Welcome to 2024!
The ECFOs Community is a vibrant network of financial leaders dedicated to continuous growth and excellence in their respective organisations.
2023 was a transformational year for the community. We got a new name, held some interesting events, and launched several exciting initiatives. As we kickstart our exciting plans for 2024, here’s a recap of some of the milestones we were able to achieve together.
Q1: Rebrand, Website Launch and More
Towards the end of 2022, we thought it was time to christen the community with a more befitting name. After a round of voting by community members, we finally arrived at the name “Evolving CFOs”.
Why Evolving CFOs?
We understand that the world of finance involves both accounting and non-accounting verticals. We wanted a name that was inclusive and reflective of the diverse roles in the world of finance. We also wanted a name that reflects what value the community would provide to finance professionals- resources and tools to help them upgrade their knowledge, meet like-minded professionals, and evolve in their careers. Thus, Evolving CFOs was born.
In line with our mission to help finance professionals in their growth journeys, we launched a webpage (tryduplo.com/evolving-cfos) to serve as a hub for information and resources like blog posts and past events. It’s a good place to get started for intending members so please feel free to share with finance leaders in your network. We are continually adding new content and updates, so be sure to check back often!
Career Cupid
It is possible to love what you do for a living. This is especially important for finance professionals who dedicate enormous time and effort to ensuring the numbers add up and the business keeps moving.
For our Valentine’s special, we asked three finance folks about their career journey and what they love about being in financial services.
You can catch up with Career Cupid here.
How to Land a Role in Tech as a Finance Professional Webinar
The tech industry in Nigeria is booming more than ever, and we saw an increasing demand from members to learn more about how to get into this industry. We teamed up with some leading voices in human resources and finance to discuss how finance professionals can navigate this industry and what steps they can take to stand out..
If you’re on the lookout for a job in tech, these tips shared by the speakers could help you:
- Share content on what you know. The more you share, the more people perceive you know, which makes you more likely to be recommended!
- When building thought leadership as an accounting professional, you should communicate at a layman’s level so your audience can understand you from where they are.
- Feel free to approach industry professionals and ask for mentorship or recommendations.
- People in your network should be aware that you’re on the lookout for a role.
- Attend industry events and network appropriately.
Keen to learn more? You can watch the webinar on-demand at any time via this link!
Q2: ECFOs Spotlight and the Automation for Growth Event
As our community grew, so did our resources. To make it easier for our members to find ECFO content, we launched the ECFOs Journal, our monthly newsletter where we share resources and the latest business and industry news, job opportunities, as well as community updates that went live in May. Join our community to receive future journals.
We also featured some of our community members, sharing their thoughts on key industry insights and tips in a series titled ECFO of the Month. Want to be featured in our next edition? Let us know!
Harnessing the Power of Automation for Growth Webinar
Automation is the next big thing in finance, but can finance leaders leverage it to increase efficiency within their teams?
To end the quarter, we held the Automation for Growth webinar featuring some top Finance leaders in Nigeria, who shared actionable insights on how finance professionals can leverage the power of automation to simplify everyday accounting processes.
Top highlights were:
- As a finance leader, you must take the lead on automation and any new tool you want your team to adopt.
- CFOs must do the work of “selling” automation to management.
- Show your team the benefits of moving from mere number crunching to becoming finance business partners who actively contribute to the bottom line.
- If automation reduces man hours, then there’s a need to plan for it just the way we plan for manpower.
- Whether you are prepared or not, automation at some point will be inevitable.
Click on this link for more detailed examples and tips on how automation can benefit your company.
Q3: ICAN Zonal Conference in Benin City, ECFOs AMA Sessions
The ECFOs community and Duplo were present at the 2023 ICAN Southern Zonal Conference. We met with many amazing finance professionals in the region, many of whom are part of the squad.
One major highlight from the event was the keynote by Mary Obrike titled Fintech in Emerging Markets: Opportunities for Chartered Accountants. The speaker expanded on the ongoing evolution of the fintech space in Nigeria and how accountants can leverage fintech to enhance their services, increase efficiency, and provide value-added solutions to their clients through some specific opportunities, namely:
- Cybersecurity and Risk Management Reports
- Business Processing Intelligence (real-time data analytics)
- Payment Processing and Financial Integration via APIs
- Data Perceptions and Financial Analytics
- Automation and Proficiency
- Regulatory Compliance
She stressed on the need to become a “Tech Savvy Accountant” to access career advancement.
Another highlight from Q3 was our inaugural Ask Me Anything Session and the ECFOs Roundtable.
One thing that most finance professionals we spoke to struggle with is creating a personal brand. To help with this, we brought in Oyekemi Ajayi for an AMA Session where she shared extensively how she has leveraged personal branding to cut through the noise and make a lasting impression. Looking for some tips? Read our article to learn more!
Our ECFO Roundtable focused on how to navigate uncertain economic conditions and come out stronger. We brought in Lanre Depiver of Sabi who outlined that an organization’s growth is gauged by the Chief Financial Officer.
He stressed during the ECFOs Roundtable that in building resilient financial strategies in times of uncertainty it’s essential to:
- Prioritize continuous personal development
- Foster collaboration and communication
- Leverage tech for efficiency and automation
- Embrace agility and scenario planning
- Focus on cash flow management, and
- Strengthen risk management and agility.
Q4: A Salary Resource for Finance Professionals
Have you ever wondered what the industry benchmarks for finance salaries looked like? Not anymore.
In November, we launched The Finance Salaries in Nigeria report. Whether you’re finance lead planning your team for the year or want to stay current with compensation trends, you’ll learn a thing or two. Download the report here.
What can you expect in 2024?
This year, we plan to build on these initiatives and continue our mission to make the Evolving CFOs community the number one platform for leading finance professionals.
Expect more:
- Events such as webinars, town halls, and physical meetings
- Reports and Whitepapers
- Articles and Guides
- Community Engagement
Never miss an update! Join the community to maximize all we’ll be rolling out this year.
