A Mixed Bag of Opportunities & Challenges

In the aftermath of the catastrophic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of a CFO, however, has changed more vigorously. With the decreasing budgets, and the need for cost cutting and optimization, and the pandemic adjoining a huge amount of pressure on CFOs, especially newly appointed CFOs, they need to comprehend the fact that the skill sets and traits required to navigate through the organizational challenges have changed dramatically over the past year alone; not to mention the constant change in market behavior.

The financial department in every organization has now emerged as one of the most important pillars alongside the technology division, enabling business continuity during these tough times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the change in mindset of organizations towards digital transformation, the new work from norms, and supply chain challenges, the CFOs are required to work closely with the technology departments, assess the changes required in financial strategies, before planning anything ahead.

While this poses enormous challenges, the women CFOs has an additional layer of challenges with the conventional mindset of the industry. But they need to see past this, as the current environment presents an amazing opportunity for CFOs to play a pivotal role in the organization and contribute directly to its growth. The skills with respect to emotional intelligence and communication skills will guide them further forward. Through this issue of CEO Insights, we endeavor to elucidate the stories of some of the successful modern day Women CFOs.