In this instalment of the Future of Finance 2.0 interview series, Niroshan Jayasuriya, executive director of finance and board member at Unilever, Sri Lanka, highlights the prominent role of the finance profession in recent years.
‘The finance function is now recognised as a core function of the business rather than a support function. Predominantly, in the last few years, I’ve seen finance becoming more and more centre-stage in the business, almost playing the right-hand of the CEO’, says Jayasuriya.
Leading finance into the future
Over the next five years, there will be three essential skills for finance professionals — namely, agility, people skills and digital skills:
Agility — Agility requires the ability to support the business in fast-changing market conditions.
People skills — Working in a complex matrix and hybrid ecosystem means that people skills are vital in order to bring your business case to the table and influence a wide range of stakeholders.
Digital skills — With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, it’s critical for finance professionals to develop and update their digital skills in the technological era.
The right mindset, combined with relevant new skills, can help prepare finance professionals to be future-ready. Listen to learn more.