Now Is the Time for Tough Decisions
Today the Finance Director Looks beyond everyday tasks to long-term value creation
Antoniya Yordanova:
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~ 2 min read
Tatyana Yavasheva Antoniya Yordanova has been Chief Financial Officer of YNV Group since 2013. Antoniya is managing all financial activities and controls of four independent corporations - Tek Experts (multinational provider of deep technical support), Wize (software solutions), Everty Holdings (real estate) and Elev8 (IT and executive training). From 2006- 2013 she was a Finance Director of a group of companies operating in retail, real- estate and software sectors. Antoniya started her career in the banking sector first as an Accountant and later she became Financial Analyst. She holds Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia and she is Certified ERP Financial Consultant.
If you look through the prism of all the challenges this year a successful company is one that demonstrates strong leadership and agility in the face of disruption. Normal life may be on hold but many businesses are continuing to hire at pace by pivoting to a fully online recruitment strategy.
In the time of pandemic, I in my role of CFO, realized that рeople are our greatest asset and need to be protected at all costs. Clear communication from finance teams has also been key to gaining the confidence and trust of both internal and external stakeholders in these unsettling times. PwC’s research revealed that 87% of CFOs feared the business impacts of COVID-19. Сlear communication can help overcome this.
Today the dynamic growth of the companies depends on identifying and pursuing the right growth opportunities. We only participate in opportunities where we know that we will add unique value beyond commercial gains.
In order to take the right decisions in every situation you are facing, you have to have feel empowered within your role. Research has regularly demonstrated that when employees feel empowered at work, it is associated with stronger job performance, job satisfaction, and commitment to the organization.
My experience taught me: There is great benefit to be found from going from ‘the shop floor to the top floor.’ Your path to leadership might also inspire female future leaders to make the same transition as you; this kind of inspiration is highly important in STEM fields, where women are drastically under-represented.
Nowadays the Finance Director is the person who looks beyond everyday tasks to long-term value creation.
In times of changes like now effective communication has never been more important than it is at this moment. This can’t be developed overnight; it needs to be built into the culture of fabric of an organization from day one.
I say “YES” only when I am 100 % positive about my position.
To keep up with the changes I visit professional blogs and forums, network, discussions with customers and competitors.
One of the most important lessons that I have learned is to trust my intuition.
The fate of the “Titanic” can befall any business that fails to invest in its people. Without continuous learning built into the culture of a company, people will quickly outgrow the organization and seek more opportunities elsewhere.
When I have a hard time I say to myself: All of the business leaders I admire – the likes of Christine Lagarde, Jeff Weiner and Satya Nadella – have had their fair share of tough decisions to make.
