The 24th edition of the CFO Stratech, a premier forum for forward-thinking CFOs and finance executives, flagged off at Bengaluru, with yet another insightful experience where trailblazers explored about the evolving role of the ‘CFO’.

Finance is undergoing a transformation driven by clever automation, real-time analytics, and a commitment to lead beyond the numbers as technology transforms every function and data turns into currency.

A wide range of duties fall on the shoulders of the financial leader as the CFO develops into a strategic ally of the CEO and navigates the always changing business landscape. The modern CFO is more than simply an expert in numbers; they are a creative team player influencing company strategy and innovation.

India’s highly reputed finance professionals shared their vibrant perspectives on redefining the role of finance in business transformation. Additionally, they spoke about how AI, automation, and analytics are transforming finance functions and unlocking new value.

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The forum set off for an opening keynote by Kaushik Sarkar, Senior VP, CFO & Board Member, Bosch Global Software Technologies who spoke about, ‘The Next Gen CFO: Architect of Strategy, Steward of Growth'. Kaushik shed light on the need for change in business models, how to stay relevant, how CFOs should be able to manage today’s issues, and how technology should be used as a competitive model among others.

Kaushik further went on to say, “We can either be a part of transformation or watch it happen".

"In this disruptive world, we as CFOs need to lead it, be ahead of it and make a fantastic impact".

 

The forum then broke for a panel session titled, "From Spreadsheets to Strategic Intelligence: The CFO’s Data-driven Leap".

On the topic of data analytics, Guda Srinivas, Group Chief Financial Officer, Stump Schuele & Somappa Springs said, “if you’re going to be the end-user of that particular tool, you need to be involved in the suggestion process”. He explained how important it is for the end-user to know what they need to know.

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Essilor Luxottica’s Group Chief Financial Officer, South Asia, Ashok Nathan spoke about the key areas that need to be forecast emphasizing ‘sales’ as the primary of these areas. He stressed the significance of the need to sit closely with data.

Other speakers namely Rahul Rungta, VP - Finance, Orkla India explained a gist about filing DHP and how better your company is exposed to the world. Ganapathy G.R., Group Chief Financial Officer, Machani Group, spoke about the need for digital footprints, the availability of significant insights in public data and how data should be classified.