Finance is often known as the sales prevention department. That shouldn’t be the case. Finance leaders should build relationships with the sales team to get deals over the line.” – Jaz Ghuman, CEO of A&D Instruments Europe Jaz Ghuman, CEO of A&D Instruments Europe, joins us in our latest episode of Topline Talks to discuss his career path from factory to finance to CEO. In this interesting interview, Jaz shares tips and advice on making the transition from the finance function to the c-suite, covering the importance of building the right team around you. He also discusses… ? The transition from Finance to CEO and the importance of being flexible, listening and making the most of opportunities presented to you. ? Leading from the top. Investing time in your team and setting a good example – how leaders behave often dictate how the team does. ? Do you know your problem statement? If you can’t identify the challenges that need to be addressed, you can’t provide solutions to fix them. ? Clarity and focus. As a leader, what is your five-point plan? If your plan is too long, people will forget it. Set achievable targets, put in place metrics, and add actions to your strategies. ? The shift from looking at profitability to considering commercials. How is your revenue broken up? Who are you best sellers and what are your best-selling products? You need to change the accountancy mindset when becoming a CEO. ? Recruiting the right people with the right ethos is key to a business’ success. Develop them. As a leader, it’s important to have a strong number two that you can rely on. ? Working across different cultures and geographies. Experiences of working across Europe, the US, India and Japan. ? When developing your career, once you’ve identified what you want to do, work hard to make that happen. There are no half measures. If you’ve taken an opportunity, give it everything. ? Character traits of future leaders: Be deliberate, have a plan, do your homework, be transparent and have a strong work ethic. These are all key traits for success. ? There is no substitution for hard work. The harder you work, the luckier you get. Season Two of Topline Talks focuses on conversations with the C-Suite from a range of industries, offering insights and learnings from their careers, and providing tips and advice on how to succeed as a leader.

In our latest Topline Talks episode, we are joined by Ray Eitel-Porter, expert in the responsible implementation of AI from a practical, governance and risk perspective. In this engaging discussion, Ray shares how he started his career focussing on the real-world application of technology leading to his move to Accenture to work in Big Data and Advanced Analytics, and more recently, his focus on the risks associated with the use of AI.

“AI should be viewed like a calculator. It doesn’t replace you, and you can still do maths in your head, but it makes you faster and more efficient – letting you tackle more complex problems in a more visual way.” – CPTO of ThinkProject discusses his career in technology and how the market is changing.

Mackie Myers, the independent recruitment partner, has undertaken research into senior finance professionals across the UK, looking to understand their perspectives and experience of job sharing as a form of flexible working. The survey of 100 CFOs and FDs sought to provide insights into their opinions of job sharing, shedding light on its prevalence as well as the perceived benefits, risks and barriers to adoption.