INSIGHT Breakfast Series

Our guest speaker was Heeral Gudka, a leadership performance consultant and coach working with individuals and businesses internationally. Heeral discussed ‘The Life of a CFO’, looking specifically at the changing role of a CFO; networking and relationships; stakeholder and media scrutiny; and communication.

Interesting learnings included:

1. Promoting an inclusive culture within your organisation helps build trust and will go some way to tackle the threat of a lack of diversity. An inclusive culture is needed for diversity to truly exist in your organisation.
2. With data becoming such a dominant part of a Finance leader’s role, a CFO’s role needs to evolve with ever-changing technology.
3. You’re only as good as your hires – looking after your team and promoting values of knowledge, improvement, and positive change are steps that can be taken to be a successful leader. Do what you can, even in a smaller business with limited resources.
4. Communication and media training can be a useful tool to handle public scrutiny, manage pressures from investors, and even influence how you talk with your peers.
5. Social media can be a tool for positive change and a good representation of your values and ethics, but you have a responsibility to use it in a safe way that doesn’t damage your own or your company’s representation.

All discussions were held under Chatham House rules.

“Really enjoyed the event this morning, it was great to hear your thoughts on the various areas of the CFO role, fantastic discussion! Thanks for leading the conversation.”

fdu’s consultative approach to Executive Search and Recruitment is based upon our deep sector knowledge, our networks and extensive experience. We distil this insight for each unique Client situation, allowing us to provide strong results through our bespoke service.

An important part of this process is sharing knowledge – sharing insight – among our Clients, our networks and interested parties in the various sectors we serve. Our INSIGHT Breakfast Series brings small groups of high-level individuals together to discuss strategically relevant topics in the business world, with an expert guest speaker sharing insight into their respective field.

Our INSIGHT Breakfasts take place every month with a different theme each time, ranging from talent retention in M&A, to Brexit impact, to the changing C-Suite role during today’s business transformation. You will certainly leave the Breakfast with greater insight, new industry contacts and points to ponder … for the next event, perhaps?