Country | 11 This commitment to more consultative decision-making builds better teams and better brands. The belonging it engenders ensures that goals are shared and believed in holistically. Of course, times shift and leadership must adapt to meet new challenges – if there is one thing that is certain in the current world climate, it is that things are shifting ever faster. In that environment, consistent and regular consultation is essential. But never at the expense of the greater whole, rather than just the business itself. You held various senior executive and leadership roles at AlexForbes for almost 13 years. Could you share a few key learnings from that journey that you bring into your current role? AlexForbes is a listed and highly regulated business. As a leader, I was there when the previously private equity company re-listed on the JSE and one of my major roles was to drive public sector business, as well as expand the Africa footprint. These experiences have led me to have a healthy respect for regulators in a commercially-driven environment. There needs to be a healthy tension between regulators and business. There is a larger purpose here, as I have indicated. We are not operating solely for our clients or our industry; we have a duty to the economy, our communities and our country. This commitment to financial well-being, across the board, from individual make their contribution felt more widely. They have talent and experience we must harness - bringing in women at senior partner and executive level will drive this intention. In summary, I am committed to making BDO a safe haven for diverse trainees and employees – more women, more people of colour. We will continue to invest in their growth and development and are already making key appointments at executive and senior partner level in this regard. Given your extensive experience in auditing, how do you leverage this in your role as a CEO, especially in managing financial risks and strategic planning? Auditing is about listening. The very word is derived from the Latin, audire, to hear. I have listened to my experience across companies and sectors, in auditing and financial services, and – again – there are key imperatives: quality in everything we do; integrity of governance across all our service lines; a determined emphasis on risk management and governance in an ever-changing business landscape; and transparency in our strategy, internally and externally. We have financial and non-financial milestones which we report on, clearly and responsibly. More broadly, I believe auditing has a role to play in creating a robust and secure economic ecosystem: sound governance will develop the economy and elevate the financial and social well- being of society across the board. to fiscus, is what AlexForbes stood for - and BDO is no different. Our Clarity Charter echoes that. Another learning was an awareness of the responsibility of creating a brand that seeks to elevate trust in its people, its clients, its business and society as a whole. Again, BDO echoes this. Our promise is to elevate our people, elevate business and elevate the economy – and, in doing so, to elevate society as a whole. Since stepping into your role as CEO of BDO South Africa in May 2022, could you share with us some of the key strategies you’ve put into place? Additionally, could you give us a glimpse into your future plans for the company? I have referred to some of these things already. I am committed to creating a more visible BDO and this is reflected in our growth strategy. I am committed to investing in a more diverse leadership and in change management to effect a mindset shift in the company towards a more agile, effective and inclusive model. I am, as I have said, deeply driven by the need to deliver quality service to our clients across all our service lines and in collaboration with all our regulators, thereby elevating our firm in the industry. Embracing the latest and smartest technologies is part of this commitment. I am further driven to create a space for women to make decisions and South Africa
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