By Rafiq Vayani
ISLAMABAD: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) organized the tenth CFO Conference, in Karachi and Islamabad with theme 5 Steps to Greatness – Rising to Your True Potential CFO & Beyond. The event, organized by ICAP’s Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Committee, was attended by the top management of renowned national and multinational organizations, with over a thousand attendees.
Jafar Husain, President ICAP, welcomed the audience and speakers to the conference and appreciated the efforts put forth by the PAIB committee for another outstanding event. He stated that this platform is not only unique in nature, but also an opportunity to interact and network with some of the most talented people from the accountancy profession.
In his opening remarks Mr. Danny Khursigara, Executive Coach, TEDx presenter, and Award Winning Author spoke on the first step to greatness; Fueling the Passion. He stressed on the important of doing what you love, as it will help you progress in your career much faster than doing something you are not passionate about.
An executive discussion was held on the second step, Leadership and Team Building. Aamir Niazi, CEO, People and Business Advisory, HRSG, moderated the discussion which was partaken by Muhammad Luqman, CEO, NCCPL, Mr. Adam Wakeley, MD, Marsh, and Moonis Alvi, CEO, K-Electric. In this discussion, when asked, “Is innovation the trump card in your leadership?” they stated, “yes, innovation is one of the major elements that can be built into strategy and then taken to execution to make it work”.
Umair Saif, Chairman PITB & VCITU spoke about embracing technological trends, and the importance of evolving with the passage of time. He spoke about trends that showed the downfall of big household brands, due to lack of technological advancements. These days, technology has transformed people’s lives in such a way that nobody can survive without technology. How adept professionals are at accepting new technological trends will determine how successful they will be in their careers.
Mr. Alan Johnson, Deputy President, IFAC (International Federation of Accountants), spoke about Moving Ahead of the Competition, the fourth step in the 5 Steps to Greatness. He stated that knowing when and how to move ahead of the competition is important. He linked the previous three steps and said that once an individual or organization is able to truly integrate the first three steps, then they can find new opportunities and ideas to move ahead of the competition and lead in the race to success. We should be ready to use new tools every year, for technology is a driver of change.
Ms. Sima Kamil, President & CEO, United Bank Ltd. (UBL), was interviewed about becoming a role model, the final step in the path to greatness.
A performance by famous artist Anwar Maqsood entertained the participants with his satire, after which the conference ended with a vote of thanks by Khalilullah Shaikh – Chairman, PAIB Committee.
Khalilullah Shaikh, Chairman PAIB Committee, ICAP expressed how proud he felt at the overwhelming turnout, thanked the speakers and spoke about the idea behind this year’s theme of the conference. He said that the world is ever changing and these five steps to greatness will be the key that drives success. He also spoke about the launch of the Ethics Dilemma App, and the development of Career Driver Tool, designed to allow users to assess their skill set and areas of improvement.
The CFO Conference is a unique initiative which was undertaken nearly a decade ago, to reach out to the Institute’s members in the industry and provide them with a platform to discuss, debate and seek pragmatic solutions for emerging business and finance issues.
