From playing with LEGO bricks to indulging in reality TV when no one’s looking, it’s hard to imagine some of the country top financial officers enjoy downtime and a guilty pleasure or two like anyone else would.
“It might also surprise people to learn that CFOs have ways of working, destressing, and even goal setting that are not a lot unlike the ordinary person on the street. Behind every number is a person, as they say, and even the most successful CFOs have passions and pet peeves, strengths we see and weaknesses that we don’t,” says Alwyn Pretorius, General Manager at Infinitus Reporting.
The role of a chief financial officer in any industry is demanding and high-pressured. To gain insight into what drives CFOs, Infinitus Reporting Solutions, the providers of Finnivo® software, explore a day in the life of some of the country’s top finance leaders.
In the ‘How I Work’ series, sponsored by Finnivo®, prominent CFOs from across South Africa share their secrets and personal strategies for success, while also revealing their more personable attributes, including how they relax and unwind, and the guilty pleasures they indulge in.
For instance, contrary to the common belief that successful individuals start their day early, Leslie Pretorius, Head of Group Finance at OUTsurance, is a self-professed night owl who finds her best ideas between midnight and 3 AM. “Waking up early is hard,” she confesses.
She uses her love for equestrian sports to “survive” the stresses of her role and, surprisingly, is thoroughly entertained by the televised antics of celebrities. Similarly, Mary-Anne Musekiwa, CFO at Coronation Fund Managers, considers binge-watching cooking shows her biggest vice, but heads to the golf course when stress gets the better of her.
The importance of work-life balance, especially for people in stressful careers like finance, is increasingly coming under the microscope. A recent study on the ‘Secrets of Successful CFOs’ revealed that just 27% of CFOs manage to find this balance to their satisfaction, while 83% reported experiencing regular burnout.
It makes sense then, that Teljoy CFO, Saul Gur’s desk includes a drawer filled with snacks, along with “lots of papers, and lots of LEGO”. A high-stress and demanding job like overseeing the finances of a large business certainly calls for greater prioritisation when it comes to keeping burnout at bay.
How the county’s top CFOs thrive
“A CFO is fundamentally a custodian of trust in a business, but there are so many stakeholders you have to engage and keep happy all the time. It can be a challenge, juggling these responsibilities,” says Musekiwa. “You need to be a strategic thinker. You can’t be a technocrat. You also have to be someone who can lead people both directly and indirectly.”
For Pretorius, it’s crucial to have a team that ‘gets it’. “Building relationships and showing up with enthusiasm is key. You have to be able to jump in and get things done without being restricted by strict job descriptions.”
And, while CFOs all seem to have their unique ideas when it comes to the challenges of the role and what it takes to be successful, there are a few things they all seem to agree on – the love of Excel, and a shared dislike for “meetings that could have been emails”.
There are characteristics that CFOs and finance leaders in general are known for, but more than anything, they want people to know that they are more than number crunchers. As Saul Gur puts it, “the reason I love Shawshank Redemption so much is because it’s a story about two things people would never think an accountant could do – murder someone, and escape from jail.”
Get more great advice and learn what life is like for South Africa’s top CFOs with the ‘How I Work‘ series, sponsored by Finnivo® in partnership with SAICA.
