershaveredefinedthefunctionfroma supportroleintoastrategicpowerhouse,contributingdirectlyto vision,decision-making,andlong-termvaluecreation.
Weinviteourreaderstodelveintotheseinsightfulnarrativesandgain inspirationfromtheexpertiseandinnovationdrivingtoday’sfinancial leadership.Theirjourneysserveasatestamenttohowexperience, whenpairedwithstrategicacumenandforward-lookingperspective, cancreateenduringgrowthandlastingtransformation.
The Master Analyst of Finance -
Transforming the World with the Limitless Possibilities That Lie Beyond Numbers
T E H V E SI FR LU O C N X T E P E A G
Editor-in-Chief
Managing
Art
Business
Business
Digital
Co-designer
Marketing
Technical
DR. BUMAL MURCHOYEA
Therealmoffinanceiseasyifyoulearntolook
beyondthenumbers.Numbersdotellastoryto everyadeptlistenerlike , Dr.BumalMurchoyea ClusterDirectorFinanceofWestEurope,atDPWorld Especially,theworldofgloballogisticsisahigh-speed, high-stakesdomainwherebillionsofdollarshangonthe seamlessmovementofgoodsacrossoceansandcontinents. Forovertwodecades,Dr.Bumalhasbeenattheepicenter ofthisfinancialmaelstrom.Hehasnotbeenfunctioningin justoneroleduringthelastthreeyearsandfivemonthsat thisleadingcompanyinthefield.Instead,itisademanding, full-scopeexperiencethatheoccupiedleadershiprolesin Finance, Projects, Compliance, and Legal
Thisexpansive,action-orientedperspectiveacrossavariety ofrolesdevelopedauniqueandcriticalcapabilityto managepotentialsolutionsacrossallchallenges,froma minorbudgetdiscrepancytotheongoingandcomplexlegal issue.Today,Dr.Bumalhasafullunderstandingofthe numbers,thecontracts,theregulations,andoperational risksbehindeverycargocontainerandtheexpansionofa port.
LearningtheLanguageofBusiness
Atthebeginningofitall,whatinspiredDr.Bumalmost wasthedesiretotrulyunderstandhowbusinessescreate value—notonlyfromafinancialstandpointbutfroman operational,strategic,andhumanone.“Earlyinmycareer, Irealizedthatfinanceismorethannumbers;it’sthe languageofthebusiness,”heshares.Buttospeakit fluently,onemustunderstandtheecosystemaroundit— auditteachesdisciplineandcontrol,compliancebrings governance,legalsharpensjudgment,andfinancedrives performance.
Pursuingamultidimensionalpathwasn’taccidental;itwas intentional.Eachdisciplineaddedanewlensthroughwhich Dr.Bumalcouldviewdecision-making.Overtime,this breadthhelpedhimconnectthedotsbetweenstrategy, people,andexecution.Thisabilitybecameessentialashe
movedintoleadershiproleswithinlogisticsandfreight forwarding,wheretheenvironmentisfast-moving, complex,anddeeplyinterlinked.
Today,heseesthisdiversityofexperienceasareal strength.“Itallowsmetobalanceambitionwith accountability—ensuringthatgrowth,innovation,and governancemovetogether,notinisolation,”headds.
PerfectingtheIntegratedSymphony
Revealinghisevolvingpersonality,Dr.Bumalsaysthat financetaughthimtheimportanceofprecision, performance,andvaluecreation.Compliance,ontheother hand,taughthimtheimportanceofintegrity,accountability, andtrust.Together,they’veshapedaleadershipphilosophy builtonclarity,consistency,andcredibility.
Infinance,everydecisionhasanimpact—onpeople,on results,onreputation.Incompliance,everyactionhasa consequence.Balancingthesetwoworldsmadehimrealize thatgreatleadershipisnotaboutcontrol,it’sabout alignment:aligningstrategywithethics,ambitionwith discipline,andinnovationwithgovernance.
Inhiscurrentrole,Dr.Bumaltriestoinstillthismindset acrossteams—empoweringpeopletomakebold,datadrivendecisionswhilemaintainingastrongsenseof responsibility.Growthismeaninglessifit’snotsustainable andgovernedproperly.“Mygoalistobuildaculturewhere financialexcellenceandethicalleadershiparenottradeoffs,butcomplementaryforcesdrivinglong-termsuccess.”
AtDPWorld,Dr.Bumalandhisteam’sfinancialstrategyis notdesignedinisolation—it’sdeeplyintegratedwiththe Group’svisiontoenablesmartertradeandcreateresilient supplychains.AsClusterDirectorFinance,hisroleisto ensurethateveryfinancialdecision—frombudgetingand investmenttoperformancemanagement—supportsthat missionacrossalltheirfreightforwardingandlogistics operationsinEurope.
Practically,thismeanstranslatingglobalambitionsinto measurablelocalactions:improvinggrossprofitmargins, drivingproductivity,andensuringthattheirgrowth— whetherthroughnewbranches,acquisitionslikeHerport,or productdiversification—isbothprofitableandsustainable.
Theyachievethisalignmentthroughstronggovernance, transparentreporting,andcontinuousdialoguebetween financeandoperations.Theobjectiveissimple:toensure thattheirregionalstrategiesnotonlydeliverlocal performancebutalsocontributemeaningfullytoDP World’sglobaltransformationintoanintegratedlogistics powerhouse.
Tech-PoweredPredictiveIntelligence
Also,accordingtoDr.Bumal,AIandautomationareno longerfuturistictools—“theyarereshapinghowwelead, decide,andperformtoday.”Infinanceandfreight forwarding,datausedtodescribethepast;now,itpredicts
thefuture.WiththeintegrationofAI,histeamsaremoving fromreactivereportingtopredictiveintelligence— forecastingfreightrates,identifyingcostleakages,and improvingproductivitybeforeissuesevensurface.
Forexample,automationhasstreamlinedmonth-end closingsanddataconsolidationacrossmultiplecountries, freeingpeopletofocusoninsightsratherthanmanual reconciliation.AI-drivenanalyticsnowallowsthemto simulatescenarios,assessprofitabilitypertradelane,and makefaster,moreinformeddecisionsthatdirectlyimpact grossprofitandEBITperformance.
Ultimately,technologyamplifieshumanjudgment.Dr Bumal’sphilosophyistocombinehumanintuitionwith machineprecision—usingAInottoreplacedecisionmaking,buttoenhanceit,enablingfinancetoactasa strategicpartnertothebusinessratherthanjustareporting function.
Analytics―theBackboneofDecision-making
Hefurtherbelievesthatanalyticsisthebackboneofmodern decision-making.Intoday’sfast-movingbusiness environment,dataallowsleaderstomovefrominstinctbasedtointelligence-baseddecisions.Heusesanalyticsnot onlytomeasureperformancebuttoanticipatechange— identifyingtrends,inefficiencies,anduntapped opportunitiesbeforetheybecomevisibleontheP&L.
“Byintegratingoperationalandfinancialdata,wecan assessprofitabilitybycustomer,product,orrouteinreal time,”addsDr.Bumal.Thislevelofvisibilityhighlights wheremarginsareeroding,whereproductivityisstrong, andwhereresourcesneedtoberedeployed.Italsoallows themtosimulate“what-if”scenarios—forexample, testingtheimpactofratefluctuations,costmovements,or volumeshiftsontheirbottomlinebeforetakingaction.
ForDr.Bumal,analyticsisnotaboutbuildingmorereports; it’saboutbuildingclarity.Itgivesleaderstheconfidenceto makefaster,fact-baseddecisionsandempowersteamsto actwithpurpose.Thegoalissimple—toturninformation intoforesightandforesightintosustainablegrowth.
ConqueringComplexChallenges
Reflectingonhisleadershipjourney,themostcomplex financialchallenge,Dr.Bumalsayshefacedwasmanaging rapidgrowthwhilemaintainingprofitabilityandcontrol. Growthisexciting,butitalsotestseverypartofan organisation—systems,people,governance,andcashflow. Whenrevenuescalesfasterthaninfrastructure,theriskof inefficiencyandcostleakageincreasesexponentially
Toaddressthis,hehadtostrikeabalancebetweenambition anddiscipline.Herecalls,“Weredesignedfinancial processes,integratedperformancedashboards,andlinked
businessKPIs—suchasproductivity,grossprofitperFTE, andcost-to-serve—toreal-timefinancialvisibility This allowedustopinpointwheregrowthwasvalue-accretive andwhereitwaserodingmargin.”
Equallyimportantwasthehumansideofthechallenge. Scalingfinancecapabilitymeantempoweringteams, redefiningroles,andensuringaccountabilityateverylevel. Transparencyandcommunicationwerecritical—notjust reportingthenumbersbutexplainingthestorybehindthem.
Intheend,thekeylessonforDr.Bumalwasthis: sustainablegrowthrequiresasmuchgovernanceas innovation.Financeleadersmustactasbothstrategistsand guardians—enablingexpansion,butalwayswithaclear viewoncontrol,risk,andreturn.
APrincipledApproachtoRiskManagement
Also,hefeelsthatinvolatilemarkets,riskmanagementis notaboutavoidinguncertainty—it’saboutunderstanding itbetterandactingfaster.Hisapproachisbuiltonthree principles:visibility,agility,andbalance.
First, visibility —youcan’tmanagewhatyoucan’tsee. “Werelyondata-drivenforecastingtomonitorkey volatilityindicatorssuchasratefluctuations,demandshifts, andcosttrendsinrealtime.”Thisgivesearlywarning signals,allowingcorrectiveactionsbeforerisksturninto financialimpact.
Second, agility —riskframeworksmustbedynamic,not static.Traditionalcontrolsalonearenotenough.Dr.Bumal believesinempoweringregionalfinanceteamstomake quick,informeddecisionswithincleargovernance boundaries.Thisdecentralisedapproachhelpsthemrespond fastertochangingconditionswhilemaintainingstrategic alignment, he adds.
Finally, balance —becausenotallriskisnegative.Some volatilitybringsopportunity.Byquantifyingexposure— whetherinforeignexchange,freightratevariability,or operationaldisruptions—“Wecandecidewhentohedge, whentoabsorb,andwhentoseizeadvantage.”
Ultimately,riskmanagementisaleadershipmindset.It’s aboutturninguncertaintyintoacompetitiveedge— managingtoday’svolatilitywhilepositioningthebusiness tocapturetomorrow’sgrowth.
BuildingaHigh-performanceTeam
AccordingtoDr.Bumal,buildingahigh-performing financeteamstartswithtrust,clarity,andpurpose.“I believepeopleperformbestwhentheyunderstandwhy theirworkmattersandhowitimpactsthebiggerpicture.”
Financeisnolongeraback-officefunction;it’sastrategic partner—andthatshiftrequiresbothaccountabilityand creativity
Tocultivatethis,hefocusesonthreepillars:
*Empowermentwithownership:Dr.Bumalgiveshis teamsautonomytomakedecisions,butensuresthey’re accountablefortheoutcomes.ClearKPIs,transparent metrics,andregularfeedbackloopsmakeaccountabilitya sharedvalue,notatop-downdemand.
*Continuouslearningandinnovation:Heencourages curiosity—challengingexistingprocesses,testingnew tools,andexploringautomationorAItosimplify complexity.Innovationhappenswhenpeoplefeelsafeto questionthestatusquo.
*Collaborationacrossbordersandfunctions:Ina multinationalenvironment,successdependsoncollective intelligence.Heensuresthatknowledge,bestpractices,and successesaresharedwidely—transforminglocal excellenceintoregionalimpact.
ForDr.Bumal,leadershipisnotaboutcontrol;it’sabout creatingtherightenvironment.Whenpeoplefeeltrusted, informed,andinspired,accountabilitybecomesnatural— andinnovationfollows.
AFittingAdvice
Beinganexperiencedleader,Dr.Bumal’sadvicetoyoung financeprofessionalsissimple:don’tjustchasetitles— buildperspective,hesays,addingthatleadershipisnot abouthierarchy;it’saboutimpact.Andimpactcomesfrom understandingthefullpicture—howstrategy,operations, andpeopleconnecttofinancialperformance.
First,masterthefundamentals.Technicalexcellencebuilds credibility.Understandyournumbersdeeply—theyarethe
languageofbusiness.Butdon’tstopthere. Learntointerpretwhatthosenumbersmean fortheorganisation,themarket,andthe peoplebehindthem.
Second,developcuriositybeyondfinance. “ThebestleadersI’veseenarethosewhoask questionsoutsidetheircomfortzone—about technology,customers,supplychains,or sustainability.”Thatcuriositybuildsstrategic insightandempathy—twotraitsessentialfor modernleadership.
Finally,leadwithintegrityandcourage. Financeleadersaretheconscienceofthe business.You’lloftenhavetomaketough calls,challengedecisions,orspeaktruthto power.Doitrespectfully,butnevershyaway fromit.
Inshort:becurious,becourageous,andstay grounded.“Leadershipisnotadestination— it’sajourneyofcontinuouslearning,guided bypurposeandintegrity.”
HisGuidingReflections
Lookingbackonhiscareer,Dr.Bumalsays thatthevaluesthathaveguidedhimmostare integrity,clarity,andperseverance.Integrity buildstrust—thefoundationofanylong-term success.Clarityensuresthateverydecision servesapurpose,notjustaprocess.And perseveranceremindshimthatmeaningful impacttakesconsistency,notperfection.
“Throughoutmycareer,I’velearnedthat strategyalonedoesn’tdriveresults— characterdoes.Stayingtruetoprinciples, especiallyunderpressure,iswhatallowsa leadertoturnchallengesintoprogressand visionintoreality.”
Work–lifebalance,forhim,isaboutbeing fullypresentwhereverheis.Leadingacross multiplecountriescanbedemanding,sohe focusesonthreethings—clarity,delegation, andrecovery.Claritykeepsprioritiessharp, delegationbuildstrustandempowersteams, andrecovery—throughtravel,reflection,or timewithfamily—keepshimgrounded.
Balanceisn’tabouttimemanagement;it’saboutenergy management.Whenleaderstakecareoftheirownrhythm, theycreateaculturewhereperformanceandwell-beingcan thrivetogether
HowtoTranscendTrends?
Inhissuggestionstohiscolleagues,Dr.Bumalsaysthatthe financeleaderstodaymustevolvefasterthantheworld aroundthem.Thekeytrendstowatchareclear:
• AIandautomationaretransformingforecastingand decision-making,
• Real-timefinancereplacingtraditionalmonth-end reporting,
• SustainabilityandESGbecomingintegralto investmentstrategy,
• Riskagilityturninguncertaintyintoacompetitive advantage,and
• Digitaltalentredefiningwhatitmeanstoleadin finance.
Inessence,financeisshiftingfromcontrolandcompliance tospeed,foresight,andstrategicinfluence.Theleaderswho embracethatshiftwilldefinethenextdecadeofglobal competitiveness.
PreparingfortheFutureFluctuations
Because,accordingtohim,overthenextdecade,the financefunctioninlogisticsandportoperationswillevolve fromacontrolcentretoastrategicenginedriving transformation.Threemajorshiftsstandout:
~Fromreportingtopredicting:Financewillmovebeyond historicaldataintoreal-timeandpredictiveanalytics— usingAItoanticipateratemovements,demandtrends,and costrisksbeforetheyhappen.
~Fromcontroltocollaboration:Financewillbecome fullyembeddedwithinoperations—guidinginvestment decisions,optimizingassets,andsupportingagileresponses tomarketvolatility.
~Fromcompliancetoimpact:Sustainability,digital transformation,andresiliencewillbecomecoretofinancial strategy.Financeleaderswillsteercapitaltoward technologiesthatenhanceefficiency,reduceemissions,and createlong-termvalue.
Inessence,financewillnolongerjustmeasureperformance —itwillshapeit,actingasthecompassforgrowth, innovation,andsustainabilityinthenextgenerationof logistics, he concludes
The New MODERN CFO Arsenal of the
Theworldoffinancehasevolved.CFOstodaymore
thanjustcrunchnumbers.Theyarestrategists, embracingtechnologyandinfluencinghowtheir companiesgrowanddiscovertheirpurpose.CFOstoday juggleplanning,technology,andhumancapabilities simultaneouslywhilekeepingwatchoverthebottomline.
This is the way that leaders in finance are redefining the CFO role:
1.FromNumberstoStrategy
TheCFO'sroleisnotsimplytomakethecompanycheaper ormakethebooksbalance.They'reintheroomwiththe otherexecutives,helpingputtogetherthecompany's strategyandfillinginthegapbetweenfinancialacumenand itsobjectives.
Today'sCFOschartthecompany'scourse,drivegrowth, andoverseerisk.Theyinterpretfinancedataandtellthe companywhatitmeansaboutitsfutureandhowwellitcan grow.
Next,theCFOassistsinplanning,strikingthebalance betweenawatchfuleyefordetailandvisiononaglobal scale.
2.Data-DrivenLeadership
Decisionstodayarebasedondata.CFOsmustbeskilledat analyzingit.Theydon'tmerelyglanceatquarterly statements.Theyrelyondashboards,models,andsoftware toidentifytrends.
TheseCFOsdosomethingwiththedata.Theymakeit actionable.Theytranslatetrendsintoeverydaylanguage, relatingthemtothebusinessplan.Thisintegrationof technologyandmessagingmakestheCFOadecisivevoice inthefirm.
3.TechasTool
TechchangesarenolongerthesoledomainofIT.TheCFO isgettingintotheact,leveragingautomation,cloud computing,andAItospeedupfinancesandmakethem smarter
Withautomationoftasks,CFOshavemoretimetoplan, analyze,andcomeupwithnewideas.Theyworkwith CIOsanddataanalyststoensuretechinvestmentsare value-based.
CFOsarenotafraidoftechnology Theyemployittomake thebusinessreinventandprepareforthefuture
4.DreamsBeyondProfit
CFOsknowthatnumbersdon'tmatterbythemselves. They'reinjectingethics,sustainability,andpurposeintothe company'sfinancialstrategy.
Investorsandconsumerscareaboutmorethannumbers, suchashowacompany'sgrowthdoessomegoodinthe world.TheCFOconnectsprofitswithpurposesothatthe firm'smoneyinvestsinitssocialandenvironmentalefforts.
ThisisevolutionfortheCFO.It'smovingbeyondmoneyto doingwellresponsibly.
5.RemainingResilientInChallengingTimes
Thepastcoupleofyearshavealsoshownthatleadersmust bepreparedtobeadaptable.TheCFOistheonewhocan makeachangewhenthingsdonothappenastheyshould
Ratherthanfixedbudgetsthatremaineffectiveforthe entireyear,CFOscanworkwithplansthatcanbeadjusted accordingtothemarket.Theypreparefirmsforissuesas wellasforopportunities.
Theyarevigilantbutpreparedtopounceatthenextchance.
6.LeadingwithPeople
Anygreatplanisbuttressedbyagreatteam.CFOs understandthatleadershipisnotaboutnumbersbutpeople
Financeleaderstodayconstructteamsthatcaninterpret numbersandalsonarratestories.Theycoach,theyspeak, andtheymotivate.Theyunderstandthatdecisionsare drivenbynumbers,butit'shumansthatmakeprogress happen.
Bydevelopingteamworkandtrust,CFOsmakethefinance functionanenvironmentwherenewideasaregiventhe spacetoflourish.
7.TeamworkMatters
Businessissuesthesedaysinvolvemorethanone department.SodoCFOs.TheycollaboratewithCEOs, marketingmanagers,ITmanagers,andHRsothateach decisionisbeneficialtothecompany'sbottomlineand strategy
Thiscollaborationextendsbeyondthefirm.CFOsspeak candidlytoinvestorsandothers,breakingdownthe numbersandwhytheymatter.TheCFOspeaksclearly.
8.TheFuture:CFOsasInnovators
Asmarketsandtechnologycontinuetochange,theCFO willbeinthedriver'sseatofdefiningbusiness.Theyhave theabilitytoalignmoney,newconcepts,andpurpose.
CFOswillbemorethanjustmoneymanagers.They'll influencethecultureofthecompany,drivetechdisruption, anddrivelong-termgrowthThesewaveswillripplebeyond thebottomlineandinfluencecompanies'mindsand behaviors.
Theworld'schangedandsohastheCFO'srole.They'renot justnumberjockeysanymorebutplannersand technologists.Theyguidecompanieswithfactandinsight.
Bytechnologytools,peopleskills,andstrategicthinking, theCFOsareredesigningleadershipoutsidefinance.With businesscontinuingtoevolve,theCFOwillbe spearheadingshapingthefuture.
The Tech-Savvy CFOs Transforming BUSINESS MODELS
Today,theroleoftheChiefFinancialOfficerisvery
different.Theyarenolongerthebeancountersof yesteryears.Thetech-savvyCFOsarerevamping thefinancedepartmentsasthinktanksandcanchangegears withease.
Thesetopleadersunderstandthattechnologyisnotonly aboutsavingmoney.Itactuallymakesbusinessesexpand, fixproblems,andmakedecisions.Theyareusingsuch technologiesasAIandcloudcomputingtoruntheir businessesdifferently.
ANewTypeofFinanceLeader
Yearsago,CFOsdidmainlyreport,kepteveryoneinline procedure,andguardedagainstrisk.Now,it'smuchmore thanthat.Tech-savvyCFOsdon'tjustglanceatfigures. Theyhelpguidethecompany'sdirection,innovate,andset what'snext.
Theytalkaboutfinanceandtechnology Theyunderstand thattherightsoftwarecandrivevalue,datacanindicate whatcustomersneed,andautomationcanallowemployees tofocusonwhatcounts.
Theyaretransformingcompaniesbyusingtechnologyto makethingsbetter.
UtilizingTechnologytoEnhance
Notonlyisbecomingdigitalhip.It'sessentialtostayingin business.Tech-awareCFOsappreciatethatit'shardtokeep growingwithoutit.Theydon'tjustapproveoftechbudgets. Theyhelpmapoutthecompany'sdigitalfuturewiththe CIOandCEO.
Withmachinelearning,financestaffhavetheabilityto examinedatawithinsecondsthatpreviouslytookweeks. Technologycanperformtaskslikeexpensereports,account reconciliations,andauditpreparation.Financestaffhave timetoadviseandnotjustgatherdata.
WhatsetsthoseCFOsapartfromeveryoneelseisthatthey arecurious.They'realwaysasking,whatcanthisdatatell us?andhowcanweuseittomakesmarterdecisions?Asa result,thefinancedepartmentisagoldmineofinformation fortheentireorganization.
MakingSmartDataDecisions
Decisionsinbusinesswerebeingmadeonhistorythat existedorpriorreportsinthepast.Today,CFOscanreview thecompletepicturefromreal-timedata.They'retaking informationandapplyingittoknowwhatoccurredand predictwhat'sonthehorizon.
Theycantryoutdifferentfinancialplans,foreseethreats early,andimaginenewpossibilitiesbytrackingtrends. Theycombinedfinancialdatawithsales,supplychain,and customerservicedata.Thisgivesthemaclearpictureof things,sothattheycanmakefaster,betterdecisions.
TheseCEOsalsoplaceimportanceondataprotectionand privacy Theyknowthatwithtechnologycomes responsibility,sotheyhaverulesinplacetoprotect monetaryinformation.
CollaborationMatters
Technologyisbringingdifferentdepartmentscloserand closer,andwiseCFOsarelovingthewayitis.Theydonot stayinsilos.Theyworkwithotherdepartmentsanduse digitalplatformstolinkfinancialplanningwithinnovation, marketing,andoperations.
Whenafirmislookingatnewproductsorexpandingintoa newbusiness,theCFOwillgenerallypresentthefinancial justificationforsuchmoves.CFOsmaketechnical knowledgeandbusinesssenseworktogether.Ithelps bossesconsiderpossibilitiesandensurethatallstrategycan succeedinthelongterm.
Theresultisamoreagileandcohesivecompany.Finance hereisnotthenodepartment,butthedepartmentthat showshowitdoesthings.
NewIdeasandFlexibilityAreKey
Thosefirmsthatcanactfasthaveahugecompetitive advantage.ThoseCFOswhounderstandtechnologyknow thatspeed,agility,andinnovationarenotanylessimportant thanaccuracy Therearemanyofthemembracingcloudbasedsystems.Thisgivesthemasenseoftheirfinancial performancewherevertheymightbe.
They'realsotransformingthewaytheirorganizations operate.CFOsarefundingindividualstoacquire technologyskillssothattheycanbecomedata-driven planners.They'rebuildingofficeswhereindividualscan experiment,test,anddiscovernewthings.They've discoveredthatcreativityisbornoutofexperimentingwith somethingnewandlearningalongtheway.
Theirtechnicalknowledgeassiststhemexplorenew businessmodels,includingsubscription-basedmodelsof revenueordatamonetization.Thesedemandnewattitudes andmathematicalskills.
ThePeopleSideofBeingaDigitalCFO
Evenwithtechnology,thegreatestCFOsneverforgetabout people.Theyrealizethatrealchangeinvolvesguiding peoplethroughchangewithempathyandwisdom
TheseCFOsopenlyandhonestlysharetheactualreasonsof newdigitalchange,empoweringemployees,notastheyare beingdownsizedbecauseoftechnology.They'rebuildinga cultureoflearningcontinuouslyandwherethere'sspacefor colleagues,whetherIT,finance,andoperations.
TheseCFOshaveanalyticalbrainsandemotional intelligence.Theyintroducedata-drivendecisionsalong withgenuinehumantouch.
Businessischangingrapidlyinthisworld,andfinanceisno different.CFOsareprovingthatbusinessstrategyand technologyareahandinglove.They'renotjustkeeping pacewiththedigitalrevolution.They'releadingit.
Theseleaderstranslatethreatstoopportunities,numbersto stories,andinformationtodecisionsoflastingsignificance. They'rebridgingtechnologyexpertiseandfinance expertise.
Theworld'stopCFOsaredoingjustthat:lookingtothe future,thinkinginadigitalway,andleadingheadandheart. Thatiswherethefuturelies.
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