FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
DOOM & GLOOM OR #TWENTYPLENTY?
I
t’s a New Year and the turn of a new decade. For some of us, this is exciting, and for others, incredibly daunting…
We keep hearing about failed SOEs, negative economic growth and a currency that keeps devaluating. 2020 could prove to be one of the most challenging years to date. But, among all of the uncertainty and difficulties we’re going to experience, there’s some good news to hold on to. The year is jam-packed with opportunities to connect with your optimistic and enthusiastic peers in the CFO Community! When plugging into the community, you’ll be able to form “mastermind groups” with your peers and discuss strategies and solutions to overcome these trying and testing times. You’ll learn from industry leaders about how they are preparing for the future, and what you can do to propel your business forward.
Our year kicks off with the Finance meets HR Summit on 18 February at The Equinox in Sandton, where we will be discussing the powerful collaboration possible between Finance and HR. We’ll hear some incredible success stories about businesses who have got this right and practical tips on what we can do to work closer together. As we learnt from the mighty Bokke last year, we are #StrongerTogether. On 2 April, we return to Cape Town to interact with the burgeoning coastal CFO community, which grew in leaps and bounds in 2019. We expect more of the same trajectory this year. Our topic for the Summit will be The Future-Ready CFO, and this is an event you don’t want to miss if you’re looking to broaden your horizons and step into the future today.
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Then, on 14 May, CFO South Africa will present the seventh iteration of the CFO Awards. We received an overwhelming number of nominations for the ‘Oscars of finance’. This really is a testament to the fact that, in spite of how challenging times have been, there are still incredible finance leaders and businesses doing extraordinary things! The Finance Indaba returns for its fifth installment between 14 and 15 October under the theme: Finance Leads The Way. This year will see the introduction of mentor mania, coaches on couches and the tech demo room. Not only are you eligible for 12 CPD points, you also have the most amazing opportunity to enhance your knowledge, network and careers with 5,000 of your finance peers. Always striving towards bigger and better, CFO Day on 10 November has evolved into a larger format event under the theme CFO 4.0 – fasten your seat belts. CFO Day 2020 boasts a plenary opening, followed by breakaway keynotes, round tables, TED X style thought leadership talks, panels, debates, great food and extended networking breaks. As always, we value and appreciate your ongoing support and commitment to the CFO Community, with your involvement we truly can make a meaningful and impactful difference to our beautiful country. Lets commit to making this the year of #TwentyPlenty. John Deane CFO Community & Sales Manager +27 82 570 9482 jdeane@cfo.co.za