Spear Reit CFO Christiaan Barnard nominated for 2025 CFO Awards

As AI takes on more analytical work, CFOs must rethink what makes their leadership valuable. Curiosity, critical thinking and sound judgement will become increasingly important in a workforce shared by people and AI agents.

Retirement outcomes are built over decades, but the choices that shape them are often made by different people, in different institutions and at different points in an employee’s working life. New Old Mutual Corporate research gives CFOs a way to test whether the choices their organisations influence are turning employee-benefit spend into better retirement outcomes.

Phetogo Mabaso, CFO and executive director at Swiss Re Corporate Solutions South Africa, has been nominated for the 2026 CFO Awards. She has more than 16 years of experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry.

The Capital Hotels, Apartments and Resorts CFO Dale Smith reflects on navigating the Covid-19 pandemic, his entrepreneurial career and his approach to building a nimble finance function that supports the group’s long-term growth.

Koketso Kekana has joined Microsoft South Africa as chief financial officer, bringing experience across retail finance, commercial strategy and revenue management.

Traditional financial planning and analysis metrics often prioritise forecast accuracy over adaptability. In a volatile business environment, agile FP&A teams need to be measured by how quickly they turn market changes into actionable insights, adapt to uncertainty and support strategic business decisions.