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You went from Big Four auditing to running finance across more than 45 countries at Etihad. What changed about how you saw the role of finance?

Audit is very much about looking backwards - are the historical numbers accurate, are there errors, are the controls working properly? When I moved into industry, the focus shifted. It became much more about how those numbers can actually add value to the business. You’re looking forward, thinking about growth, business performance, and how finance can help drive better decisions. At the same time, I think my audit background helped me stay grounded in governance and controls. That stayed with me, but the mindset became much more commercial and forward-looking.

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Your automation work saved more than 40,000 hours a year. What’s one story that still stands out to you?

Honestly, what stands out more than the number of hours saved is how people’s mindset changed.

At the beginning, there was a lot of hesitation around automation because people were worried about what it could mean for their jobs. But once they started seeing the results, that changed completely. People started coming forward with ideas, to the point where our RPA developers were overwhelmed with demand.

One example I remember was when we had to retrieve more than 1,000 historical invoices for a vendor negotiation, and we only had 24 hours to do it. Manually, that would have been almost impossible.

Because we already had RPA embedded into our systems, we were able to run the process in the background and have the full set ready within three to four hours.

Those are the kinds of wins that don’t always sound exciting, because they’re mundane tasks. But when you multiply those small wins across a business, that’s where automation creates real value.

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Why do you think there’s still so much fear around automation if it can save people so much time?

I think the fear is understandable because people can immediately see how automation could reduce the amount of manual work required.

Take accounts payable as an example. If two people are processing 200 invoices a day, and automation suddenly allows one person to do that same work in half a day, naturally the other person starts wondering what happens to their role.

But in my experience, freeing up someone’s time doesn’t automatically mean removing their job. It can give them the opportunity to focus on things they couldn’t do before - finding new ideas, improving processes, or working on higher-value tasks.

That’s something I saw quite a lot. Automation changed the work, but it also created room for people to contribute differently.

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You’ve worked across more than 45 jurisdictions. What starts to break at that scale that you don’t necessarily see with one entity?

Standardization becomes absolutely critical. Every country has different tax rules, banking requirements, regulations, and ways of working. If your processes aren’t standardized, one small issue can multiply very quickly across the organization.

I also think centralization plays a big role. When you have a centralized structure, it becomes much easier to standardize processes, introduce the right controls, and maintain good governance across different markets.

So regardless of how spread out the business is geographically, having that consistency in the way you operate makes a huge difference.

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You’re also launching a course teaching accountants how to build AI agents. What was the moment that convinced you this was something worth pursuing?

There was one use case that really changed how I looked at it.

I saw an AI agent take a document of more than 300 pages, extract multiple details from it, compare those details against an accounting policy, write a position paper, and then draft a response - all within about a minute.

That was the moment I thought, this is going to be a game changer. And the more you think about it, the more use cases you start seeing.

What I also find exciting is that accountants no longer have to rely entirely on someone else to build these workflows for them. In the past, you might submit a use case to a technical team and then wait because there was a backlog.

Now, with the right prompts and skills, the accountant can start doing a lot more themselves. Of course, technical specialists will still be important, but this really changes the speed at which finance teams can experiment and build.

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Your course philosophy is that the agent prepares and the human approves. Where do you personally draw the line on autonomy?

If I had to put it in one sentence, I’d say: automate your mechanics ruthlessly, but guard your judgment fiercely.

For me, judgment is the human factor. AI is not infallible, so you still need the right review controls in place, and you still need someone to remain accountable for the final output.

The agent can do a huge amount of the preparation, but the responsibility and judgment shouldn’t disappear. That’s where I draw the line.

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Do you think AI is going to replace jobs in finance?

I think the hard truth is that eventually it will replace some jobs.

The bigger question is how much of an impact it will have, and I think the most difficult part will be the transition period as more tasks move towards automation and AI agents.

There will probably be some job losses during that phase. But at the same time, new roles will also emerge.

If you look back 20 or 30 years, we didn’t have roles like Power BI developers, RPA developers, or many of the technology-focused finance roles we have today.

In the future, we could see finance prompt engineers, finance AI architects, or even finance managers who are managing both people and AI agents.

So I think the bigger risk is not keeping up. The person who learns how to use AI will have an advantage because they’ll find new ways of working and new ways to add value.

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What message would you leave finance professionals with today?

AI is going to impact the profession, but I don’t think people should get overwhelmed by it. Keep reading, keep learning, and keep experimenting with the new tools and ways of working that are coming out.

Things are going to continue changing, but the more you keep up with that change, the more opportunities you’ll find to work differently and add value to the business.

For me, that’s the most important thing.

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Bio:

At what point does a CFO stop being a numbers person and start shaping the strategic direction of a business?

The numbers are just the starting point. Only when you have stellar, bulletproof numbers do you get a seat at the table and build trust.

The real role of a CFO is more about judgment and strategy. CEOs and chairmen do not need someone who can simply read the numbers or tell them what the P&L says. They need someone who can present the story behind those figures, raise concerns at the right time and give them the full picture.

Many people view the CFO as the person who says no or points to budget constraints. That is not the new-age role of a CFO. Saying yes, but making it conditional, is more important than simply saying no.

That is where I believe CFOs make the difference today.

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Beyond the financial models, what does a CFO actually contribute when building a business from the ground up?

At that stage, you are more of a co-founder than just the numbers guy.

The numbers are the easiest part. You can always build a spreadsheet based on expectations, but that is not where the added value comes in.

You have to understand the jurisdiction and be part of the whole structure. DIFC is different from onshore Dubai. Saudi has its own Saudization and capital structure, and the same applies to Oman and other regions.

The mistake is treating market entry as a spreadsheet exercise. You have to design the structure for the day things could go wrong, not the day you sign.

At the beginning, everyone is excited and nobody reads the agreements. But if something goes wrong, that becomes the only document that matters.

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How do you balance being an enabler of growth while protecting the company from unnecessary risk?

The biggest conflict is usually between ambitious, growth-focused CEOs and boards that are more focused on risk and structure. I do not see the CFO as a referee. We are more of a translator.

The CEO speaks speed and the board speaks safeguards. They both want to move the company in the right direction, but they speak different languages. Our job is to convert ambition into a structure the board can approve, while converting the board’s concerns into conditions rather than a veto.

We need to understand when to slow things down and when to go faster. Sometimes the opportunity is compelling, but the governance is not there. Other times, you need to push stakeholders to move faster so the company does not lose an opportunity.

That is where you add value.

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Your portfolio has outperformed the S&P 500 since 2021. How much of that comes from your finance background?‍

My background in finance and auditing gives me an edge in understanding financials, liquidity, performance, pricing and valuations.

But investing is a whole different beast.
Markets are driven by psychology and expectations. You have to understand sentiment, but it is also about managing yourself and your psyche. Your patience is an edge. Your emotional discipline is an edge. The ability to do nothing when everything is melting could also be an edge.

There's a famous story in investing that some of the best-performing portfolios belonged to people who had forgotten their passwords - or had passed away. Whether every detail of that story is true is almost beside the point. The lesson is timeless: the biggest destroyer of returns is often unnecessary action.
My own approach has always been high-conviction and catalyst-driven. I spend a lot of time building the thesis, but once I have conviction, I try to let it play out rather than reacting to every headline or market swing.

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What was your biggest learning from investing?

Being disciplined and patient.

You have to stick to your thesis and conviction rather than changing your mindset every time an external or macro event takes place.

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What is real, what is overhyped, and how is AI changing the role of the CFO?

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AI is not replacing CFOs - it is replacing low-value work. Reporting, reconciliations, drafting and research are areas where AI genuinely helps. I have built it into my own workflows, and it has changed my time frames and output.

But we are still early days when it comes to AI replacing judgment. AI cannot sit in a boardroom and read relationships, incentives and motives behind executive decisions. That is still a human advantage, and it is where CFOs should double down.

Do not be scared of AI. Learn how to use it to your advantage.

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What would you leave finance leaders with?

Be the better person using AI. It is going to be you versus the person next to you. Whoever is using AI better, leveraging it better and jumping on the agentic wave is going to be one step ahead. In investing, have discipline and conviction. Know what you hold, understand what you are invested in and trust the process.

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Bio

Nader El Baba is a senior finance executive with over 20 years of experience across insurance, financial services and energy. He currently serves as CFO of UIB Insurance Brokers DIFC, advising the Chairman and CEO on capital strategy, regional expansion and governance across a complex multi-jurisdictional structure. His background spans Big 4 audits, Corporate Finance, JV formation and treasury leadership across the GCC.

You moved from banking and consulting into an operational CFO role at 29. What changed when you crossed over from advising businesses to running one?

‍The biggest change was moving from theory to reality. In advisory, you are constantly looking at best practices, industry standards, and what the ideal version of a business should look like. Everything appears logical on paper. But once you move into an operating role, you discover that many of those theoretically perfect practices cannot simply be applied to the real world. That is where the real challenge begins. You are no longer recommending what someone else should do. You are responsible for implementing it, managing the consequences, and experiencing the pressures that operating teams face every day. The transition taught me that leadership is not just about knowing the right answer. It is about making decisions in imperfect circumstances and finding a version of the answer that actually works.

You have said that many regional CFOs still operate like accounting managers. What does a modern CFO look like to you?‍

A traditional CFO reports what the business has already done. A strategic CFO helps decide what the business should do next. I believe a CFO should stand beside the CEO as a genuine business partner. The CFO should not be a passive operating arm, a chief reporting officer or someone whose role is limited to producing numbers. Finance touches every part of a business. A company cannot operate, expand, invest, price its products or raise capital without financial thinking. That means the CFO must be involved in strategy, decision-making and value creation.

‍How do you define the value a CFO brings to a business?‍

I define it by how deeply the CFO contributes across the organization. With the sales team, I should help shape the pricing strategy, understand price elasticity, and make sure that the company’s pricing supports the strongest possible revenue and margins. With the operations and supply-chain teams, I should help optimize costs, negotiate better supplier terms, manage currency exposure, and ensure the business is getting the best possible quality at the right price. With HR, I should look at whether workforce and administrative costs are optimized against relevant industry benchmarks. With the CEO, I should help evaluate acquisitions, expansion opportunities, private placements, and the wider direction of the company. The CFO is also responsible for determining how the business should be funded. Should we raise equity? Take on debt? Issue a bond? What capital structure gives the company the greatest flexibility at the most efficient cost? The value of the CFO comes from connecting revenue, costs, capital and expansion - and making sure all four work together to create a stronger business.

An example of identifying a financial opportunity others had not considered?‍

In 2021, I was advising a company that imported raw pulp from Russia to manufacture paper products. As geopolitical tensions increased, the market began experiencing supply disruption. Demand remained strong, but the price of pulp rose significantly. My responsibility as CFO was not simply to accept the increased cost. I worked with the supply-chain team to look for alternatives and engaged with the company's banking partners to hedge against further price increases. This allowed us to control the cost of our raw materials while the market price of the finished product continued rising. As a result, we increased the profit margin on the transaction by approximately 40% to 42%. Several months later, we changed the strategy. We expected the market to eventually absorb the initial shock and prices to begin falling. Before that happened, we secured longer-term customer agreements at the higher selling prices. When raw-material prices eventually declined, our costs came down while our contracted selling prices remained high. We benefited on both sides of the equation.

‍Do you think finance teams in the region are overlooking opportunities like these?

‍Yes, although the market is becoming more sophisticated. Historically, many finance leaders in the region have focused on a limited set of activities: taking loans, placing excess cash in deposits, earning interest, and managing liquidity. There has been less exposure to tools such as derivatives, options, swaps, strategic hedging, private-equity transactions, and other financial instruments that could benefit the organization. In more mature financial markets, these tools are commonly used to protect margins, manage volatility, and create new sources of value. In our region, many banks will still tell you that only a very small percentage of their customers ask for sophisticated hedging products. However, I am beginning to see a shift, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The markets are maturing, and finance leaders are becoming more willing to explore how financial strategy can support growth. During periods of instability, most people only see risk. A strategic CFO should also ask where the opportunity is and how the business can benefit or protect itself.

Is taking action what separates an operational CFO from an adviser?‍

Absolutely. You need to research, study the market, analyze historical performance and develop a forward-looking view. But eventually, you have to stop reading and take action. Not every action will be completely correct. Sometimes you will make mistakes, and that is part of being an operator. I would rather make a well-researched decision that does not work perfectly than remain passive while an opportunity disappears. The role of the CFO is to assess the information available, understand the risks, form a point of view, and make the decision that appears best for the business.

Was there another moment when you had to convince a company that finance could do more than it realized?‍

I recently joined a business to help develop its strategy and support the valuation of a potential partnership. While reviewing the balance sheet, I noticed that the company had SAR 120 million in cash sitting in the bank. Its monthly working-capital requirement was only around SAR 2 million. The CEO viewed that cash balance as a source of security. He felt that having so much money available meant the company could survive almost anything. I saw it differently, as approximately 60 months of working capital sitting idle and earning almost nothing. It was not even being placed in time deposits to generate a basic return. I explained that this was not only cash - it was an opportunity cost. The company could retain four or five months of working capital as a safety buffer and put the remaining money to work. Over the following eight months, we invested the excess cash across a range of financial instruments and identified three similar businesses as potential acquisition targets. The company has already acquired one and is negotiating with the other two. During those eight months, the strategy generated approximately SAR 16 million in profit from money that had previously been sitting idle. That represents a return of roughly 13% to 14% in eight months and puts the business on track for an annualized return close to 20%. Cash can make you feel safe, but during periods of inflation, money that sits still is losing value. Sometimes the decision that feels safest is actually the most expensive one.

‍Should companies prioritize profit or long-term valuation?‍

Companies increasingly care about enterprise value, not just short-term profit. As a CFO, I need to understand where technology, markets, and investors are heading. I should not invest in the past simply because it feels familiar. One opportunity may offer a safe return of 6% or 7%, while another could create much greater value and change how the market perceives the company. The companies that will dominate the next decade are not necessarily the most profitable today - they are the ones building towards where value is being created tomorrow. My role is to explain those choices clearly and help the business invest in its future.

You have worked on IPOs and major acquisition processes. How do you view the GCC investment landscape today?

I see significant potential, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Listing processes are becoming more accessible, regulations are improving, and foreign investment is increasing market liquidity. Smaller businesses also have more routes to enter public markets. However, I still believe many regional companies are undervalued. As more GCC-based AI, space, and advanced-technology businesses are listed, they could attract higher valuation multiples and bring new investors into the region.

‍How is AI changing the work of finance leaders?

AI gives finance leaders access to capabilities that previously required enormous amounts of time and manual effort. Today, you can ask an AI system to identify potential investment opportunities, compare top performers and under-performers, assess risks, and support its recommendations with detailed analysis. The same applies to valuations. A financial due-diligence and valuation exercise could previously take six to eight months. Now, you can provide an AI tool with sales figures, profitability, growth expectations, and other assumptions, and receive multiple valuation scenarios almost instantly. That does not mean the CFO is no longer needed. It means the CFO can work faster and direct more energy towards judgement, strategy, and decision-making. AI is not replacing people. It is making people more efficient and requiring us to think more critically about the information placed in front of us.

Where should CFOs be using AI inside their businesses?‍

AI should be used in reporting, forecasting, data analysis, scenario planning, and repetitive finance workflows. Finance teams have traditionally focused on explaining what happened. AI can help us predict what could happen next and show where the business may be in two, three, or five years. It can identify patterns earlier, test scenarios faster, and make financial insights more accessible across the company. The future will favor CFOs who know how to use these tools well.

What does the CFO of 2030 look like?

The CFO of 2030 is a strategic decision-maker who directly drives growth and business value. They will be measured by the money they bring into the business, the costs they reduce, the investments they identify, and the acquisitions and funding decisions they lead. I sometimes say financial statements should include a new line called CFO income. It would measure the value created through cost savings, investment returns, hedging, financing, and new opportunities. The CFO of the future will not simply report the company’s income. They will help create it.

Bio

Rashad Zouheiry became the youngest CFO in Saudi Arabia at 29. Since then, he's led two IPOs, built a financial advisory firm and managed over $1.2 billion in cross-border investments. He believes most CFOs in the region are still acting like accountants, and he's made it his mission to change that.

Tell us a little bit about your journey and how did you get here?

My journey started in Egypt, where I built my basic skills working across industries like manufacturing, construction, and logistics. I began as an accountant and gradually moved into senior roles. I’ve always been curious, not just about the numbers, but how businesses operate from the inside. In 2013, I had a major turning point. I moved to Saudi Arabia and started leading finance teams, setting up ERP systems, and working on long-term financial planning. I got the opportunity to work across sectors including trade, and now healthcare, so I’ve experienced both traditional finance and fast-growing business environments.

Along the way, I earned my CMA and CSCA certifications, and recently completed an MBA from an online university in the U.S. These helped me sharpen both my technical skills and strategic thinking. Most recently, I started a company called Bright Talent Acquisition. It's a sports tech startup based in Saudi Arabia. We built an online platform called Here’s My Talent, which connects football players, amateur and professional, with clubs looking for new talent. That’s the journey that brought me to where I am today.

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Today you're both a CFO at TrustMed and founder of a sports tech startup. How do you personally balance the structure of finance with the uncertainty of building a startup from scratch?

It’s not easy, it really is a daily juggling act. At TrustMed, as CFO, I work in a structured environment with clear deadlines, rules, and data-driven decisions. My focus is on running the company smoothly, keeping it financially healthy, and ensuring growth. With the startup, Bright Talent Acquisition, it’s a completely different world. Things change quickly, and there’s a lot of uncertainty. You’re constantly learning, even from a user comment or an MVP test. You often don’t have clear answers. In the CFO role, you have solid data. In a startup, you have to move fast and be okay with imperfection. What helps is mentally separating the two roles. I apply structure and discipline from my finance background where it helps, but also give myself room to be flexible and creative in the startup space. Interestingly, my CFO skills, budgeting, risk planning, have been very useful in the startup. It’s not about choosing between structure and chaos; it’s about using the right approach at the right time.

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Despite having such a vast background in finance and planning, what’s one thing about launching your own startup that was very unexpected?

What caught me off guard the most was how emotionally intense entrepreneurship is. In finance, we often operate within a rational framework, there are profit margins, forecasts, KPIs. But when you launch something of your own, it becomes incredibly personal. No spreadsheet can prepare you for how it feels when an investor says no, or when your first version of the product doesn’t land as expected. You deal with bugs, unexpected feedback, and a lot of uncertainty. It’s a completely different experience from working in a structured CFO role. I also underestimated how much soft influence is needed early on, you’re not just convincing customers, you’re convincing your team to believe in your vision, often before there’s any revenue or traction. While my finance background helped keep me grounded, nothing prepared me for the emotional rollercoaster. I had to learn how to ride it, with resilience and a strong sense of purpose.

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You’ve implemented multiple ERP systems. What’s something you had to unlearn when it came to building financial systems for your own startup?
It’s something a lot of finance people struggle with when moving into startups. In a corporate setting, we’re trained to build systems that last, with defined hierarchies, audit trails, and detailed documentation. That’s valuable, of course. But in a startup, that mindset can slow you down. I had to unlearn my obsession with building the perfect system. I focused instead on building what’s useful today. For example, in Here’s My Talent, I started with Google Sheets and a basic analytics dashboard. What mattered most was visibility, not perfection. Later, once we validated parts of the business model, we began layering in automation and integration. Just a few days ago, we published our MVP product and it landed successfully.

The lesson: don’t build for scale before you’ve earned the right to scale. First, validate.

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When you're hiring for finance roles, what’s something you always look for beyond just what’s on their resume?
Beyond technical skills, I look for intellectual curiosity and adaptability. In a dynamic setting, you need people who don’t just follow processes, they question them. I value candidates who ask: Why are we doing it this way? How can we do it better? That shows they’re using their mind. Adaptability is critical. Growth and transformation require people who can learn, unlearn, and adjust quickly. I also place high value on emotional intelligence. Finance doesn’t operate in isolation, you need people who can communicate across teams, handle ambiguity, and stay focused under pressure. These are the qualities that drive real impact beyond the numbers.

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You’ve led teams through change. What’s one lesson you’ve learned about getting people to actually adopt change and not just tolerate it?
Change management is where many good ideas fail. The biggest lesson: people are far more likely to embrace change when they feel ownership. Top-down mandates often create resistance. But when you involve the team early, ask for input, address concerns, and give them a role in shaping the outcome, you build real buy-in. How you frame the change matters too. It’s not “we’re implementing new tech to cut costs.” It’s “we’re freeing you from repetitive tasks so you can focus on strategic work”. Celebrate small wins. Break projects like ERP into phases, and celebrate after each one. Recognize early adopters. Keep the dialogue open, ask if you're on the right path. Change management isn’t just about systems. It’s about people. If you give people what they need and involve them from the beginning, the results will follow.

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We’re hearing a lot about AI in finance. What’s your honest take? Where can AI really help and where does it fall short?
AI is a powerful enabler, especially in areas like automation, fraud detection, and predictive analytics. It can process vast amounts of data quickly, helping finance teams shift from manual tasks to higher-value decision-making. But AI has limits. It’s great at telling you what happened or what might happen, but it struggles with context and can’t make ethical judgments.

Finance isn’t purely data-driven. It requires strategic thinking, prioritization, and understanding the “why” behind the numbers. I see AI as a co-pilot, not an autopilot. It enhances human capabilities but doesn’t replace experience or critical judgment.

One of my friends once asked if AI would replace him. I told him no, it won’t replace you, but someone who knows how to use AI might. You need to learn how to work with it. If you don’t, it’s not AI that will replace you, it’s someone who does.

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Saudi Vision 2030 is really changing how industries are moving. What shifts have you seen on the ground that feel genuinely new?
The change is real. Vision 2030 is creating visible transformation across industries.

One big shift is reducing dependence on oil and investing in new sectors like tourism, entertainment, and technology. These used to be smaller but are growing fast now. The private sector is expanding, and local companies and entrepreneurs are getting more opportunities. There’s a big focus on developing local talent, more Saudi nationals are leading projects, starting businesses, and driving innovation. It’s not just about infrastructure. It’s about building skills, ideas, and global connections, across the whole country, not just Riyadh. For example, when I launched Here’s My Talent, I needed government paperwork. I asked someone where to go, and they said, “Don’t go anywhere. Just apply online”. I got my certificate in seven days, without meeting anyone face-to-face. Everything’s digital now. ATM cards, Iqama, government services, you can get them from your phone. It’s incredibly efficient. 

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Looking back, what’s one transformation or project that you’re the proudest of?
One project I’m really proud of is leading the end-to-end implementation of the OODA ERP system at TrustMed. It wasn’t just a tech upgrade, it was a full business transformation. We integrated finance, HR, procurement, sales, and inventory into one centralized platform.

Manual processes were reduced by more than 60%, and reporting cycles became much faster. For the first time, leadership had real-time visibility into both operational and financial performance. They could log in and get the data instantly. This visibility helped us make better decisions early, and as a result, our sales in Q1 and Q2 of 2025 increased by over 50% compared to the same period in 2024. But the real success wasn’t the tech, it was the change management approach. From day one, we involved stakeholders across functions, built ownership, and invested in training. We identified internal champions who became advocates. That’s what made adoption stick. It didn’t just make operations smoother, it fundamentally changed how we make decisions and manage growth.

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You’ve been a CFO, a founder, and a mentor. How do you define good decision making, especially when there’s no perfect answer?
Effective decision-making, especially under pressure, relies on three things: strategic clarity, judgment, and accountability. Strategic clarity means being aligned on the bigger picture. You don’t just solve the immediate issue, you make sure the decision supports long-term goals. Good judgment combines data with experience. In real life, information is often incomplete or changing. You need structured thinking and business sense to navigate that. And finally, true decision-making means being accountable. You own the outcome, communicate it transparently, and adapt when new information comes in. A good decision isn’t just about the result, it’s about the rigor and integrity behind how it was made.

You’ve had a dynamic career. From Big Four audit to port development and real estate ventures. Tell us a bit about your journey.
I was born and raised in Jeddah in a humble household. My father worked in Saudi Arabia for nearly 40 years, and he always believed in both education and business. Studies build a foundation, but business brings its own blessings. That philosophy has guided me throughout my life. After schooling in Jeddah, I moved to Pakistan for higher education and came across ACCA, which was still relatively unknown at the time. Inspired by a family friend, I pursued it. It wasn’t easy, I failed some papers along the way, but those failures taught me more than my successes did. Completing ACCA in four years gave me a strong foundation. Like many Asian chartered accountants, I knew the best start was with a Big Four firm. So in 2003 I joined KPMG Karachi while still finishing my last paper. A year later, I returned to Saudi to support my family, and in 2004 I joined EY Jeddah, the then leading firm in the region. Over nine years, I worked with more than 100 clients and had excellent mentors. That period truly shaped who I am today and it was the foundation of my professional journey.

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After EY, how did you transition into real estate and port development?

At EY, I advanced quickly, receiving seven promotions in nine years, but the demanding lifestyle was difficult to sustain, especially after marriage. The long hours made me consider a move into industry. At senior manager level, it wasn’t easy to find suitable roles, since most people advised moving out earlier, at assistant manager or manager level, but I kept searching. Eventually, I received an offer from King Abdullah Port, a startup at the time. They were specifically looking for someone with a Big Four background to help establish proper financial systems. When I joined, there were no proper accounting systems, policies, or reports, and even the last year's audit was pending. I rolled up my sleeves and cleaned the books myself, creating a trial balance that could be audited. It was a massive change from managing teams at EY to personally entering debits and credits, but it gave me invaluable hands-on experience. Over four years, I built the finance function from scratch, but eventually I wanted to grow further. Around 2018, after a series of recruiter-led interviews, including six or seven rounds,  I was offered a senior role at a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and a large local group. Despite not having CFO experience at the time, they trusted my potential, and I joined. Since then, I have been with them for almost seven years, gaining exposure to large-scale real estate development, financing, and governance at the highest level.

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When you're managing long-term capital in a region like KSA, what's the biggest challenge and how do you work around it?

Managing long-term capital in Saudi Arabia comes with several challenges. First is balancing long-term projects, which often run for 20 years or more, with the short-term regulatory changes that are frequent in the Kingdom. The government continuously introduces new regulations to improve the ease of doing business and attract investment, especially in real estate, where laws are still evolving. This requires agility to adapt without losing sight of long-term goals. Second is building strong banking relationships. For long-term financing, banks must be true partners, willing to provide flexibility and support through economic cycles. Fortunately, Saudi banks are becoming increasingly supportive and competitive, which makes these partnerships possible. Third is scenario planning. In a region where economic conditions shift frequently, companies must run flexible forecasts alongside their long-term budgets to ensure they stay aligned with strategic goals. Regularly testing different scenarios helps prepare for unexpected changes and ensures that after 20 years of investment, the company is still on track to achieve its objectives.

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With Vision 2030, what shifts are you seeing on the ground, and where can finance leaders really make an impact?

Vision 2030 is transforming Saudi Arabia’s business landscape and requires a complete shift in mindset. Traditionally, companies focused mainly on generating profit and cutting costs, but today’s businesses must prioritize value creation. Success depends on identifying customer pain points and solving them in innovative, technology-driven ways. For example, retail may always have supermarkets, but introducing features like self-checkout or enhanced customer experiences creates real value. The government is actively driving this transformation, with PIF launching major projects like Alat, a tech and hardware company working with global leaders, and AI-focused ventures such as Humaniq. These initiatives show that Saudi Arabia is investing heavily to ensure it is at the forefront of global innovation. For finance leaders, this means a new role: moving from policing budgets to collaborating across departments. In the past, finance would send Excel sheets to other teams, compile numbers, and later criticize variances. Now, finance leaders must work closely with business heads, using data to help them achieve their goals. Finance holds all the company’s data, so the CFO’s job is to provide insights that enable strategy, not just report numbers. The CFO role has shifted from financial reporting to becoming a true partner to the CEO and leadership team, influencing long-term strategy and guiding companies toward Vision 2030 goals.

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You have led multiple ERP and IFRS transitions, but transformation is never just about systems. What’s something you’ve learned the hard way about getting people to buy into change?

Transformation often fails not because of the wrong system or software partner, but because of people. Studies show that up to 80-90% of transformations collapse due to resistance from employees, usually driven by fear. When automation is introduced, for example, automating bank reconciliations, invoice processing, or reporting, employees worry they will lose their jobs. The most important lesson I’ve learned is that leaders must communicate the “why” clearly and show employees how the change benefits them. Instead of repetitive manual tasks, they can shift toward more valuable, decision-making roles. While it’s true automation may reduce some roles, history shows technology creates more jobs in the long run,  Excel, once feared for eliminating accounting jobs, instead created countless new opportunities. To succeed, leaders must involve their teams early, celebrate small wins, and give ownership of results. It’s also vital to integrate systems properly; many companies buy the best tools but fail to connect them, leading to inefficiencies. Ultimately, transformation succeeds when people are engaged, motivated, and see technology as an enabler, not a threat.

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You’ve invested heavily in leadership development at places like Stanford, Harvard, and London Business School. What’s one lesson from all that learning you apply most often today?

Continuous learning is essential. I qualified as an ACCA in 2003, and since then the world has changed dramatically, especially with the rise of AI and digital technologies. Knowledge quickly becomes obsolete, so if you don’t keep learning, you stop growing. While I may not apply every detail from my courses, I now know these ideas, frameworks, and technologies exist, so when the right situation arises, I can use them. Leadership training also reinforced that technical skills are not enough at senior levels. Nobody doubts a CFO’s ability to understand accounting; what matters is how well you lead, manage teams, and influence outcomes. Soft skills, communication, collaboration, empathy,  are critical, and they require constant practice, not just one course. Leadership is a long-term investment, and these lessons guide me daily in balancing strategy, people, and change.

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You’ve worked across organizations with very different speeds and cultures. When you walk into a new company, how do you assess what kind of finance team it needs?

Having worked in both established giants like EY and startups such as King Abdullah Port and my current housing development company, I’ve learned that building the right team depends on the stage and vision of the organization. In startups, you often have to create the entire finance function from scratch, hiring people who can adapt quickly and work without rigid structures. The most important trait I look for is attitude. Technical skills and qualifications matter, but they can be taught or developed; attitude cannot. One of my CEOs taught me that if a person has the right mindset, openness, willingness to learn and teamwork, they can be molded to succeed. He would often hire based on attitude more than resumes, and it always worked well. That experience shaped my own approach: I want good humans with strong attitudes, because skills can be learned, but attitude drives success and resilience.

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When you’re hiring, what’s one trait that tells you someone is ready for a finance role in a fast-changing business?

The key trait is willingness to roll up your sleeves and do whatever is needed, regardless of title. In fast-moving companies, especially startups, you can’t afford to be rigid about roles. When I left EY as a senior manager with teams under me, I joined King Abdullah Port where I personally passed accounting entries for months to clean up the system. Later, at my current company, I was the second employee after the CEO. For six months I ran everything on Excel alone, closing books manually and reporting to the board until we implemented ERP. Those experiences taught me that no matter your title, adaptability and readiness to get hands-on are crucial. The right person for a finance role in a dynamic environment is someone who combines professional competence with humility and a can-do attitude.

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AI is entering every part of finance. Which areas are really ready for automation, and which still need human judgment?

AI is best suited for rule-based, repetitive tasks. Processes like reconciliations, invoice processing, report generation, budgeting, and forecasting, as long as rules are well defined, can be automated efficiently. These are areas where AI can save time and reduce errors. However, when it comes to judgment, ethics, or decision-making, humans remain essential. AI can only analyze patterns from historical data; it cannot think contextually or ethically like humans. Therefore, I see AI as a co-pilot rather than a pilot, a support tool that augments human decision-making rather than replaces it. The future will be about collaboration between humans and AI, using automation to handle the routine while humans focus on strategy, creativity, and leadership.

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If someone had only five minutes with you, what’s the one piece of advice you’d want them to walk away with?

My three pieces of advice:

• Gratitude. Take care of your parents and responsibilities, their support has been central to my success.
• Find your niche. You can’t be an expert at everything. Focus on one area and build deep expertise (FP&A, finance business partnering, BI, etc.).
• Don’t rely only on a paycheck. Build skills or side projects that give you independence and resilience.
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Bio

Muhammad Anis Younus is the Chief Financial Officer and Board Member of Al Fadhili Housing Company, a Saudi Aramco and MASIC joint venture. With over 20 years of experience spanning audit, ports, real estate, and infrastructure development, he has held leadership roles at KPMG, EY, and King Abdullah Port before moving into his current role. An ACCA-qualified professional, he is recognized for building finance functions from the ground up and driving long-term financial strategy.

What were the most important moments or decisions that shaped your journey into the CFO seat today?

The pivotal moments were when I shifted from purely transactional finance into operational finance. I started focusing on business priorities and stakeholder challenges. That shift in mindset increased my recognition and the value I was providing. For example, when I worked with our back-office operations outside the UAE, I identified gaps not only in finance but also across other areas. Streamlining those processes increased my visibility. Later, I focused on building relationships with department heads, resolving friction points, and establishing workflows. Taking ownership of functions like HR, legal, IT, and compliance also reduced the management team’s operational load and increased my perceived value. For me, it was never about chasing a title, it was about becoming a core part of the business. Once people understood that I could connect finance, operations, and strategy, I stepped into that role of strategic business partner.

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Across your career, one theme stands out: building systems. Where does that builder mindset come from, and what’s one system you’re really proud of?

That’s a very insightful question. The builder mindset comes from my personal journey. Until the end of high school, academics weren’t easy for me. I had learning difficulties and couldn’t simply memorize large amounts of information. I had to work hard to keep up. What helped me was visualizing things, breaking down complex data into flow charts and logical steps. That became second nature: taking chaos and creating clarity. As for systems I’m proud of, the first is a cash projections system I built after COVID. Agency life is unpredictable, revenues fluctuate, retainers change, expenses vary. The system collected inputs from multiple departments on different cycles, allowing us to smooth cash flow and maintain reserves. The second is our month-end closing system. We consistently close within five to seven working days, and not just procedural closings, true business performance closings. It runs so seamlessly that others don’t feel the pressure, though it requires a lot of work from the team.

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You’ve led companies through mergers, acquisitions, PE rounds, and integrations. What have you learned about staying grounded and sharp when the pressure is on?

One of the biggest lessons was realizing that deals are not about the present moment, they have long-term consequences. Negotiations aren’t about winning now but about building for the future. Another lesson is that while financial and operational synergies are important, the relationships and trust built during a deal are equally critical for integration. Finally, I learned that people observe you more closely than you think. They notice how you present yourself, your vision, intention, and passion. That impression lasts. For example, the credibility I built before COVID helped me renegotiate successfully during COVID.

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You said it’s important how you present yourself. Could you elaborate?

People understand your vision, your intention, and your strategic view. If they see you as reliable, they’ll trust your judgment, when you call something good, bad, or difficult. That trust is invaluable, not only during integration but also for future relationships and deals.

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How do you personally approach change or transformation, and how do you keep teams aligned?

I don’t see transformation as a project; I see it as a process. I usually have more visibility into the challenges and friction points, so I prepare early. Mainly,I don’t fixate on one outcome, I play out multiple scenarios in my head, including their pros, cons, and possible obstacles. That way, when reality happens, I can pivot quickly. When it comes to teams, I don’t aim for 100% alignment. Instead, I focus on the key stakeholders most affected by the change. I keep them informed about what’s fixed, what’s evolving, and what challenges may arise. I involve them in brainstorming solutions so they’re not blindsided, and alignment at the top cascades to the rest of the teams. Each department has its own language, so communication must be tailored, not a generic corporate message.

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How do you get business teams to care about governance without it feeling like a chore?

Honestly, governance can sometimes feel like a chore. But I frame it as a shared responsibility, not just finance’s responsibility. I also acknowledge it’s extra work for revenue teams, so I approach with compassion and collaboration. I keep templates flexible, the outcome matters more than rigid formats. For senior leaders, though, compliance is non-negotiable. They need to own it as part of leadership.For wider teams, I focus on making governance useful for them. For example, revenue reports help finance with forecasting but also help client teams track portfolios, plan capacity, and allocate resources. When people see the value, cooperation improves. My belief is simple: any system sticks only if all parties benefit.

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Where do most finance teams go wrong in partnering with the rest of the company?

Teams often act as if they have different agendas, but in reality, everyone is working toward the same goal. There’s also sometimes a bias that values, the revenue-generating teams more than non-revenue ones, and that creates friction. I believe CFOs must actively bridge this gap by showing value, building relationships, and aligning with revenue heads so trust cascades downward. Finance teams also need to be operationally savvy, understanding the daily realities of client-facing colleagues. And most importantly, change must come from the top. If the CEO doesn’t enable finance to act as a strategic partner, no matter how capable a CFO is, integration won’t happen.

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When you look at AI and automation in finance, what makes you say “yes, this is worth it”? Have you found such a tool for your finance team yet, apart from the usual ones? 

Today, AI tools aren’t optional, they’re essential. Industries are evolving at an exponential pace, and businesses must adopt new tools to keep up, remain profitable, and scale. Yes, we push teams to explore and rework workflows, because tools themselves are evolving rapidly.
In finance, I look for tools that:

(1) Integrate seamlessly with existing operations, 

(2) Improve productivity without adding complexity, and 

(3) Operate at a foundational level, not as standalone fixes. 

Standalone tools may work today but fail tomorrow as the business evolves. Right now, we use smaller add-on tools that integrate well and reduce complexity, such as DocuSign or HR platforms. A full ERP change is still on the horizon.

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When you’re hiring today, what’s one quality you look for that you didn’t emphasize earlier?

I’ve always looked for curiosity to learn and the willingness to unlearn, that’s been essential for building integrated finance approaches. But today, one new priority is tech savviness. Candidates need to explore tools, test solutions, and improve productivity on their own, not wait for managers. Five years ago, I emphasized adaptability and communication more, but today, tech ability is essential.

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Bio

Sireesha Venkata is the Chief Financial Officer of BPG Group, a  fully-integrated marketing agency, and previously CFO of Socialize\ We Are Social Dubai.  With over two decades of experience across global organizations, she has led finance teams through transformation, integrations, and growth journeys. Recognized for building systems that streamline operations and for driving finance beyond reporting into strategy, she continues to champion resilience, foresight, and collaboration as hallmarks of the modern CFO.