THE WINDS OF CHANGE KEEP BLOWING

Irecently caught up with one of the CFOs in our community. He’s a tech CFO, and the last time we touched base about a year ago, he was talking about the Great Resignation and how he was struggling to attract and retain talent in a global job market.

Well, the winds of change have been blowing in the past 12 months. In our latest conversation, this same CFO told me that the global spate of tech retrenchments has meant that South African finance and tech job seekers are desperate for local work, and are hanging on to any job they have with both hands.

Musing on this made me think of an interview I had with a CFO many years ago. He was a young CFO and had just been through the first economic downturn he’d experienced as a finance leader. He was part of a large banking group, and he expressed his gratitude to the other, older CFOs he could turn to. They were able to help him with strategies based on their prior experience, and with the steadying notion that “this too shall pass”.

Everything in finance and business is cyclical, from commodity pricing to interest rates, from consumer demand to political unease. We can even dare to imagine that one day, South Africa’s electricity crisis might not be the pressing business and political issue it is right now.

One of the things that I love about my job is that I get to engage with some of the top minds in business and finance, and hear about their visions for the future. For those working hard at the pinnacle of industry in South Africa, there is optimism, there is opportunity and there is a way to plan for measurable successful outcomes.

So, to all the CFOs who share their ideas with us, and find the time to take part in our CFO South Africa community events – to share knowledge and ideas – thank you for your time, your insights and your optimism.

If you haven’t managed to join us at any of our Summits, or CFO Day, or even the CFO Awards, drop me an email on the address below, and I’ll be sure to add your name to the guest list – and hopefully meet you at an upcoming event sometime soon.

Yours, in optimism,

Georgina Guedes