Accounting & Auditing News South Africa

#IAFEI: Nominations open for Top African CFO of the Year 2017 award

The economy, BRICS, cyber security, tax and financial management will all come under the spotlight at the 46th World CFO Congress to be convened in Cape Town from 9-11 November 2016.

“To further invest in the financial professionals of Africa, we are privileged to announce that the International Association of Financial Executives Institutes (IAFEI) is making an investment of R500,000 towards Africa’s next top 100 CFOs, by giving the best 100 nominated African finance professionals the opportunity to attend the 46th World CFO Congress as guests of IAFEI,” says IAFEI chairman, Fausto Cosi.

Nicolaas van Wyk
Nicolaas van Wyk

“Africa, as an emerging market, is developing significantly on so many fronts, and the role of the financial professional is vital in guiding growth and development in the right direction. It is important for us to not only focus on existing CFOs, but to expose and mentor upcoming finance professionals in Africa as best as possible. By learning from the experienced leaders in the industry, these younger CFOs will have a more successful career in financial management.”

Mentorship programme

From the 100 next top CFOs nominated by a fellow CFO or finance professional, the best candidate will be awarded the Next Top African CFO of the Year 2017 Award at the gala dinner, taking place on 9 November 2016. The person awarded this prestigious title will receive the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to Paris, France from 5 to 9 December 2016 for a mentorship programme, learning from some of Europe’s top CFOs, followed by media exposure and opportunities to engage with local stakeholders back in South Africa for the following 12 months.

“Gaining international exposure is extremely valuable in our industry, and this investment made by IAFEI indicates the importance of developing up and coming CFOs. The person awarded this prize will be able to interact with experts such as Jean-Luc Michel (CAO, Nissan Europe), Armand Angeli (VP, Lumiu Ltd), Frederic Doche (CEO, Decision Performance Conseil), Dominique Chesneau (Managing Partner, Tresoriskconseil) and Jerome Bogaert (Founder, Harmony). This is an opportunity of a lifetime,” says Nicolaas van Wyk, SA Institute for Business Accountants' (SAIBA) CEO and IAFEI board member.

Candidates that may be nominated must work within the finance department and be earmarked for success, showing promise as an achiever and have an outstanding work ethic. They must be a member of a professional body and have the relevant degree and experience indicative of an outstanding career. He or she must be a worthy ambassador for both SAIBA and IAFEI.

To submit a nomination, a finance professional must identify someone he/she thinks meet the above criteria and would benefit from attending the congress. Nominations can be submitted on the website before or on 25 October 2016. The best 100 candidates will be notified by 30 October 2016.

Interested delegates can register for the congress online.

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