Breaking Glass Ceilings
Women in Singapore are finally breaking the glass ceilings in the financial segment. Last year, Singapore Airlines named first female CFO, Jo-Ann Tan who became one of three women in Singapore Airline's 14-people strong leadership team. Currently serving as SVP of Marketing Planning, Jo-Ann Tan will take the top finance role at Singapore Airlines Group (SIA). However, the challenges ahead Jo-Ann are going to be immense, especially with the expanded responsibilities of today's CFOs, who are now instrumental in not only overseeing financial operations but also propelling organizational growth.
In the current business landscape, CFOs are tasked with the dual mandate of fostering growth while ensuring profitability, in line with investor expectations. Their role extends beyond traditional financial stewardship to becoming catalysts for growth. Collaborating with leadership peers, they are reengineering workflows and harnessing technology to enhance cross-departmental synergy. Their strategic acumen is pivotal in devising business tactics that yield immediate and enduring benefits, reflected in the company's profit and loss statements.
Digitalization is not a one-off project but a way of running a business. CFOs have to make sure they get real benefits and returns from investing in digital technology. Many of these technologies, some still in the early stages, are already making a big difference. The challenge for the automotive CFOs is to take the risk and embrace them. They also need team members who have not only accounting, auditing, and compliance skills but also data visualization, flexible thinking, good communication, and, most importantly, business acumen. In this yearly special issue, we delve deeper into the financial leadership of organizations. Do let us know your thoughts.