3rd Annual CFO Strategies Forum Saudi Arabia opens in Riyadh

Organised by French business information group naseba, notable industry gurus in attendance included Dr Ahmad Al Meghames from the Saudi Organisation for Certified Public Accountants, Ahmed M Al Jogaiman from Saudi Electricity Company, and Paul Louis Gay from Almarai Company.

Furthermore, a delegation of the Middle East's future industrial leaders was also in attendance, including Sultan Al Hokair, Mishal Al Mutlaq, Tarad Al Hasan and Faisal Al Hamdan.

In his opening address Syed Moazam Ali Shah - Group Head of Finance at the Supreme Foods Group - emphasised the need for a rapid and continuous increase in global relationships of culture, people, and economic activity. He also stressed why companies in the Kingdom cannot ignore the ever changing global trends and adapting, and urged CFOs to actively assess the events of the past year.

IMB and Wipro - two of the world's leading financial services providing companies - further urged the CFOs in attendance to asses and adapt. Praveen Sharma, Finance and Accounting Practice Head, Middle East and Africa at IBM, actively challenged attendees to be the "fact-based voice of reason in the midst of uncertainty."

Mr Sharma also highlighted how CFOs can help ensure they are equipped with the right skills and knowledge to provide strategic insights for their organisation.

Suraj Nair, Partner of Finance and Accounting at Wipro Arabia Limited, focused on how the shared services model for finance is now used by over 80 per cent of the Fortune 500 companies and enables CFO to focus more on value-added activities like managing risk and acting as an advisor to the business.

Educational workshops were also held at the summit - focusing on IPO readiness, Sukuk, the innovative financial world from a CFO's perspective, and how CFOs can drive efficiency and accuracy in enterprise risk management processes.

Day two commences tomorrow, and focuses on challenges that will be faced by tomorrow's CFOs. Key topics include an overview of the changing trends of implementing IFRS in Saudi Arabia, expectations of the CFO in driving the organisation forward, corporate governance, and how CFOs can drive efficiency and accuracy towards a sustainable future.