In 2018, the CFO community shared their insights with CFO South Africa. Here's what they had to say.
KFC’s Sharon Naidoo
On picking the right roles:
“When you become a CA, the world is your oyster and you have so much power, but the responsibility doesn't always come easily. Young CAs often chase roles with titles or chase roles for money and compensation, and they don't necessarily pick the right roles.”
Read more: Interview KFC CFO Sharon Naidoo
Deloitte’s Jen McDonald, on what makes a great CFO:
“When you reach CFO level, the assumption is that all CFOs are technically competent, so for me, the differentiator is leadership. Great CFOs are good leaders who are able to successfully lead the execution of a vision or strategy.”
Read more: CFO interview Deloitte Jen McDonald
Torre Industries’ Shivan Mansingh, on diversity and culture:
“Being a situational leader and having to adjust to those people and situations is one of the things I enjoy most about my job, because you are dealing with different people and diverse cultural backgrounds every day.”
Read more: Interview Shivan Mansingh CFO Torre Industries
Imperial’s Mohammed Akojee, explained how a role in Africa developed him personally:
“Before I became the CEO for Logistics – African regions, I was very much a functional specialist, looking at deals from a corporate finance perspective. The role in Africa helped me to develop a completely different skill set – leadership, operational expertise, leading through people and strategy.”
Read more: Interview Imperial Holdings Group CFO Mohammed Akoojee
Sygnia’s Mike Buckham, on transparency:
“People think of South Africa as backwaters, but we are streets ahead in terms of transparency of fees. In the UK there is still a massive layering of costs.”
Read more: Interview CFO Mike Buckham Sygnia FD