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After conquering Nigeria and Ghana for MTN in various CFO and CEO roles, Brett Goschen was ‘redeployed’ last year as Group CFO. Today we publish PART 1 of an exclusive interview with Goschen, in which he talks about the business support role of a CFO and the challenges a mobile telecommunications multinational faces.

Deon Fredericks was appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Telkom, the country's biggest fixed-line telephone group that is in the process of reinventing itself. Fredericks is not entirely new to the job. As Deputy CFO he had been acting in the position since October last year, when CFO Jacques Schindehütte was suspended. Fredericks is a big fan of CFO South Africa, as evidenced by his raving testimonial on our website. An interview with Fredericks that we published earlier this year can be read here.

“As an auditor you have the opportunity to get exposure to numerous companies and industries,” says Miles Fisher, partner at audit and advisory firm Mazars. Fisher is a Chartered Accountant (SA) with a real passion for auditing and says he is always ‘lecturing’ young talent not to leapfrog into the business environment too soon. “People often don’t realise the massive learning opportunities the position of auditor offers.”

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday September 25 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles CFO of the Week: Rofhiwa Irene Singo: I am known as CFO Clean Audit Popularly referred to as “CFO Clean Audit”, Rofhiwa Irene Singo leads the Finance Department at the Department of Mineral Resources, and has a remarkable story of perseverance to tell. Irene, as she prefers to be called, has been instrumental in turning around the failing financial reporting at three public institutions and prides herself in having achieved these under very difficult conditions. “I always knew that I could do it, hard and smart working paid the price. The name CFO Clean Audit resonates well with me and I like it,” she says. Lesley Plaistowe, Partner at IBM: Cloud lightens your balance sheet "You don’t want your balance sheet weighed down by assets,” Lesley Plaistowe, Partner Financial Services at Technology firm IBM told the CFOs that attended our Digital Transformation event on 11 September in Johannesburg. During an inspiring presentation – Digital Transformation and New Business Models – Plaistowe chatted to the finance leaders about the enormous possibilities that the latest technological solutions have to offer. Also join our next CFO Event on Risk, Compliance & Control November 13 in Cape Town to enjoy more Master Classes from interesting speakers. Register here. Meet Chantelle Booysen-Fourie, community manager for CFO South Africa “People prefer to do business with people they like and trust,” says Chantelle Booysen-Fourie, CFO South Africa’s highly energetic Community Manager. “This has been my experience throughout my life and my career,” she reveals, explaining how well this thinking aligns with her new challenge of connecting CFOs and further growing CFO South Africa into a trusted place for finance leaders to meet, share and learn. Read more exclusive articles on cfo.co.za - Editorial: CFO South Africa!!! Thank you..."It is a great experience sitting and sharing notes with other CFOs" Join CFO Event Risk, Compliance & Control November 13 at the amazing Cape Town Club CFO South Africa invites you to join the last CFO Event of 2014 on Risk, Compliance & Control together with 100 other CFOs. How do you take the lead in letting your company achieve its goals in a way that is open, honest, ethical and principled. How can you contribute to build and implement systems designed to detect and prevent compliance breaches and how do you lead the development of a strong compliance culture. CFOs should consider embedding a thoughtful awareness of risk and compliance in their organization. Listen to best practices to help the company stay in control of the risks it chooses to take. Join this event free of charge with several Master Classes, exclusive Round Tables and a list of very interesting speakers and attendees: - Bob Head, CFO of SARS - Ivan Meyer, Minister of Finance of the Western Cape - Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities of the Western Cape Don’t miss out on this last CFO Event of 2014 from 4pm - 8pm and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on Risk, Compliance & Control. Partners CFO Event Risk, Compliance & Control: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, SAB, Nike, Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Accenture, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG, Readsoft, CQS, IQ Business and Transparent have supported CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in becoming a partner? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 Nov 13 Cape Town | Risk, Compliance & Control CFO South Africa Events in 2015 Feb 19 Cape Town | Moving into Africa Mar 19 Sandton | Get Smart in 2015 Apr 16 Sandton | Capital & Finance May 14 Sandton | CFO Awards 2015 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

The header of this article might sound a bit ostentatious or even self-serving, but there is a good reason that this ‘thank you’ is topping this first editorial. It is the subject line of an email that was sent to us by Tumelo Alvin Mosimane, CFO at Diamond Hill Trading 151 in Rustenburg, after our Digital Transformation event in Johannesburg on 11 September.

Popularly referred to as “CFO Clean Audit”, Rofhiwa Irene Singo leads the Finance Department at the Department of Mineral Resources, and has a remarkable story of perseverance to tell. Irene, as she prefers to be called, has been instrumental in turning around the failing financial reporting at three public institutions and prides herself in having achieved these under very difficult conditions. “I always knew that I could do it, hard and smart working paid the price. The name CFO Clean Audit resonates well with me and I like it,” she says.

"You don’t want your balance sheet weighed down by assets,” Lesley Plaistowe, Partner Financial Services at Technology firm IBM told the CFOs that attended our Digital Transformation event on 11 September in Johannesburg. During an inspiring presentation – Digital Transformation and New Business Models – Plaistowe chatted to the finance leaders about the enormous possibilities that the latest technological solutions have to offer.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday September 18 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles CFO of the Week: Jurgens Myburgh, new CFO at Datatec: “I strive to ... “I strive to be a multidimensional CFO,” says Jurgens Myburgh, who recently swapped an impressive career in Corporate Finance at Standard Bank for a role as CFO at information technology group Datatec. In anticipation of learning from more experienced peers, Myburgh has joined CFO South Africa as a platinum member. “It will be great to network with like-minded people, bounce ideas off experienced individuals, gather intelligence on best practice and stay up to date. You can’t afford to operate in a silo.” Jurgens is a Platinum Member of CFO South Africa, also interested in becoming a member? Check out our membership opportunities. Fascinating insights at CFO Event on Digital Transformation Digital transformation… For some CFOs and FDs the term equals headaches, internal resistance or pricey solutions. But other Chief Financial Officers have found out that the better use of modern IT solutions has equipped them to fulfil their role as true partner to the CEO. During a successful and well-attended event in the Tintswalo at Waterfall hotel in Johannesburg on Thursday 11 September, finance leaders had the opportunity to chat about the topic with peers and learn from market leaders. Also Join our next CFO Event on Risk, Compliance & Control November 13 in Cape Town Register here. Microsoft seeks conversation with CFOs to “see magic happen” "As a technology company, we don’t have enough conversations with the CFO,” confessed Rory Headon-Weeks. During CFO South Africa’s successful Digital Transformation event on Thursday 11 September, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Microsoft South Africa gave the CFOs present some fascinating insights in the ways of the future. And he invited finance leaders to visit the Microsoft Technology Centre in Johannesburg and “see magic happen”. Read more exclusive articles on cfo.co.za - CFO South Africa meeting needs of private AND public CFOs: "This is the only independent platform that enables finance leaders... Join the last CFO Event of 2014 November 13 at the amazing Cape Town Club CFO South Africa invites you to join the last CFO Event of 2014 on Risk, Compliance & Control together with 100 other CFOs. How do you take the lead in letting your company achieve its goals in a way that is open, honest, ethical and principled. How can you contribute to build and implement systems designed to detect and prevent compliance breaches and how do you lead the development of a strong compliance culture. CFOs should consider embedding a thoughtful awareness of risk and compliance in their organization. Listen to best practices to help the company stay in control of the risks it chooses to take. Join this event free of charge with several Master Classes, exclusive Round Tables and a list of very interesting speakers and attendees: - Bob Head, CFO of SARS - Ivan Meyer, Minister of Finance of the Western Cape - Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities Don’t miss out on this last CFO Event of 2014 from 4pm - 8pm and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on Risk, Compliance & Control. Partners CFO Event Risk, Compliance & Control: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, SAB, Nike, Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Accenture, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG, Readsoft, CQS, IQ Business and Transparent have supported CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in becoming a partner? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 Nov 13 Cape Town | Risk, Compliance & Control CFO South Africa Events in 2015 Feb 19 Cape Town | Moving into Africa Mar 19 Sandton | Get Smart in 2015 Apr 16 Sandton | Capital & Finance May 14 Sandton | CFO Awards 2015 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

"As a technology company, we don’t have enough conversations with the CFO,” confessed Rory Headon-Weeks. During CFO South Africa’s successful Digital Transformation event on Thursday 11 September, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Microsoft South Africa gave the CFOs present some fascinating insights in the ways of the future. And he invited finance leaders to visit the Microsoft Technology Centre in Johannesburg and “see magic happen”.

“I strive to be a multidimensional CFO,” says Jurgens Myburgh, who recently swapped an impressive career in Corporate Finance at Standard Bank for a role as CFO at information technology group Datatec. In anticipation of learning from more experienced peers, Myburgh has joined CFO South Africa as a platinum member. “It will be great to network with like-minded people, bounce ideas off experienced individuals, gather intelligence on best practice and stay up to date. You can’t afford to operate in a silo.”

Last Thursday and Friday were such busy days for the directors and editor of CFO South Africa, that we didn't really have time to reflect yet – but what days they were! First of all there was the Digital Transformation event in the Tintswalo at Waterfall hotel, which probably was our BEST attended function so far. “After two years of building a network, our initiative proves to be exactly what Chief Financial Officers and Finance Directors in South Africa are yearning for,” say founders Alex van Groningen en Melle Eijckelhoff. “This is the only independent platform that enables finance leaders to engage in in-depth peer to peer discussions, learn about the latest trends and participate in high level networking.”

Digital transformation… For some CFOs and FDs the term equals headaches, internal resistance or pricey solutions. But other Chief Financial Officers have found out that the better use of modern IT solutions has equipped them to fulfil their role as true partner to the CEO. During a successful and well-attended event in the Tintswalo at Waterfall hotel in Johannesburg on Thursday 11 September, finance leaders had the opportunity to chat about the topic with peers and learn from market leaders.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday September 10 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Last call for the CFO Event on Digital Transformation Tomorrow September 11 at the Tintswalo at Waterfall Can I also welcome you during this CFO Event together with 100 other CFOs? Discover succesfull IT strategies how to accelerate your ROI with BI, boost revenues and reduce costs and drive business agility. This exclusive get-together will offer you the unique opportunity to learn from new visions and ideas. Join this event free of charge with a Master Class with CFO Panel, Round Table and a list of very interesting speakers: - CFO of the Year winner Simon Ridley, CFO at Standard Bank - Young Talent Award winner Aarti Takoordeen, CFO at JSE - August van Heerden, CFO Retail & Business Banking at Barclays - Cedric Miller, CFO Personal & Business Banking at Standard Bank - Mthoko Mncwabe, CIO at Postbank - Magnus Taljaard, Head of Mobile banking at Standard Bank - William Yates, General Manager at IBM Global Financing MEA - Lesley Plaistowe, Partner Financial Services at IBM - Rory Headon-Weeks, Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft - Brett StClair, Country Manager at Google Enterprise Don’t miss out on this last CFO Event in Johannesburg in 2014 from 4pm - 8pm and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on Digital Transformation and how it can help your company! Partners CFO Event Digital Transformation: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles CFO of the Week: Siboniso Mdluli, CFO FNB Swaziland: Mobility cruci... “Professional mobility is the best thing for anyone who wants to grow and develop his career both from a professional and technical perspective. It is best way to broaden your global business knowledge and accelerate career advancement,” says Siboniso Mdluli, who joined FNB Swaziland as Chief Financial Officer after 10 years of professional accounting and finance experience at PwC. Mdluli recently joined CFO South Africa as a platinum member and is keen to learn and share experiences with peers from other companies. Siboniso is a Platinum Member of CFO South Africa, also interested in becoming a member? Check out our membership opportunities. Inspiring meetings with CFOs of Eskom and Minerals department It is widely agreed upon that what South Africa needs is inspiring leaders, most of all in the public sector and at parastatals. That this country is not short of the individuals who have been cut from the right cloth, became once again apparent during our recent meetings with Rofhiwa Irene Singo and Tsholofelo Molefe. These two impressive ladies have made the Chief Financial Officer role their own at the Department of Mineral Resources and at public electricity utility Eskom and both contribute to a better South Africa to the best of their capabilities. Read more exclusive articles on cfo.co.za - Nazreen Pandor, Business Development Manager Mazars: CFO South Afri... Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, SAB, Nike, Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Accenture, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG, Readsoft, CQS, IQ Business and Transparent have supported CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in becoming a partner? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 Sept 11 Sandton | Digital Transformation Nov 13 Cape Town | Risk, Compliance & Control CFO South Africa Events in 2015 Feb 19 Cape Town | Moving into Africa Mar 19 Sandton | Get Smart in 2015 Apr 16 Sandton | Capital & Finance May 14 Sandton | CFO Awards 2015 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

It is widely agreed upon that what South Africa needs is inspiring leaders, most of all in the public sector and at parastatals. That this country is not short of the individuals who have been cut from the right cloth, became once again apparent during our recent meetings with Rofhiwa Irene Singo and Tsholofelo Molefe. These two impressive ladies have made the Chief Financial Officer role their own at the Department of Mineral Resources and at public electricity utility Eskom and both contribute to a better South Africa to the best of their capabilities.

"CFO South Africa is a crucial initiative," says Nazreen Pandor, Director of Business Development at Mazars, an international organisation, specialising in audit, accountancy, tax, legal and advisory services. "When Chief Financial Officers and Finance Directors from the private and public sector come together to exchange knowledge, that can only benefit the country as a whole."

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday August 27 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Register now for the last CFO Event in Johannesburg for 2014 Thursday September 11 at the Tintswalo at Waterfall In the new digital reality, people have the opportunity to freely share their opinions, experiences, ideas, emotions and complaints en masse and anonymously. Markets have never been so transparent, putting the customer back in charge. How can we understand this digital transformation, and see the financial opportunities and consequences for the business? Join this event free of charge with a Master Class with CFO Panel, Round Table and a list of very interesting speakers: - CFO of the Year winner Simon Ridley, CFO at Standard Bank - Young Talent Award winner Aarti Takoordeen, CFO at JSE - August van Heerden, CFO Retail & Business Banking at Barclays - Cedric Miller, CFO Personal & Business Banking at Standard Bank - Mthoko Mncwabe, CIO at Postbank - Magnus Taljaard, Head of Mobile banking at Standard Bank - William Yates, General Manager at IBM Global Financing MEA - Brett StClair, Country Manager at Google Enterprises SA Don’t miss out on this last CFO Event in Johannesburg in 2014 from 4pm - 8pm and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on Digital Transformation and how it can help your company! Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Identify key priorities and challenges for today’s finance manageme... The finance organization is continuously evolving. Faced with meeting the needs of executive management, shareholders and regulators while ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of their function, finance leaders and professionals must address a wide range of issues within a dynamic environment with seemingly endless changes in regulations and reporting requirements. We invite you to participate in the 2015 Finance Priorities Survey. Futuresense-directors Steven Hyslop & Simon Jackson: CFOs needs... I think the role of the CFO is becoming far more interesting and complex, says Steven Hyslop, founder and director of Futuresense, a high-end implementation firm for Oracle’s Hyperion solutions. “Our work always starts with a CFO wanting a solution,” adds Simon Jackson, his fellow director. Hyslop and Jackson recently spoke to CFO South Africa about the role of the Chief Financial Officer in driving digital transformation. Read more exclusive articles on cfo.co.za - The most innovative South African companies in finance - game chang... Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Nedbank, Transnet, SAB, Nike, Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion, Eskom, Super Group and Gauteng Department of Finance are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Accenture, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG, Readsoft, CQS, IQ Business and Transparent have supported CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in partnering up? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 Sept 11 Sandton | Digital Transformation Nov 13 Cape Town | Risk, Compliance & Control CFO South Africa Events in 2015 Feb 19 Cape Town | Moving into Africa Mar 19 Sandton | Get Smart in 2015 Apr 16 Sandton | Capital & Finance May 14 Sandton | CFO Awards 2015 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

“I think the role of the CFO is becoming far more interesting and complex,” says Steven Hyslop, founder and director of Futuresense, a high-end implementation firm for Oracle’s Hyperion solutions. “Our work always starts with a CFO wanting a solution,” adds Simon Jackson, his fellow director. Hyslop and Jackson recently spoke to CFO South Africa about the role of the Chief Financial Officer in driving digital transformation.

The finance organization is continuously evolving. Faced with meeting the needs of executive management, shareholders and regulators while ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of their function, finance leaders and professionals must address a wide range of issues within a dynamic environment with seemingly endless changes in regulations and reporting requirements.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday August 13 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Mike Brown, CEO Nedbank: Brilliant CFOs are persuasive "The best CFOs are intellectually persuasive without being arrogant," says Nedbank CEO Mike Brown, a former Chief Financial Officer himself. In a candid interview with CFO South Africa Brown talks about himself, growth opportunities in the rest of Africa, the importance of small businesses to jumpstart the South African economy and the characteristics that set brilliant CFOs apart from merely solid ones. "You need to be able to read the tea leaves and persuade others about what this means for the future and what the organisation needs to do differently as a result." Lourandi Kriel, CFO Fintech: Carving out her own role “You’ve earned the position – but the trick is to turn it into a role,” says major asset rental financier, Fintech CFO, Lourandi Kriel: in conversation about how only optimal functionality and absolute efficiency gets the job done. “The responsibility to define his or her own role lies with the CFO,” says Kriel. “I really believe every Chief Financial Officer needs to tell the CEO what kind of CFO they want to be. As a CFO you have to see where you want to get involved, where you can best make a difference.” Join us for the CFO Event on Digital Transformation Thursday September 11 at the Tintswalo at Waterfall In the new digital reality, people have the opportunity to freely share their opinions, experiences, ideas, emotions and complaints en masse and anonymously. Markets have never been so transparent, putting the customer back in charge. How can we understand this digital transformation, and see the financial opportunities and consequences for the business? Join this event with a Master Class with CFO Panel members August van Heerden, CFO Retail & Business Banking at Barclays and Mthoko Mncwabe, CIO at Postbank and Keynote speaker and CFO of the Year winner Simon Ridley, CFO at Standard Bank. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event from 4pm - 8pm and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on Digital Transformation and how it can help your company! Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Nedbank, Transnet, SAB, Nike, Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion, Eskom, Super Group and Gauteng Department of Finance are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Accenture, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG, Readsoft, CQS, IQ Business and Transparent have supported CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in partnering up? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 Sept 11 Sandton | Digital Transformation Nov 13 Cape Town | Risk, Compliance & Control CFO South Africa Events in 2015 Feb 19 Cape Town | Moving into Africa Mar 19 Sandton | Get Smart in 2015 Apr 16 Sandton | Capital & Finance May 14 Sandton | CFO Awards 2015 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected]

"The best CFOs are intellectually persuasive without being arrogant," says Nedbank CEO Mike Brown, a former Chief Financial Officer himself. In a candid interview with CFO South Africa Brown talks about himself, growth opportunities in the rest of Africa, the importance of small businesses to jumpstart the South African economy and the characteristics that set brilliant CFOs apart from merely solid ones. "You need to be able to read the tea leaves and persuade others about what this means for the future and what the organisation needs to do differently as a result."

“You’ve earned the position – but the trick is to turn it into a role,” says major asset rental financier, Fintech CFO, Lourandi Kriel: in conversation about how only optimal functionality and absolute efficiency gets the job done.javascript:;

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday July 16 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Corporate Growth Event July 10 offers fascinating insights Peter Goss, Head of Forensica at SizweNtsalubaGobodo gives CFOs ins... A fascinating talk on the governance of fraud risks was one of the highlights of a very successful CFO South Africa event around Corporate Growth on 10 July 2014 in the immaculate Saxon Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg. It was Peter Goss, Head of Forensics at audit and advisory firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo (SNG), who captivated CFOs and finance leaders with a master class on the detection, prevention and governance of corruption and fraud. Photos CFO South Africa Event Corporate Growth Most CFOs will agree that it would be ideal if the talents in their finance team could be freed up to support the leadership with acquisitions, shareholder engagement and other value adding activities. Outsourcing company WNS Global Services offers them exactly that opportunity, says Johann Kunz, Managing Director at WNS in South Africa. “Outsourcing of financial functions is slowly taking off in South Africa and will become a standard part of a CFO’s toolkit.” Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles CFO SA meets Andrew Hannington, CEO at Grant Thornton Johannesburg Futuresense directors Steven Hyslop & Simon Jackson: better (no... CFO South Africa meets with Fintech's CEO Glen Christopulo and CFO ... CFO SA meets with Mark Buwalda, Client Partner Sub Saharan Africa a... Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Join us for the CFO Event on Digital Transformation Thursday September 11 at the Tintswalo at Waterfall In the new digital reality, people have the opportunity to freely share their opinions, experiences, ideas, emotions and complaints en masse and anonymously. Markets have never been so transparent, putting the customer back in charge. How can we understand this digital transformation, and see the financial opportunities and consequences for the business? Join this event with keynote speaker and CFO of the Year winner Simon Ridley, CFO at Standard Bank. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event from 4pm - 8pm and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on Digital Transformation and how it can help your company! Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Reach 5000 CFOs in the first CFO Magazine South Africa CFOs want to know your story Showcase your work and that of your company via CFO Magazine and demonstrate your added value to 5000 CFOs, finance leaders and their direct reports as well as hundreds of international investors looking in how to move in to Africa. Get the undivided attention of the top financial decision makers and deliver the latest insights on improving the finance function. CFO Magazine: Knowledge and know-how for CFOs Read the latest insights from award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, John King, EOH, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Mike Brown CEO Nedbank and Brett Tromp CFO Discovery Health. Covered topics: - Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? - How do successful CFOs move into Africa? - Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? - How do you attract and retain talent? - Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? - How do you make the shift towards the digital world? You should not miss out. Put your company in the spot light, get your message across. Advertise or get interviewed for CFO Magazine. Interested? Contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 Sept 11 Sandton | Digital Transformation Nov 13 Cape Town | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

A fascinating talk on the governance of fraud risks was one of the highlights of a very successful CFO South Africa event around Corporate Growth on 10 July 2014 in the immaculate Saxon Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg. It was Peter Goss, Head of Forensics at audit and advisory firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo (SNG), who captivated CFOs and finance leaders with a master class on the detection, prevention and governance of corruption and fraud.

In a candid and wide-ranging conversation Andrew Hannington, CEO Johannesburg at accounting and advisory firm Grant Thornton, chatted to CFO South Africa about the merger with PFK, competing with the Big 4 and his hopes for the South African economy. Director Alex van Groningen of CFO South Africa visited Hannington on Thursday to chat about the fast-growing networking platform for finance leaders. "It's tiring, but the merger has given me a new lease on life," said Hannington, who was CEO at PKF before the merger. The full account of the conversation will appear on this website at a later stage.

Getting access to more data is not something CFOs should aspire to, say Steven Hyslop and Simon Jackson, directors at Futuresense, a Johannesburg firm that provides high end Oracle Hyperion enterprise performance management (EPM) solutions that provide CFOs with faster reporting and better decision-making tools. "Modern CFOs know they actually want to have less, but better, data. Finding out information about the things that actually matter is most important," they said during a visit by CFO South Africa's director Melle Eijckelhoff. A full account of the frank interview with the Futuresense-directors will appear on this website at a later stage.

On Monday Alex van Groningen, founder and director of CFO South Africa, visited the Johannesburg office of Fintech, an innovative South African firm that offers rental asset finance solutions. He met with CEO Glen Christopulo and CFO Lourandi Kriel. The meeting turned out to be an interesting meeting of minds. Christopulo elaborated on the solutions Fintech offers local businesses and Kriel spoke on the qualities that turn a good CFO into a great CFO. The full interview with Christopulo and Kriel will appear on this website at a later stage.

On Monday CFO South Africa's directors Melle Eijckelhoff and Alex van Groningen met with fellow Dutchman Mark Buwalda, Client Partner Sub Saharan Africa at Cognizant, a leading provider of information technology, business consulting, enterprise applications and business process services. Buwalda made a name for himself in South Africa with a 15 year career at Ananzi.co.za, sometimes dubbed the 'South African Google'. Last year he joined Cognizant, A US-headquartered company which has great expansion plans for South Africa and the rest of the African continent. Buwalda is responsible for scouting opportunities. "The organization's strength lies in the banking and financial sector, but other sectors such as data mining and insurance are very prominent too," he says.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday July 3 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Karl Kumbier, CEO Mercantile Bank "Weight behind entrepreneurs" “The difference between a good and a great CFO is that the latter assists his CEO pro-actively and spends a lot of time in the business,” says Karl Kumbier, Chief Executive Officer of Mercantile Bank. In a candid interview with CFO South Africa he talks about his impressive career in the banking industry and the way his bank can help spur on economic development and employment by providing financial solutions for entrepreneurs. Johann Kunz, Managing Director at WNS "Financial outsourcing in CFO toolkits" Most CFOs will agree that it would be ideal if the talents in their finance team could be freed up to support the leadership with acquisitions, shareholder engagement and other value adding activities. Outsourcing company WNS Global Services offers them exactly that opportunity, says Johann Kunz, Managing Director at WNS in South Africa. “Outsourcing of financial functions is slowly taking off in South Africa and will become a standard part of a CFO’s toolkit.” Tyrone Soondarjee, Financial Director at Sasfin "Carving out your role as CFO" “As a commercially-orientated CFO, I like to play a leading role in business which is why Sasfin is good fit for me. It offers opportunities to broaden my horizons and that is what appeals to me,” says Tyrone Soondarjee, Financial Director at Sasfin bank and the JSE-listed Sasfin Holdings Group. Speaking about the Group, Soondarjee says: “We understand entrepreneurs, because we are entrepreneurial ourselves.” More interesting CFO South Africa Articles Philip Panaino, Division President South Africa at Mastercard: Cont... Stanford Payne: Exeptional Business Leaders - "Don't find fault, fi... Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Join us for the CFO Event on Corporate Growth Thursday July 10 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel It’s in our nature; the will to grow our organizations and to strive for profitability. But Corporate Growth also brings new challenges for the CFO. You need to align capital structures, human resources and operations with the demands of a growing company. Join the Master Class with: - Deon Fredericks, Acting CFO at Telkom - Jacco van der Sandt, Financial Director at Mutual & Federal - Megan Pydigadu Group Financial Director at Mix Telematics Afterwards you will meet and greet your peers from Absa, Business Connexion, Eskom, Old Mutual, PetroSA, SAA, Standard Bank, Telkom and many more at the CFO Café with a presentation from Dario Drago, CFO Novartis SA. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event from 4pm - 8pm and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on corporate growth and how it can help your company! Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Reach 5000 CFOs in the first CFO Magazine South Africa CFOs want to know your story Showcase your work and that of your company via CFO Magazine and demonstrate your added value to 5000 CFOs, finance leaders and their direct reports as well as hundreds of international investors looking in how to move in to Africa. Get the undivided attention of the top financial decision makers and deliver the latest insights on improving the finance function. CFO Magazine: Knowledge and know-how for CFOs Read the latest insights from award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, John King, EOH, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Mike Brown CEO Nedbank and Brett Tromp CFO Discovery Health. Covered topics: - Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? - How do successful CFOs move into Africa? - Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? - How do you attract and retain talent? - Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? - How do you make the shift towards the digital world? You should not miss out. Put your company in the spot light, get your message across. Advertise or get interviewed for CFO Magazine. Interested? Contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 July 10 Sandton | Corporate Growth Sept 11 Sandton | Digital Transformation Nov 13 Cape Town | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

Henry Ford famously said: “Don’t find fault, find a remedy”.

“The difference between a good and a great CFO is that the latter assists his CEO pro-actively and spends a lot of time in the business,” says Karl Kumbier, Chief Executive Officer of Mercantile Bank. In a candid interview with CFO South Africa he talks about his impressive career in the banking industry and the way his bank can help spur on economic development and employment by providing financial solutions for entrepreneurs.

“As a commercially-orientated CFO, I like to play a leading role in business which is why Sasfin is good fit for me. It offers opportunities to broaden my horizons and that is what appeals to me,” says Tyrone Soondarjee, Financial Director at Sasfin bank and the JSE-listed Sasfin Holdings Group. Speaking about the Group, Soondarjee says: “We understand entrepreneurs, because we are entrepreneurial ourselves.”

Most CFOs will agree that it would be ideal if the talents in their finance team could be freed up to support the leadership with acquisitions, shareholder engagement and other value adding activities. Outsourcing company WNS Global Services offers them exactly that opportunity, says Johann Kunz, Managing Director at WNS in South Africa. “Outsourcing of financial functions is slowly taking off in South Africa and will become a standard part of a CFO’s toolkit,” says Kunz.

“This job has given meaning to driving Financial Inclusion in South Africa and doing good as a corporate citizen,” says Philip Panaino, division president South Africa in International Markets at MasterCard. “It has always been a passion for me to contribute to a truly inclusive financial environment. Here I am able to do that, whilst working for a large multinational. For me it is a perfect marriage, the best of two worlds.”

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday June 4 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Bikash Prasad, CFO South and East Africa at Olam "Africa's agricultural future" Africa should be a net food exporter, but it is a net importer at the moment,” says Bikash Prasad, CFO South and East Africa at Olam International, a Singapore-headquartered integrated supply chain managing firm and processor of agricultural products and food ingredients. The Durban-based Prasad has a passion for the continent. “We want to play an important role in the growth of Africa. Mteto Nyati, Managing Director South Africa at Microsoft "Connecting the next billion" There are still billions of people that have not been touched by technology. That is where our enormous potential lies,” says Mteto Nyati, Managing Director at Microsoft South Africa. “Technology is not an end goal; it is all about what it can do to help humanity reach its potential.” As the famous IT-company shifts from being a software company to a device and cloud company, Nyati is full of ambition and enthusiasm about opportunities in South Africa.” Deon Fredericks, Acting CFO at Telkom "Learning from each other" We don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” says Deon Fredericks, Acting Chief Financial Officer at Telkom, Africa's largest integrated communications company. Fredericks joined the then state-owned landline monopolist in 1993 as a senior manager in internal audit and has worked himself up the finance ladder in an admirable fashion. Fredericks says he fully supports CFO South Africa’s mission to connect the country’s finance leaders. “CFOs are starting to play a more significant role, specifically on strategy. It is very valuable to learn from each other. More interesting CFO South Africa Articles Pieter Bensch, Vice President SA Oracle: Rewarding innovative CFOs Gregory Nott, Director at Werksmans Attorneys: Follow the trends, n... Adriana de Roock, MD Greymatter & Finch: Use reporting to impro... Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Join us for the CFO Event on Corporate Growth Thursday July 10 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel It’s in our nature; the will to grow our organizations and to strive for profitability. But Corporate Growth also brings new challenges for the CFO. You need to align capital structures, human resources and operations with the demands of a growing company. You will need to challenge your business model and be ready to make changes, But how will you stay agile? What are the financial consequences? And is your team ready to provide the information for strategic decision making? Meet CFOs from Absa, Business Connexion, Eskom, Old Mutual, PetroSA, SAA, Standard Bank, Telkom and many more. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event from 4pm - 8pm and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on corporate growth and how it can help your company! Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Top CFOs should become a Member of CFO South Africa Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network for finance executives in South Africa Various CFOs and finance directors from companies like Nedbank, Transnet, SAB, Nike and Gauteng Department of Finance are members of CFO South Africa.Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership brochure for more information or sign up here. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in partnering up? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 July 10 Sandton | Corporate Growth Sept 11 Sandton | Digital Transformation Nov 13 Cape Town | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold en Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

“There are still billions of people that have not been touched by technology. That is where our enormous potential lies,” says Mteto Nyati, Managing Director at Microsoft South Africa. “Technology is not an end goal; it is all about what it can do to help humanity reach its potential.” As the famous IT-company shifts from being a software company to a device and cloud company, Nyati is full of ambition and enthusiasm about opportunities in South Africa.

Chief Financial Officers are important stakeholders for technology firm Oracle, so it is no surprise that Pieter Bensch, Vice President at Oracle South Africa, has a keen interest in these professionals. Bensch has been involved in various CFO South Africa events and was one of the jury members for the inaugural CFO Awards. When adjudicating the candidates Bensch specifically looked for executives who “run a world class business” and “show innovative spirit”, he says.

“As a JSE-listed company you have to spend money on an integrated report. So the best thing you can do as a CFO is to use that money and leverage it to improve the business and to keep your investor network abreast of what your company is planning for the long term,” says Adriana de Roock, Managing Director at Greymatter & Finch.

When somebody with experience and a great deal of insight speaks positively about South Africa, it makes a lasting impression. Especially when he is a former Global Lawyer of the Year, argued for the release of political prisoners during apartheid, defended the dignity of a number of sports heroes and has been praised for brokering successful deals in the energy sector. Such a person is Gregory Nott, who joined Werksmans Attorneys in 2012 to develop the Africa practice.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday May 21 CFO Awards Tremendous success Standard Bank’s Simon Ridley named CFO of the Year 2014 Simon Ridley, Group Financial Director at Standard Bank, has been elected South Africa’s CFO of the Year for 2014. The coveted award was handed out on Thursday 15 May 2014 by jury member Victor Sekese, CEO at accounting and auditing firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo, during a riveting black tie event in the Summer Place in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. The evening was attended by some 200 CFOs and prominent business leaders. Other prestigious awards were won by CFOs Colin Brown (Super Group), Anoj Singh (Transnet), John King (EOH) and Aarti Takoordeen (JSE Limited). Read the full report of the CFO Awards See all the pictures of the CFO Awards Meet the other CFO Award Winners Colin Brown, CFO Supergroup winner Finance Transformation The Finance Transformation Award was handed out by jury member Asher Bohbot, CEO of EOH. Colin Brown has been very successful in redefining the financial function and made great efforts to become a cost-effective, service-oriented partner to the business. Check out Colin Brown's profile here. Anoj Singh, CFO Transnet winner Compliance & Governance Award Claudelle von Eck, CEO of the Institute of Internal Auditors had the privelege to award the Compliance & Governance Award. Anoj has contributed heavily to build and implement systems designed to detect and prevent compliance breaches. Last but not least he or she is leading the development of a strong compliance culture and best practices that secure buy-in from executives, managers, employees, contractors and business partners all at levels. Check out Anoj Singh's profile here. Colin Brown, CFO Supergroup winner Strategy Execution Award Anton Roux. Chairman & CEO South Africa and Africa Region of Aon handed over the 2nd award for Colin Brown. He has shown great steermanship in creating the right (financial) conditions to execute the new strategy. He and his team contributed with valuable insights, analyses, the (re)allocation of assets and the alignment of the finance function with the new strategy of Supergroup. Check out Colin Brown's profile here. John King, CFO EOH winner High Performance Team Award The High Performance Team Award was handed out by jury member Rob Otty, Managing Director of Norton Rose Fulbright SA to John King. John has been an inspiring coach for his co-workers and has given the special attention to personal & professional development of his employees to win the . Check out John King's profile here. Anoj Singh, CFO Transnet winner Public Finance Award Anoj took up his 2nd award from jury member Richard Etemesi, CEO South Africa & Southern Africa of Standard Chartered Bank. Check out Anoj Singh's profile here. Aarti Takoordeen, CFO JSE winner Young Talent Award The Young Talent Award was handed out by Taddy Blecher CEO Community Individual Development Association and Maharishi Institute and World Economic Forum "Young Global Leader of the World" to Aarti Takoordeen. At only 32 she has shown remarkable professional development - a leader of the future. Check out Aarti Takoordeen's profile here. Join us for the CFO Event on Corporate Growth Thursday July 10 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel It’s in our nature; the will to grow our organizations and to strive for profitability. But Corporate Growth also brings new challenges for the CFO. You need to align capital structures, human resources and operations with the demands of a growing company. You will need to challenge your business model and be ready to make changes, But how will you stay agile? What are the financial consequences? And is your team ready to provide the information for strategic decision making? Meet CFOs from Absa, Business Connexion, Eskom, Old Mutual, PetroSA, SAA, Standard Bank, Telkom and many more. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on corporate growth and how it can help your company! Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Top CFOs should become Platinum Member of CFO South Africa Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network for finance executives in South Africa Various CFOs and finance directors from companies like Nedbank, Transnet, SAB, Nike and Gauteng Department of Finance are members of CFO South Africa.Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership brochure for more information or sign up here. Agenda CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events now and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth, Sandton Sept 11 | Digital Transformation, Sandton Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control, Cape Town Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold and Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | +27 11 083 7515 | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

CFO South Africa's founder and director Alex van Groningen paid visits to the Johannesburg offices of Microsoft and Sasfin Bank on Friday. He had great conversations with Mteto Nyati, Managing Director for Microsoft South Africa, and Tyrone Soondarjee, Financial Director at Sasfin Bank. While the full interviews with both inspiring gentlemen will be published at a later stage, it was heart-warming to note the support they expressed for CFO South Africa, which has become the leading network organisation for top finance professionals in the country.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday May 15 The countdown has begun: CFO Awards 2014, Today May 15 This afternoon: CFO Awards with Absa, SAB, Eskom and many more Just a few hours from now CFO South Africa’s first CFO Awards are held at the breathtaking Summer Place in Hyde Park Johannesburg. Chaired by Semeyi Zake, CFOs of Transnet, Eskom, SA Post Office, Siemens, Aveng, SAB, Standard Bank, Discovery, McDonalds, Department of Finance, PRASA, Telkom and many more will share knowledge, extend their network and boost business. You do not want to miss out on this great afternoon with Round Tables, Master Class, an enjoyable award ceremony and dinner with the awarding of the 7 CFO Awards. For more information on the program and to register go to cfoawards.co.za The votes are in! Who wins the CFO Awards 2014 tonight? The champagne has been put on ice, the evening gowns are being selected and the tuxedos are being dry cleaned one last time – South Africa is counting down to the CFO Awards. The most prestigious awards is the one for CFO of the Year, which will be handed out by jury member Victor Sekese, CEO of the fast growing accounting and advisory firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo. But the nominated CFOs can also win the Finance Transformation Award, the Strategy Execution Award, the Compliance & Governance Award, the High Performance Team Award, the Public Finance Award and the Young Talent Award. Check out all the nominees and read more here. Let top CEOs and CFOs from PPC, EOH, Allianz, Siemens advise you The Master Class will be presented by Delpine Maïdou (CEO Allianz) and Dianna Games (CEO Africa @ Work) and will be followed by a Panel discussion with Sabine Dall'Omo (CFO Siemens), Jo-Ann Pohl (CFO Standard Chartered), Andrey Bogdanov (CFO JTI), Bikash Prasad (CFO Olam) and Thryphosa Ramano (CFO PPC), And afterwards an enjoyable award ceremony and dinner with the awarding of the 7 CFO Awards and presentations from Asher Bohbot (CEO EOH), Richard Etemesi (CEO Standard Chartered Bank Southern Africa), Victor Sekese (CEO SNG), Taddy Blecher (World Economic Forum "Young Global Leader of the World" and CEO of the Maharishi Institute), Claudelle von Eck (CEO Institute of Internal Auditors), Anton Roux (CEO Aon Africa) and Rob Otty (MD Norton Rose). See all the speakers at cfoawards.co.za. Last chance to reserve your table at the CFO Awards today. Partners support the awards and are invited to buy a table for the awards ceremony. Join leading companies like Transnet, Aon, IBM, Oracle, Bowman Gilfillan, KPMG, Transparent, SA Post Office and PPC to meet African top tier CFOs, to demonstrate thought leadership, to make friends and to develop their business. Becoming a partner enables your executives to meet CFOs, share ideas and experience excellence during the awards ceremony. To become a partner of the CFO Awards contact [email protected] New upcoming CFO South Africa Event Not able to join us today? Join the CFO South Africa Event Corporate Growth, Thursday July 10 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel It’s in our nature; the will to grow our organizations and to strive for profitability. But Corporate Growth also brings new challenges for the CFO. You need to align capital structures, human resources and operations with the demands of a growing company. You will need to challenge your business model and be ready to make changes, But how will you stay agile? What are the financial consequences? Would you sacrifice your bottom line for market share? Do you need to consider a merger or acquisition? And is your team ready to provide the information for strategic decision making? Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on corporate growth and how it can help your company! Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in partnering up? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Agenda CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events now and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sept 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold and Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | +27 11 083 7515 | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

"Many CFOs don't understand the advantages that integrated reports can offer," says Adriana de Roock, managing director at Greymatter & Finch (GMF), a firm that offers a full suite of reporting services to listed companies in South Africa. On Thursday CFO South Africa's founding director Alex van Groningen met with De Roock in her brand new office in Fourways, Johannesburg. Having started in a back room in 2002 and grown as a respected business in Stellenbosch, GMF has recently made the leap to Gauteng and has done so with unlimited ambition,

Philip Panaino would go as far as saying his move to MasterCard in August 2012 has "given meaning" to his life. On Wednesday CFO South Africa met with Panaino in his office on the Melrose Boulevard in Johannesburg. He spoke freely about his move to the credit card company, his work with South Africa's main banks and his "passion for a truly inclusive financial environment".

“Africa should be a net food exporter, but it is a net importer at the moment,” says Bikash Prasad, CFO South and East Africa at Olam International, a Singapore-headquartered integrated supply chain managing firm and processor of agricultural products and food ingredients. The Durban-based Prasad has a passion for the continent. “We want to play an important role in the growth of Africa,” he says.

On Tuesday Alex van Groningen, founding director of CFO South Africa, had the pleasure of meeting Greg Nott, director at Werksmans Attorneys. They chatted about the state of South Africa, which Nott sees in a positive light, and about the growing economies in he rest of the continent. Werksmans is preparing to launch a growth strategy for Africa and is also a founding and managing member of the Lex Africa legal network.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday April 30 The CFO Awards 2014, May 15 Join CFO Awards with Transnet, Aveng, Sasol and many more CFO South Africa’s first CFO Awards are held on Thursday May 15 at the breathtaking Summer Place in Hyde Park Johannesburg. Chaired by Semeyi Zake, CFOs of Transnet, Sasol, Siemens, Aveng, SAB, Standard Bank, Discovery, McDonalds, Department of Finance, Olam, PRASA, Telkom and many more will share knowledge, extend their network and boost business. You do not want to miss out on this great afternoon with Round Tables, Master Class, an enjoyable award ceremony and dinner with the awarding of the 7 CFO Awards. For more information on the program and to register go to cfoawards.co.za Who will win the CFO Awards? Who will become the CFO of the Year? Who will win the Finance Transformation Award, the Strategy Execution Award, the Compliance & Governance Award, the High Performance Team Award, the Public Finance Award and the Young Talent Award? Jury members of the 2014 CFO Awards have had their last interviews last week and they have started the difficult process of electing the 7 winners of the prestegious CFO Awards. Check out all the nominees at cfo.co.za. Meet interesting speakers from Allianz, Siemens and SNG Join the Master Class with Delpine Maïdou (CEO Allianz), Sabine Dall'Omo (CFO Siemens), Jo-Ann Pohl (CFO Standard Chartered), Andrey Bogdanov (CFO JTI) and Bikash Prasad (CFO Olam). And afterwards an enjoyable award ceremony and dinner with the awarding of the 7 CFO Awards and presentations from Victor Sekese (CEO SNG), Taddy Blecher (World Economic Forum "Young Global Leader of the World" and CEO of the Maharishi Institute), Claudelle von Eck (CEO Institute of Internal Auditors), Anton Roux (CEO Aon Africa) and Rob Otty (MD Norton Rose). See all the speakers at cfoawards.co.za. Reserve your table at the CFO Awards today. Partners support the awards and are invited to buy a table for the awards ceremony. Join leading companies like Transnet, Aon, IBM, Oracle, Bowman Gilfillan, KPMG, Transparent, SA Post Office and Genpact to meet African top tier CFOs, to demonstrate thought leadership, to make friends and to develop their business. Becoming a partner enables your executives to meet CFOs, share ideas and experience excellence during the awards ceremony. To become a partner of the CFO Awards visit cfoawards.co.za or contact [email protected] New upcoming CFO South Africa Event Not able to join us on May 15? Join the CFO South Africa Event Corporate Growth, Thursday July 10 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel It’s in our nature; the will to grow our organizations and to strive for profitability. But Corporate Growth also brings new challenges for the CFO. You need to align capital structures, human resources and operations with the demands of a growing company. You will need to challenge your business model and be ready to make changes, But how will you stay agile? What are the financial consequences? Would you sacrifice your bottom line for market share? Do you need to consider a merger or acquisition? And is your team ready to provide the information for strategic decision making? Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on corporate growth and how it can help your company! Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in partnering up? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Agenda CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events now and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sept 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold and Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | +27 11 083 7515 | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” says Deon Fredericks, Acting Chief Financial Officer at Telkom, Africa's largest integrated communications company. Fredericks joined the then state-owned landline monopolist in 1993 as a senior manager in internal audit and has worked himself up the finance ladder in an admirable fashion. Fredericks says he fully supports CFO South Africa’s mission to connect the country’s finance leaders. “CFOs are starting to play a more significant role, specifically on strategy. It is very valuable to learn from each other.”

With the interview process drawing to a conclusion, three more CFOs were interviewed this week for the benefit of the jury of the CFO Awards. On Wednesday the nominated CFO Dalu Majeke of the National Treasury hosted CFO South Africa-founder Alex van Groningen in Pretoria.

Ground breaking businesses InnoVent and Transparent presented impressive masterclasses during a well-attended CFO South Africa event in the Tintswalo at Waterfall 5-star Boutique Hotel just north of Johannesburg. The theme of the gathering on Thursday 10 April was Capital & Finance and the attending CFOs and finance experts were treated to new ideas and a range of innovative solutions.

KPMG boss Moses Kgosana briefly interrupted his annual leave on Wednesday to meet with CFO South Africa founder Alex van Groningen and discuss the challenges that face south African CFOs. “CFOs are our biggest supporters and customers, so I want to be part of their community,” Kgosana said. “We can share information and experiences about the challenges we face from different angles. And I can learn a lot from the CFO community.”

On Tuesday Vuyokazi Memani-Sedile was the next nominee to be interviewed for the benefit of the CFO Awards jury. CFO South Africa's founder and director Alex van Groningen travelled to Pretoria to chat to the Finance Excutive of the University of South Africa - better known as Unisa - about her role as CFO, the finance transformation of her team and her role in strategy and governance.

The CFO Awards jury interviewed a number of prominent Chief Financial Officers in the last few days, all of whom have been nominated for the prestigious awards. On Thursday Brett Tromp (Discovery Health), Aarti Takoordeen (JSE Limited) and Anoj Singh (Transnet) were the ones making their case and on Friday Wynand Greeff (PSG Group) and Nicky Dewar (Postbank) answered the questions from the jury. Among the jury members involved in the interviews were

On Wednesday the jury for the inaugural CFO Awards resumed its interviewing duties with a visit to the Midrand offices of IT outsourcing company Business Connexion. Jury members Victor Sekese (CEO at SizweNtsalubaGobodo) and Professor Ben Marx (University of Johannesburg) chatted to Lawrence Weitzman, CFO of the Business Connexion Group since September 2011. It was fascinating to hear how Weitzman attributed most of his successes to his team and his colleagues in the leadership of the company.

“CFOs are very familiar with structured data, because that is what they work with every day,” says Lesley Plaistowe, Partner Financial Services at technology firm IBM. “What they need to know more about is unstructured data: information from phone conversations, emails, social platforms, the weather report and much more. Often a lot of operational data is hidden, but can be found when technology mines your unstructured data.”

Sphiwe Blose is not a self-made man. According to him, in business and in life focusing on the self is the worst way to make a man – success comes through working together and seeking this, Blose grew into the man he is today.

In March and April CFO South Africa will interview all nominated CFOs. We ask each of the judges to be present during two interviews. The reports of these interviews will be added to the dossier of each CFO and will be used by the judges to determine their individual votes.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Monday March 17 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Get Smart Event offers fascinating insights Balancing your financial leadership Smart CFOs save money by renting fast-depreciating assets like IT-equipment, instead of buying them. That was the message of Shane Merriman, Managing Director at InnoVent Rental & Asset Management Solutions. During the CFO South Africa ‘Get Smart’ event of 13 March 2014 in the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg, Merriman gave the attending CFOs some fascinating and challenging insights in ways to make money go further. Marie McCrea, Partner CIL "CFO - A Vision for the Future" Marie McCrea, partner at the Centre for Innovative Leadership (CIL), held an interesting presentation on the role and challenges of modern CFOs at the CFO South Africa Event Get Smart in 2014, March 13 at the Saxon. See pictures of the Get Smart Event While we are busy with our day to day tasks and routines, we sometimes overlook those smart solutions, new approaches and clever ideas that others have successfully implemented. During the first CFO Event of 2014 we shared and discussed smart ideas to improve your business New! CFO profiles on CFO.co.za: Anoj Singh, CFO Transnet Simon Ridley, Group Financial Director Standard Bank Tryphosa Ramano, CFO PPC Cement Rob Evans, CFO Datatec And many more Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. New upcoming CFO South Africa Events Capital & Finance, Thursday April 10 We cannot underestimate the importance of professional Capital & Finance management. Every CFO knows that managing cash flow, working capital and cost of capital should be a top priority. During this CFO event we share our know-how and experiences with issues like balance sheet optimization, staying agile, supply chain financing, refinancing loans and attracting new capital. Capital & Finance will be held at the beautiful Tintswalo at Waterfall in Halfway House, Johannesburg. For more information please take a look here. Join us for this CFO event and improve the way you manage your capital and finance agenda. Corporate Growth, Thursday July 10 It’s in our nature; the will to grow our organizations and to strive for profitability. But Corporate Growth also brings new challenges for the CFO. You need to align capital structures, human resources and operations with the demands of a growing company. You will need to challenge your business model and be ready to make changes, But how will you stay agile? What are the financial consequences? Would you sacrifice your bottom line for market share? Do you need to consider a merger or acquisition? And is your team ready to provide the information for strategic decision making? Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on corporate growth and how it can help your company! Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. The CFO Awards 2014, May 15 CFO Awards jury starts interview process Last Monday interviews with South Africa's best CFOs officially kicked off the interview process to decide who wins this year's inaugural CFO Awards. Over the next two months an impressive team of jury members will chat to the nominated CFOs for the decision who wins the 7 prestigious CFO Awards. The first CFOs who were visited on Monday, were Craig Barnard CFO of Invicta Holdings and Tryphosa Ramano, CFO of PPC Cement. Read the full article on cfo.co.za. Jury interviews CFOs of Afrocentric, Howden & Eqstra Jury members of the 2014 CFO Awards on last Tuesday interviewed three talented gentlemen, who have made a name for themselves as CFO. Wallace Holmes, CFO of Afrocentric`, Kevin Johnson, CFO of Howden and Jannie Serfontein, CFO of Eqstra Holdings were interviewed by our jury. Read the full article on cfo.co.za. CFO Awards interview with Simon Ridley, FD at Standard Bank As part of the jury process for the 2014 CFO Awards our jury members interviewed Simon Ridley, Financial Director at the Standard Bank Group. Has been a CFO for a quarter of a century - mainly with Absa and Standard Bank. Read the full article on cfo.co.za. Check out all the nominated CFOs and find more information about the CFO Awards at cfoawards.co.za and at cfo.co.za Reserve your table at the CFO Awards today. Partners support the awards and are invited to buy a table for the awards ceremony. Join leading companies like Aon and Genpact to meet African top tier CFOs, to demonstrate thought leadership, to make friends and to develop their business. Becoming a partner enables your executives to meet CFOs, share ideas and experience excellence during the awards ceremony. To become a partner of the CFO Awards visit cfoawards.co.za or contact [email protected] Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in partnering up? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Agenda CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 April 10 | Capital & Finance May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sept 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold en Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

On Friday the jury of the CFO Awards 2014 interviewed Megan Pydigadu, Group Financial Director at MiX Telematics, an incredible South African success story which is now listed on both the JSE and the New York Stock Exchange. With her CEO working from Miami, Florida, Pydigadu works from the MiX Telematics head office in Midrand, playing the crucial role of finance leader at this company, a leading global provider of fleet and mobile asset management solutions.

An impressive group of prominent South African CFOs discussed topics ranging from personal branding and ethics to shared services and cloud solutions during an exclusive dinner on13 March 2014 in the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg. “In our daily jobs we get mostly vertically involved in our organisations. It’s great to break out of that every once in and a while and discuss topics laterally with our peers,” said Standard Bank Group CFO Simon Ridley at the end of the IBM-sponsored event.

Marie McCrea, partner at the Centre for Innovative Leadership (CIL), held an interesting presentation on the role and challenges of modern CFOs at the CFO South Africa Event Get Smart in 2014, March 13 at the Saxon.

Smart CFOs save money by renting fast-depreciating assets like IT-equipment, instead of buying them. That was the message of Shane Merriman, Managing Director at InnoVent Rental & Asset Management Solutions. During the CFO South Africa ‘Get Smart’ event of 13 March 2014 in the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg, Merriman gave the attending CFOs some fascinating and challenging insights in ways to make money go further.

On Thursday it was Colin Brown's turn to be interviewed by two members of the jury for the 2014 CFO Awards. As CFO at Super Group he has guided his business from a very difficult position to some remarkable success. Brown chatted to Victor Sekese (CEO at SizweNtsalubaGobodo) and Willem Jeroen Stevens (CEO at Transparent) about his focus on IT and his accomplishments over the last few years.

Wallace Holmes is nominated for the CFO Awards. Here below the factsheet of Wallace and Afrocentric is shown. The factsheet together with his jury interview will be used to determine the CFO Award winners.

Rob Evans is nominated for the CFO Awards. Here below the factsheet of Rob and Datatec is shown. The factsheet together with his jury interview will be used to determine the CFO Award winners.

Garth Saunders is nominated for the CFO Awards. Here below the factsheet of Garth and SABMiller is shown. The factsheet together with his jury interview will be used to determine the CFO Award winners.

Yet another top CFO was interviewed on Wednesday as part of the jury process for the 2014 CFO Awards. Simon Ridley, Financial Director at the Standard Bank Group, has been a CFO for a quarter of a century - mainly with Absa and Standard Bank. He was quizzed about his challenges and successes by two jury members, both leading figures in the South African business world in their own right: CEO Victor Sekese of fast-growing accounting firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo and Rob Otty, Managing Director of Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa - Africa Law Firm of the Year 2012.

Jury members of the 2014 CFO Awards on Tuesday interviewed three talented gentlemen, who have made a name for themselves as CFO. The interview series will inform detailed reports that will help the impressive team of jury members to choose the winners from a select list of nominated CFOs. The 7 prestigious CFO Awards will be handed out to the winners during a black tie event on May 15 at the beautiful Summer Place in Johannesburg. For more information visit cfoawards.co.za

On Monday interviews with two of South Africa's best CFOs officially kicked off the interview process to decide who wins this year's inaugural CFO Awards. Over the next two months an impressive team of jury members will chat to nominated CFOs according to a pre-determined list of questions. The interviews will form the basis for their jury reports and eventually for the decision who wins the 7 prestigious CFO Awards. The awards will be handed out to the winners during a black tie event on May 15 at the beautiful Summer Place in Johannesburg. For more information visit cfoawards.co.za

Risks and cash flow are on the forefront of Mangadi Dikotla’s mind, as her company Afric Oil continues its expansion path. “We’re growing and sometimes you tend to forget about risks and all you see is opportunities,” the CFO of the country’s first BEE oil trading company says. “I consider that my most important job at the moment, along with ensuring a healthy cash flow of course”

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday February 26 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Etienne Prowse, CFO Cashbuild "Being accountable for IT innovation" Does a firm hire a Chief Information Officer or should IT and ERP-systems fall directly under line management? Building materials retailer Cashbuild has elected to put the responsibility squarely with each line executive and CFO Etienne Prowse says the company is reaping the benefits. Liesl Tweedie, Acting CFO Gijima "Courage crucial for success" Liesl Tweedie knows all about courage, having stepped into the acting CFO position at Gijima, the listed South African IT-company that has been struggling lately. “Either you look like a star or you fail,” she says. “But I have always enjoyed a challenge and have often volunteered for difficult projects when I was working at ABB.” So it is no surprise that Tweedie believes that today’s young finance talents should possess “confidence and courage.” Tanuja Naidoo, CFO Transnet Pipelines "Invest time in people" “My best contribution as a CFO is that I aim to develop leaders,” says Tanuja Naidoo, who has been in charge of finance at Transnet Pipelines since 2009. After turning around the finance department, she was recently tasked to do the same in procurement and risk management at their Durban headquarters. The key to every successful manager is investing time in people, she says. “That is something I live by. I lead by example. More interesting CFO South Africa Articles Dario Drago, CFO Novartis SA: Appreciating curiosity and communicat... André du Plessis, Finance Director Capitec Bank: Be brutally honest Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Register for the first CFO South Africa Events of 2014 Last chance to register: Get Smart in 2014, Thursday March 13 During the first CFO Event of 2014 we will share and discuss smart ideas to improve your business. Discovery Health, Marie McCrea, Partner at Centre for Innovative Leadership (CIL), Shane Merriman, Managing Director at InnoVent and Pierre Heistein, lecturer at the UCT and writer for Business Report will share their visions on this topic. Meet CFOs and finance professionals from top tier companies such as Nedbank, Tiger Brands, Barclays, Business Connexion, De Beers, Standard Bank, Transnet, Cashbuild, Novartis, FNB, McDonald's and many more. Get Smart in 2014 will be held on Thursday March 13 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Sandton. For more information please take a look here. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now! It might be the smartest thing you did in 2014. Capital & Finance, Thursday April 10 We cannot underestimate the importance of professional Capital & Finance management. Every CFO knows that managing cash flow, working capital and cost of capital should be a top priority. During this CFO event we share our know-how and experiences with issues like balance sheet optimization, staying agile, supply chain financing, refinancing loans and attracting new capital. Capital & Finance will be held at the beautifull Tintswalo at Waterfall in Halfway House, Johannesburg. For more information please take a look here. Join us for this CFO event and improve the way you manage your capital and finance agenda. Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. The CFO Awards 2014, May 15 New CFO Award nominees Every week CFO South Africa announces new nominated CFOs. This week the nominated CFOs are: - Rob Evans - CFO of Datatec - Aarti Takoordeen - CFO of JSE - Dudley Saayman - CFO of BAT - Michael Fleming - CFO of Clicks Group Check out all the nominated CFOs and find more information about the CFO Awards: cfoawards.co.za Become a partner of the CFO Awards. Reserve your table today. Partners support the awards and are invited to buy a table for the awards ceremony. The CFO Awards enables leading consultants, suppliers, banks and law firms to meet African top tier CFOs, to demonstrate thought leadership, to make friends and to develop their business. Becoming a partner enables your executives to meet CFOs, share ideas and experience excellence during the awards ceremony. To become a partner of the CFO Awards visit cfoawards.co.za or contact [email protected] Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in partnering up? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 March 13 | Get Smart in 2014 April 10 | Capital & Finance May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sept 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold en Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

Does a firm hire a Chief Information Officer or should IT and ERP-systems fall directly under line management? Building materials retailer Cashbuild has elected to put the responsibility squarely with each line executive and CFO Etienne Prowse says the company is reaping the benefits. “Even though IT implementation can get in the way of other tasks, we believe there is a huge advantage when the finance management is accountable for the automation.

“My best contribution as a CFO is that I aim to develop leaders,” says Tanuja Naidoo, who has been in charge of finance at Transnet Pipelines since 2009. After turning around the finance department, she was recently tasked to do the same in procurement and risk management at their Durban headquarters. The key to every successful manager is investing time in people, she says. “That is something I live by. I lead by example.

In finance, as in all games, respecting rules and having good players are the key to winning. That is Dario Drago’s take on his role as CFO at Novartis South Africa. The Italian moved to the Johannesburg offices of the pharmaceutical firm in March 2013 and has identified compliance and building capabilities as his main tasks.

Liesl Tweedie knows all about courage, having stepped into the acting CFO position at Gijima, the listed South African IT-company that has been struggling lately. “Either you look like a star or you fail,” she says. “But I have always enjoyed a challenge and have often volunteered for difficult projects when I was working at ABB.” So it is no surprise that Tweedie believes that today’s young finance talents should possess “confidence and courage.”

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday February 12 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Daryl Edwards, CFO of Universal Coal "Soaking it up" Which CFO would not like to build their financial team, IT systems and processes up from scratch, not worrying about existing culture, equipment and other legacy issues? Daryl Edwards got the chance to do just that at Universal Coal and he is pretty excited about the result. Rob Otty, Managing Director of Norton Rose Fulbright "CFOs need more recognition" “One of the fascinating things in the South African business world is that the success of a company is usually solely attributed to the CEO,” says Rob Otty, Managing Director of international law firm Norton Rose Fulbright in South Africa. “We should get better in recognizing people behind the scenes, like the CFO. I hope the CFO Awards will contribute to that.” Delphine Maidou, CEO of Allianz AGCS "CFOs should plan for succession" “Succession planning will be on the top of my list when I do my research and when I interview candidates for the CFO Awards,” says Delphine Maidou, CEO in Johannesburg for risk insurance firm Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS). Over the last year the Burkina Faso-born executive has successfully spear-headed the business expansion of the German multinational into (South) Africa. “Capacity building is a concern, not just for the financial world but for the insurance world as well,” she has noticed. More interesting CFO South Africa Articles Pierre Heistein, business analyst: dealing with a changing work force André du Plessis, Finance Director Capitec Bank: Be brutally honest Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Register now for the first CFO South Africa Events of 2014 Get Smart in 2014, Thursday March 13 During the first CFO Event of 2014 we will share and discuss smart ideas to improve your business. Discovery Health, Marie McCrea, Partner at Centre for Innovative Leadership (CIL), Shane Merriman, Managing Director at Innovent, Pierre Heistein, lecturer at the UCT and writer for Business Report and The IBM Institute for Business Value will share their visions on this topic. Meet CFOs and finance professionals from top tier companies such as Nedbank, Tiger Brands, Barclays, Business Connexion, De Beers, Standard Bank, Transnet, Cashbuild, Novartis, FNB, McDonald's and many more. Get Smart in 2014 will be held on Thursday March 13 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Sandton. For more information please take a look here. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now! It might be the smartest thing you did in 2014. Capital & Finance, Thursday April 10 We cannot underestimate the importance of professional Capital & Finance management. Every CFO knows that managing cash flow, working capital and cost of capital should be a top priority. During this CFO event we share our know how and experiences with issues like balance sheet optimization, staying agile, supply chain financing, refinancing loans and attracting new capital. Capital & Finance will be held at the beautifull Tintswalo at Waterfall in Halfway House, Johannesburg. For more information please take a look here. Join us for this CFO event and improve the way you manage your capital and finance agenda. Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. The CFO Awards 2014 New CFO Awards nominees Every week CFO South Africa announces new nominated CFOs. This week the nominated CFOs are: - André du Plessis - CFO of Capitec Bank - Anoj Singh - CFO of Transnet - Mike Levitt - CFO of Ellies - Brian Jacobs - CFO of Metair To see all the nominated CFOs untill now and to find more information about the CFO Awards visit cfoawards.co.za Meet top CFOs at the awards ceremony An influential group of CFOs and CEOs from prominent international and South African companies have already registered for the awards ceremony. A selection of companies that are represented: - Standard Bank - Telkom - Afgri - G4S - Massmart - EOH - African Bank - Nedbank - Santam - Business Connexion - Transnet - Liberty To see a list of all the attending CFOs go to cfoawards.co.za Become a partner of the CFO Awards. Reserve your table today. Partners support the awards and are invited to buy a table for the award ceremony. The CFO Awards enables leading consultants, suppliers, banks and law firms to meet African top tier CFOs, to demonstrate thought leadership, to make friends and to develop their business. Becoming a partner enables your executives to meet CFOs, share ideas and experience excellence during the awards ceremony. To become a partner of the CFO Awards fill out the form on cfoawards.co.za or contact [email protected] Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, Innovent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in a partnership? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events We have planned new CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts that with share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 March 13 | Get Smart in 2014 April 10 | Capital & Finance May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sept 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold en Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date and in the loop on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Also to keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Do you have any requests, please let us know. Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

CFOs are dealing with “unprecedented uncertainty”, says Pierre Heistein, business analyst, economics instructor and regular columnist for Business Report. Heistein will be one of the speakers at CFO South Africa’s 13 March event ‘Get Smart in 2014’ and he is keen to address ways to tackle that uncertainty. “I especially want to look at what type of people you need to deal with this. There needs to be a rethink about how labour is used.”

Introducing the CFO Awards Jury Delphine Maidou is CEO of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Africa, one of the largest and most renowned insurance and financial services providers in the world. Delphine is one of the 12 jury members who have committed to be on the jury for the CFO Awards 2014. Together with the other members of the jury she will decide on who will win one of the 7 prestigious CFO awards. The event will be held May 15 at the beautiful Summer Place in Johannesburg. For more information visit cfoawards.co.za

Which CFO would not like to build their financial team, IT systems and processes up from scratch, not worrying about existing culture, equipment and other legacy issues? Daryl Edwards got the chance to do just that at Universal Coal and he is pretty excited about the result.

Introducing the CFO Awards Jury Rob Otty is Managing Director of Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa (Africa Law Firm of the Year 2012) and one of the first who committed to be on the jury for the CFO Awards 2014. Together with the other members of the jury he will decide on who will win one of the 7 prestigious CFO awards. The event will be held May 15 at the beautiful Summer Place in Johannesburg. For more information visit cfoawards.co.za

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday January 30 Dear CFO South Africa member, Join the CFO Awards 2014 New CFO Awards nominees Every week CFO South Africa announces new nominated CFOs. This week the nominated CFOs are: - John Snalam - CFO of Coronation Fund Managers - Wallace Holmes - CFO of Afrocentric - Tryphosa Ramano - CFO of PPC - Craig Barnard - CFO of Invicta Holdings To see all the nominated CFOs untill now and to find more information about the CFO Awards visit cfoawards.co.za Meet top CFOs at the awards ceremony An influential group of CFOs and CEOs from prominent international and South African companies have already registered for the awards ceremony. A selection of companies that are represented: - Standard Bank - Telkom - Afgri - G4S - Massmart - EOH - African Bank - Nedbank - Santam - Business Connexion - Transnet - Liberty To see a list of all the attending CFOs go to cfoawards.co.za Become a partner of the CFO Awards. Reserve your table today. Partners support the awards and are invited to buy a table for the award ceremony. The CFO Awards enables leading consultants, suppliers, banks and law firms to meet African top tier CFOs, to demonstrate thought leadership, to make friends and to develop their business. Becoming a partner enables your executives to meet CFOs, share ideas and experience excellence during the awards ceremony. To become a partner of the CFO Awards fill out form on cfoawards.co.za or contact [email protected] Register now for the first CFO South Africa Events of 2014 Get Smart in 2014, Thursday March 13 It’s a jungle out there. Survival of the fittest? Nope, 2014 is all about survival of the smartest! While we are busy with our day to day tasks and routines, we sometimes overlook those smart solutions, new approaches and clever ideas that others have successfully implemented. During the first CFO Event of 2014 we will share and discuss smart ideas to improve your business. Brett Tromp, CFO of Discovery Health, Marie McCrea, Partner at Centre for Innovative Leadership (CIL), Shane Merriman, Managing Director at Innovent, Pierre Heistein, lecturer at the UCT and writer for Business Report and The IBM Institute for Business Value will share their visions on this topic. Get Smart in 2014 will be held on Thursday March 13 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Sandton. For more information please take a look here. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now! It might be the smartest thing you did in 2014. Capital & Finance, Thursday April 10 We cannot underestimate the importance of professional Capital & Finance management. Every CFO knows that managing cash flow, working capital and cost of capital should be a top priority. During this CFO event we share our know how and experiences with issues like balance sheet optimization, staying agile, supply chain financing, refinancing loans and attracting new capital. Capital & Finance will be held at the beautifull Tintswalo at Waterfall in Halfway House, Johannesburg. For more information please take a look here. Join us for this CFO event and improve the way you manage your capital and finance agenda. Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles André du Plessis, Finance Director Capitec Bank "Be brutally honest" "Tackling adventures is all about teamwork and planning and realizing beforehand that there will be things that go wrong.” It is unclear if André du Plessis is talking about the amazing story of Capitec Bank, of which he is Financial Director and cofounder, or about one of his many impressive leisure exploits – scaling mountains, cycling races, jumping out of airplanes or bridges and riding motor bikes for thousands of kilometres at a time. Most likely, he is talking about both. Matthias Wellhausen, CFO ArcelorMittal South Africa "Pick your battles" “More than in the past you have to pick your battles and prioritize,” says the experienced Matthias Wellhausen, CFO at steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa. “There are a zillion things going on that are challenging. You have to focus your resources on the most important ones. This goes as much for an individual CFO as for the company as a whole, which should also put its energy into a limited amount of challenges.” Nicky Dewar, CFO of Post Bank "Testing the boundaries" “Don’t be afraid to get boxed in by going for opportunities as they present themselves,” says Nicky Dewar, CFO Post Bank at the South African Post Office. “If I look at my career, especially in the beginning, I did not know what to do,” says Dewar, when asked what she would advise young accountants. “But I have noticed that all experiences build on the others – nothing goes to waste. You should not be worried that you will be limited if you choose a certain direction. Don’t worry and just go for it.” More interesting CFO South Africa Articles Introducing the first jury members of the CFO Awards A game changer for CFOs and the finance organisation Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, Innovent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in a partnership? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events We have planned new CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts that with share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 March 13 | Get Smart in 2014 April 10 | Capital & Finance May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sept 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold en Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date and in the loop on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Also to keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Do you have any requests, please let us know. Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

“More than in the past you have to pick your battles and prioritize,” says the experienced Matthias Wellhausen, CFO at steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa. “There are a zillion things going on that are challenging. You have to focus your resources on the most important ones. This goes as much for an individual CFO as for the company as a whole, which should also put its energy into a limited amount of challenges.”

“Don’t be afraid to get boxed in by going for opportunities as they present themselves,” says Nicky Dewar, CFO Post Bank at the South African Post Office. “If I look at my career, especially in the beginning, I did not know what to do,” says Dewar, when asked what she would advise young accountants. “But I have noticed that all experiences build on the others – nothing goes to waste. You should not be worried that you will be limited if you choose a certain direction. Don’t worry and just go for it.”

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday January 15 Dear CFO South Africa member, First of all a happy New Year! Wishing you all the best for a wonderful 2014. This year CFO South Africa will bring you many more CFO events, interviews, insights and the first CFO Awards ceremony in South Africa May 15. Register now for the first CFO South Africa Events of 2014 Get Smart in 2014, Thursday March 13 It’s a jungle out there. Survival of the fittest? Nope, 2014 is all about survival of the smartest! While we are busy with our day to day tasks and routines, we sometimes overlook those smart solutions, new approaches and clever ideas that others have successfully implemented. During the first CFO Event of 2014 we will share and discuss smart ideas to improve your business. Brett Tromp, CFO of Discovery Health and Pierre Heistein, lecturer at the UCT and writer for Business Report, will be sharing their visions on this topic. Get Smart in 2014 will be held on Thursday March 13 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Sandton. For more information please have a look here. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now! It might be the smartest thing you did in 2014. Capital & Finance, Thursday April 10 We cannot underestimate the importance of professional Capital & Finance management. Every CFO knows that managing cash flow, working capital and cost of capital should be a top priority. During this CFO event we share our know how and experiences with issues like balance sheet optimization, staying agile, supply chain financing, refinancing loans and attracting new capital. Capital & Finance will be held at the beautifull Tintswalo at Waterfall in Halfway House, Johannesburg. For more information please have a look here. Join us for this CFO event and improve the way you manage your capital and finance agenda. CFO Awards, Thursday May 15 CFO South Africa's first CFO Awards are held on May 15 2014, at the breathtaking Summer Place in Hyde Park Johannesburg. CFOs of listed companies and large corporations are awarded for outstanding performance and financial leadership by our jury. CFOs of among others Liberty, Business Connexion, African Bank, Santam and many more will join approximately 200 top tier CFOs for the Awards ceremony. Find more information on the CFO Awards and how to join on CFOAwards.co.za. Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Introducing the first jury members of the CFO Awards They will embark on a process to elect the best Chief Financial Officers of South Africa Victor Sekese, CEO of SNG (picture) is was one of the first to join the jury of prestigious CFO Awards. To see the whole jury please click on read more. Dikeledi Nakene, CFO Palabora Mining Company "Resist temptation of short-term gains" Surround yourself with people that encourage you, believe in yourself and resist the temptation of lucrative offers before finishing your degree or articles. That is some of the great advice that Dikeledi Nakene, CFO at Palabora Mining Company Limited, has for young, aspiring talents in the finance world. Dick Borsboom, Regional CFO Dangote Industries "Employees key to success" Employees are the key to success in every company,” says Dick Borsboom, the Nigeria-based Regional CFO for Dangote Industries in East and Southern Africa. More interesting CFO South Africa Articles David Gleason, Owner of Dealmakers: "There are deals cooking" A game changer for CFOs and the finance organisation Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, Innovent and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in a partnership? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events We have planned new CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts that with share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 March 13 | Get Smart in 2014 April 10 | Capital & Finance May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sep 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold and Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date and in the loop on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Also to keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Do you have any requests, please let us know. Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected]

“One of the main challenges for South African CFOs is to find capable, qualified accountants that can support them,” says Nadine Kater, the South African Head of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), one of the largest and fastest-growing global accountancy bodies. “I often hear stories about two or three people at the top of the finance department working 24/7 because they need to check all the work of their employees,” she says, adding that she believes the ACCA qualification addresses this problem.

Surround yourself with people that encourage you, believe in yourself and resist the temptation of lucrative offers before finishing your degree or articles. That is some of the great advice that Dikeledi Nakene, CFO at Palabora Mining Company Limited, has for young, aspiring talents in the finance world. “I was born and bred in Limpopo province in Ga- Modjadji not far from Phalaborwa and look at me now. I want to tell local people, especially village girls, that everything is possible!”

“Employees are the key to success in every company,” says Dick Borsboom, the Nigeria-based Regional CFO for Dangote Industries in East and Southern Africa. The Dutch national is an experienced finance leader and joined cement firm Dangote in August 2012 to broaden his horizons even further. Borsboom has a lot of great tips for Nigerian and other African CFOs, many of them boiling down to engaging staff in decision making. “Negative management – do this or else – is something we should move away from.”

“In theory it is not always appropriate to talk about family and private interests during a job interview,” says Richard Angus, CEO of The Finance Team, “but personality and culture fit is critical to a successful engagement, so we do it anyway. In the end, a lot of what The Finance Team does is personality matching, says Angus. “Finding a personal and cultural click between people is essential when it comes to placing finance experts temporarily into any organisation.”

Finance chiefs could drive more business value under new global business services (GBS) model yet risks prevail New research from ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) suggests that finance leaders see challenges in implementing global business service (GBS) models as well as recognising the significant impact they may have on the traditional role of the finance organisation. With many finance functions within businesses having moved into outsourced or shared services models, for some businesses the next phase is GBS – the aggregation of functions such as finance, human resources, IT, property and facilities into one organisational construct and governance model. ACCA’s report suggests chief financial officers could bring even more value to the business through this structure, but the model poses potential risks for finance chiefs and the finance function remit, and may alter traditional finance career opportunities. Deborah Kops, principal, Sourcing Change and co-author of the report, says: “Today’s CFOs should be prepared for GBS, and understand what it means for the finance function as a whole. Will GBS free them up to focus on more strategic objectives?” Jamie Lyon, ACCA head of corporate sector, said: “Finance leaders see advantages and disadvantages in moving to a GBS model. While it may enable CFOs to bring more value to the business and play a much more strategic role across the whole enterprise, it could be a distraction to the further transformation of the finance function, particularly if the CFO becomes the corporate owner.” Creating more value The ACCA report Global business services: a game changer for the finance organisation? reveals that GBS could increase the impact of finance by combining comprehensive data, technology and capability across business functions to provide more accurate and actionable business insights, and free up finance chiefs to focus more on all their other responsibilities. Jamie Lyon said: “GBS potentially has benefits such as enabling even quicker market entry and business integration as organisations evolve their business models. It should also give a much better “end-to-end” view of business processes, and that means opportunities to drive further efficiencies. But it also necessitates CFOs looking across the entire finance activity map and determining what remains in “finance”, and what can move into a GBS operation. It essentially redefines what is “core” and “non-core” to the finance organisation.” Leadership and capability implications In its assessment of GBS, ACCA looked at what the model meant for the career pathway of future finance leaders. With many finance activities no longer in the finance function under this new business construct, and instead placed in a global business services function, finance professionals will need to adapt their ways of working to be better prepared for working and reporting cross functionally. Deborah Kops explained: “The ways in which finance professionals interact with professionals in other functional areas becomes of paramount importance in a GBS model. That’s easier said than done when historically most business models have been demarcated along functional vertical lines. “To make GBS work, you must develop different capabilities in your finance professionals so that they can operate effectively in a cross functional, matrixed construct. They need to be able to break down those functional barriers, and develop a broader business perspective rather than a narrower finance orientated viewpoint. It’s a big cultural shift for the finance organisation, and the implications for traditional finance career paths could be profound.” Jamie Lyon added: “The other significant question when transitioning to global business services is who leads the operation. For those businesses which may be considered to be well on the road to GBS, often we see ownership residing with the CFO. But this could simply be because finance has traditionally led the way on transformation initiatives within the organisation. “With the breadth of priorities facing CFOs today, perhaps there is a strong case for ownership to rest elsewhere, for example, with Chief Operating Officers. One thing is certain, the scale and impact across the enterprise of GBS is potentially very significant, and the benefits possibly very rewarding. It’s got to have the mandate and ownership at board level for these to be fully realised.” Read the full report: Global business services: a game changer for the finance organisation?

“The financial sector in South Africa is world class, and as a result faces similar challenges to the ones prevalent in more developed economies,” says Kuda Makoni, strategy and innovation manager at Deloitte Consulting. “However, South Africa is a developing nation which means our local CFOs also deal with some unique country-specific challenges”

“African countries are very different from each other, which means a ‘cookie cutter’ approach won’t cut it for firms that are expanding into the continent,” says Steve Killick, partner at the Johannesburg-office of PwC. “For example the regulations vary greatly from country to country, especially in the financial services sector in which I work. Culture is a softer element, but it’s equally important and the differences are significant.”

“There are several merger and acquisition deals on the table at the moment,” says Business Day columnist David Gleason, who publishes the quarterly M&A magazine DealMakers. He says those deals are being “worked on and discussed”, but they’re “cooking in the pot for now” because of the political uncertainty in South Africa. “We have to get through the elections and see what sort of cabinet we will get. If it is a team of reasonable people, it will unlock a lot of energy for the economy.”

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Friday 15th of November Dear CFO South Africa member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Dalu Makeke, CFO of the National Treasury "Passion and resillience" “I am never jealous of CFOs in the private sector, but I am just happy that they are there so I can follow them and learn from what they are doing right”, says Dalu Majeke, CFO at the National Treasury. Simone Fraquelli, Head of Network Executive Offering a 'friends of friends' network" "CFOs and other executives are not the people that are actively participating in the job market, they are too busy for that,” says Simone Fraquelli, the head of Network Executive – a new initiative by Network Recruitment, which itself is a division of the JSE-listed company ADvTECH Limited. Top CFOs discuss outlook 2014 during Executive Dinner View the photos from the dinner here. 5 personally selected top CFOs shared their stories and discussed the outlook for 2014 while enjoying great food during the last CFO South Africa Executive Dinner of 2013. What is on their agenda, how is their company doing and how do they plan to grow in 2014? Shahied Daniels, Chief Executive SAIPA "IFRS and tax from the base" “The base for any Professional Accountant’s career is knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and Taxation,” says Shahied Daniels, Chief Executive at the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA). The organisation that Daniels leads , with more than 10,000 members, most of them Professional Accountants, tax specialists and other finance experts. More interesting CFO South Africa Articles Sean Reuben, Finance Director at The Jupiter Drawing Room: "CFOs can change lives" Eugene Hangwani Lufhugu, CFO at Rand Mutual Assurance: "Thinking about growth" Lance Tomlinson, Assurance Leader Africa at EY: "Trust the numbers" Brett Parker, Managing Director at SAP Africa: "Effective CFOs must be outward-facing" Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Register now for the first CFO South Africa Event of 2014 Capital & Finance, April 10th in Sandton On Thursday April 10th the first CFO South Africa Event of 2014 titled 'Capital & Finance' will take place in Sandton. An influential group of financial leaders from prominent international and South African companies from both the private and public sector will be present. CFOs of Olam, Standard Bank, African Bank, ABC Holdings, Servest, Novartis, Jasco are among others who have already registered. Are you a CFO or a finance manager, register now. Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like CQS, IQBusiness, Oracle, Readsoft and Tranparent have partnered with CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in a partnership? Please contact [email protected] Upcoming CFO South Africa Events We have planned new CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts that with share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events 2014 - Johannesburg April 10 | Capital & Finance May 15 | CFO Day & Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sep 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. In the future CFO South Africa will offer memberships for all audiences to have the opportunity to attend our upcoming events. If you are not part of the target audience but would like to participate in the event, please contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date and in the loop on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Also to keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Do you have any requests, please let us know. Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected]

From left to right; Melle Eijckelhof Director CFO South Africa, Bikash Prasad CFO Olam International, Jennifer Njelesani CFO Auditor General, Nichola Dewar CFO Postbank, Carolina van der Ark Managing Director Transparant International, Karl Williams Finance Director Colgate-Palmolive, Ricus Roets, Finance Director Heineken OpCo.

It is clear that the CFO role at today’s leading companies is evolving. Alongside the traditional mandate to provide financial insights and analysis, effective CFOs are far more involved in supporting and even developing strategy, guiding key business initiatives.

“I am never jealous of CFOs in the private sector, but I am just happy that they are there so I can follow them and learn from what they are doing right”, says Dalu Majeke, CFO at the National Treasury.

‘Post the 2008 financial crisis there has been an unprecedented demand for the CFO’s unique perspective and discipline. The core skills of a CFO in ensuring that business decisions are grounded in sound financial criteria and providing the necessary insight and analysis are now even more in demand’ says Lance Tomlinson, Assurance Leader Africa at audit and consulting firm EY, until recently known as Ernst & Young. “But interestingly enough it the demands on a CFO are also not just in the technical heartland but also becoming more strategic in nature for example developing and finding the funding of an organisation’s strategy.”

“The base for any Professional Accountant’s career is knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and Taxation,” says Shahied Daniels, Chief Executive at the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA). The organisation that Daniels leads , with more than 10,000 members, most of them Professional Accountants, tax specialists and other finance experts that service small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“CFOs and other executives are not the people that are actively participating in the job market, they are too busy for that,” says Simone Fraquelli, the head of Network Executive – a new initiative by Network Recruitment, which itself is a division of the JSE-listed company ADvTECH Limited. “They usually move jobs when a friend of a friend asks them to consider a position. With my 8 years of experience as recruiter of executives I am able to offer clients a ‘friends of friends’ network.”

While most CFOs spend their days maximizing profit and fighting competitors, Eugene Lufhugu’s primary role is “to make sure our beneficiaries are taken care of and focusing on the long term sustainability of the Group”. However, just like his peers, the CFO of Rand Mutual Assurance sees cost management as one of his most important briefs. “I worked for FNB and Toyota Tsutso Africa, but I would not say I miss profit driven commercial business. I joined Rand Mutual when the company just started to think about growth and there are lots of exciting things happening.”

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 24th of October Dear CFO South Africa member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Claudelle von Eck, CEO of IIA SA: Internal auditors more than watchdogs Just like CFOs, internal auditors have been widening their scope over the last few years, says Claudelle von Eck, CEO of the Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa (IIA SA). “Internal auditors are moving beyond compliance, beyond being seen as the watchdog. Professor Deon Rossouw, CEO of Ethics Institute SA: Ethical culture still lacking Although awareness about ethical business practices has increased tremendously over the last few years, most South African companies, departments and organizations are still struggling to translate that into an ethical culture. “CFOs need to be aware that this needs to change,” says Professor Deon Rossouw, CEO of The Ethics Institute of South Africa (EthicsSA). “Because the financial cost of unethical behaviour is enormous.” Natalie Zimmelman, General manager of AAT SA: Plugging the skills gap “We have identified a skills gap and we believe we can plug it,” says Natalie Zimmelman, general manager at AAT(SA), the Association of Accounting Technicians, South Africa, which operates from the offices of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). AAT(SA) was formed in October 2008 after SAICA and the international professional body, AAT, realized their collaboration should stand on its own feet. More interesting CFO South Africa Articles Steven Waugh, Group CFO TBWA": "The virtues of discipline" Lucas Ramagaga, CFO Total Client Services: "Affecting people’s lives" Natasha Bell & Chantelle Booysen, Cassel & Co: "EQ and culture matter Koosh Panday, Business Development Manager Sappi: "The case for Readsoft" Strategic CFO: Are you a catalyst for change? Compare yourself to your peers Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Register now for the first CFO South Africa Event of 2014 Capital & Finance, April 10th in Sandton On Thursday April 10th the first CFO South Africa Event of 2014 titled 'Capital & Finance' will take place in Sandton. An influential group of financial leaders from prominent international and South African companies from both the private and public sector will be present. CFOs of Olam, Standard Bank, African Bank, ABC Holdings, Servest, Novartis, Jasco are among others who have already registered. Are you a CFO or a finance manager, register now. Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? Most CFO's in South Africa are CA's and have to remain compliant. By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses they will stay compliant. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events We have planned new CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts that with share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events 2014 - Johannesburg April 10 | Capital & Finance May 15 | CFO Day & Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sep 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. In the future CFO South Africa will offer memberships for all audiences to have the opportunity to attend our upcoming events. If you are not part of the target audience but would like to participate in the event, please contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date and in the loop on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Also to keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Do you have any requests, please let us know. Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected]

Although awareness about ethical business practices has increased tremendously over the last few years, most South African companies, departments and organizations are still struggling to translate that into an ethical culture. “CFOs need to be aware that this needs to change,” says Professor Deon Rossouw, CEO of The Ethics Institute of South Africa (EthicsSA). “Because the financial cost of unethical behaviour is enormous.”

Just like CFOs, internal auditors have been widening their scope over the last few years, says Claudelle von Eck, CEO of the Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa (IIA SA). “Internal auditors are moving beyond compliance, beyond being seen as the watchdog. These days they need to be the right hand to audit committees and a best practice advisor to the organisation as a whole.” That role is not limited to a financial one, Von Eck emphasizes. “Often, when it gets to the financial reports, it is already too late to do something.”

“We have identified a skills gap and we believe we can plug it,” says Natalie Zimmelman, general manager at AAT(SA), the Association of Accounting Technicians, South Africa, which operates from the offices of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). AAT(SA) was formed in October 2008 after SAICA and the international professional body, AAT, realized their collaboration should stand on its own feet.

“Our focus is to look beyond the technical aspect of positions,” says Natasha Bell, General Manager at Cassel & Company. “How do you ensure that you retain your employees? That is one of the biggest issues at the moment. At Cassel we focus strongly on both sides of the hiring process – the business and the candidates. We focus on the EQ, the emotional intelligence, of a person and zoom in on a cultural match.”

“Managing growth is a lot of fun, but also a lot of work,” says Steven Waugh, Group CFO at Johannesburg-based advertising group TBWA. The Scottish trained Chartered Accountant worked in London for most of his career and is therefore in an excellent position to assess where South Africa is currently at. So what about B-BBEE, minority shareholders and cost cutting? And are our accountants really as brilliant as they think they are? Waugh started his career in the music and film industry at Time Warner and BMG Music. “That gave me a very good grounding, because a record company has everything: production, marketing, publishing and challenging people.” However, salaries for finance professionals in the industry were “terrible”, according to the Scotsman. “So it was time to grow up and move on.” For eight years Waugh was the CFO of a group of digital and marketing technology agencies within the advertising and marketing holding company Omnicom. “We were at the forefront of the digital revolution with growth of crazy – 30 to 40 percent per year.” It was a lot of fun and a lot of work, Waugh recalls. “In our industry it is all about staff target levels. If you hire to far behind the curve, you make good margins but it’s not sustainable. If you hire ahead of revenues, it’s too expensive. So do you hire permanently? Do you use freelancers? You have to continuously balance the quality of your staff – and its skills set –with the type of contracts you have. The hire/fire routine is definitely one of the most difficult things to get right.” Although it’s common knowledge these days that great CFOs and Finance Directors do much more than crunching numbers, this is particularly true in the advertising and marketing world, says Waugh. “The accounting itself is not too challenging, but you have to get far more involved in the operations of the agency,– legal, IT, building administration and HR. You are a generalist, tapped into the commercial side of the business. Often finance people run the sales meetings, which sounds bizarre. We make sure the meetings happen, actions are followed up, send out a warning if revenues are dropping off, and release funds if additional staff is required on new wins. We make sure the business ticks. We’re the discipline in the company.” Waugh resigned and came to South Africa in 2011, when his wife was offered a job at Old Mutual. “It was a huge risk for me,” he says. After a short stint at Omnicom affiliate Interbrand Sampson South Africa and a voluntary project with an enterprise development fund for young black entrepreneurs, Waugh found his feet at TBWA. “It’s been great and similar to some extent to my previous time with Omnicom, but there are more regional aspects. We deal with affiliates in the rest of Africa and South Africa itself is much more regionalised than the UK. My senior team is more spread out and I travel more, which I had to get used to.” Obviously Waugh has noticed some marked differences with London, like South Africa’s onerous labour laws, the challenges of dealing with SARS and the amount of paperwork required to bring on new clients and suppliers. “I found all the red tape and administration quite frustrating. There is so much paperwork and in the early days of working in South Africa, little things like every page on every agreement requiring a signature drove me quite mad. I was definitely worth avoiding some days” The Scotsman was also hired to “bring a more commercial dynamic to the finance team”, he explains. “The quality of accountants is very good, but they often just provide numbers for the senior management to interpret. It is my focus to get them to be more commercial and I strongly believe that this increases job satisfaction and performance.” Procurement personnel now play a much bigger role in the marketing divisions of large clients than in the last few years and it has a bearing on agencies like TBWA. ”Sometimes the role procurement plays is a positive one, especially where they ensure that marketing departments operate in accordance with processes that we have agreed, but the time it takes to negotiate the contract can slows things down considerably. It can take many months to get fees finalised and the initial excitement on the client win can be dampened during the elongated process. Procurement has also required agencies to be focused on cost cutting. “It is the name of the game in South Africa, like it became in London, says Waugh. “Procurement personnel come to me and say they want 10 percent more work output for 30 percent less cost. And that has actually happened three times to me already this year. A huge part of what I do is to find cost savings, ensure that we buy efficiently for our clients, and pass on cost savings whenever possible. Every cost is under the spotlight and we are constantly monitoring our productivity and effectiveness.” Waugh says he has helped the company to slow down at the right moments. “I am working closely with senior management to ensure that we don’t make fast decisions that look good initially but don’t fit in the medium to long term plans.” Waugh is enjoying the entrepreneurial spirit of South Africans (and of course the weather). He’s been intrigued by ownership structures in the country, often involving minority shares for founders or B-BBEE trusts. “Black empowerment is absolutely key for business, but often very challenging and complicated. The challenge in the marketing industry is that there is a small pool of black talent, which leads to issues of affordability and the loss of talent that you have trained.” It has helped Waugh to come in as an outsider, he says. “Being a foreigner can be positive, especially when it comes to implementing transformation. I have no axe to grind and look neutrally at the process. I am actively working towards a black finance professional to take over from me as Group CFO and I have brought in new software to track every month our B-BEEE score and how key decisions, especially hiring decisions affect our score. We have tough targets to improve our scorecard ahead of the change in the codes and are embedding them into all areas of the organisation. This is one of the projects that I am most proud of.”

What can a CFO gain from implementing automated document processing software like Readsoft? The South African pulp and paper giant Sappi took a strategic decision and recently implemented Readsoft and Sappi’s Business Development Manager, Koosh Panday (MBA), reports positively. “I am convinced that many CFOs would benefit from such automation, deliver more value and become leaner. This is an investment that earns pay-back within a short time.”

“What we do as finance directors and chief financial officers affects people’s lives,” says Lucas Orapeleng Ramagaga, 32-year old CFO at Total Client Services. “We deal with shareholders, but also clients, suppliers and our own employees – it is a big responsibility.” Having made short work of the corporate ladder, Ramagaga does not shy away from the task. “I have a high appetite for growth, so a future role as CEO, chairman doesn’t scare me – it will just be an opportunity to affect even more lives.”

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 10th of October Dear CFO South Africa member, The 5th CFO South Africa Event Focus on Growth and Innovation Building social platforms and strengthening relationships amongst top professionals has been one of the key elements during the first year of CFO South Africa’s existence. Thursday’s event was the biggest, boldest and best event so far, providing network opportunities and a host of parallel breakaway sessions where the country’s CFOs and top finance professionals could discuss the challenges and opportunities of the present and future. Download the Presentations Ross Hampton, Divisional Director of CQS, "Tomorrow's CFO" Fred Axsel and Robert Brine, IQ Business, "Managing risk for growth" Victor Sekese, Chief Executive of SizweNtsalubaGobodo, "Never underestimate people" Upcoming CFO South Africa Event On April 3rd, our next CFO South Africa Event will take place, titled, "Capital & Finance". Take a look at our upcoming events and register now. Don't miss out on any CFO South Africa events as seating is limited. Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Steven Cohen, Sage Pastel: “It is time for the CFO to realize that he or she needs to embrace the power of technology” “I can see that the role of the CFO is changing to go beyond accounting. The CFO is in a position to invest in technology and deliver new value to the company. To benefit from technology they need to wake up and smell the coffee." Cohen is passionate about the way digital technology changes the role of CFOs and finance professionals. Dalu Majeke, National Treasury Republic of South Africa: “Having a common goal for this country – is crucial” As the finance man of the country’s finance department, he knows what it’s like to work under pressure. “We don’t value popularity in the department, but we want to be able to present a stable financial framework in trying times.” More CFO South Africa Articles Brett Parker, MD Southern Africa of SAP, "Don't overcustomize" Steve Killick, Partner at PwC, "Boards want more than spreadsheets" Kuda Makoni, Manager of Deloitte Consulting, "Innovation key for South African banks" Shahied Daniels, Chief Executive SAIPA, "Growth in the corporate world" Lance Tomlinson, Assurance Leader Africa EY, "Responsibility at the top of the food chain" Natasha Bell and Chantelle Booysen, Cassel & Company, "How to retain talent" Natalie Zimmelman, AAT South Africa, "Vocational training crucial for finance teams" Grant Robson and Richard Angus, The Finance Team, "Finding the click" Claudelle von Eck, CEO of the Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa, "Partner with CFOs Showcase your work on CFO South Africa’s Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Become a member of CFO South Africa Stay on top of current updates in the world of finance and keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs by becoming a member on the CFO South Africa Website. Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter Stay up to date and in the loop on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica. Also to keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Do you have any requests, please let us know. Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected]

“We are data nerds who like studies,” said Fred Axsel to his captive audience during the 5th CFO South Africa Event in the Saxon Boutique Hotel on 3 October 2013. Axsel is Managing Executive at management consulting firm IQ Business. Together with his colleague Rob Brine he shared the results of IQ’s latest research in a presentation titled 'Innovate or Die vs. Innovate and Die? CFO Managing Risk for Growth’.

Anybody who has spent more than half a minute in the company of Victor Sekese, can testify that the CEO of SizweNtsalubaGobodo (SNG) is one of the most passionate business leaders in South Africa. On Thursday 3 October 2013 he delivered a powerful presentation on corporate growth, as part of the 5th CFO South Africa event at the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg. He enthralled everyone with his insight, intelligence and sense of humour - leaving his audience inspired and optimistic about doing business in this country.