Making the transition from CFO to commercial leader
Kerry Chung, Group General Manager, SUTL Group
Priya Deepak, Asia Cluster CFO, Novartis
Christian Wiegele, Finance Director Asia Pacific, Perfetti Van Melle

The bad news is that a transition from CFO to general management be difficult to achieve; the good news is that if you do manage to make the move, you’re equipped with critical financial knowledge and a unique understanding of business drivers that new commercial leaders from other parts of the business often lack. Have you ever imagined yourself in the driving seat of the business? An analysis by Korn Ferry found that only 13% of CEOs of companies in the global Forbes 2000 had moved directly from CFO roles. Korn Ferry’s research indicates that while CFOs bring crucial financial competencies and logic to CEO roles, they often lack right-brain traits, particularly in the area of social leadership and external focus, and therefore are sometimes overlooked in the CEO search process. In this session we’ll hear from two Finance leaders who have successfully made the transition into commercial leadership: Priya Deepak,  Asia Cluster CFO of Novartis; Christian Wiegele, Finance Director Asia Pacific of Perfetti Van Melle, and Kerry Chung, Group General Manager of Singapore diversified company SUTL Group, who has previously held CFO roles at CooperVision and Kimberly-Clark. Kerry will share with us his transition experience, and some insights into the skills he's brought into his current whole, while Priya will outline how those who hold CFO roles can expand their commercial orientation within the Finance function. Christian is an experienced Finance and commercial leader who was previously President of Dole Sunshine Group’s Fresh Produce Group, and will discuss how his general management experience has added to the value he brings as a Finance leader..

The economy - what to expect in 2025
Suan Teck Kin, Head of Research, Global Economics & Markets Research, UOB

Despite challenges, the Asia Pacific remains the best growth story multinational companies have, and it’s our job to deliver on the promise. Some markets are growing rapidly, and others that are perpetual underperformers. And then we have all the uncertainty of inflation. So what do you tell head office? Suan Teck Kin leads UOB’s macroeconomic research, and will share with us the bank’s expectations for the region as part of a broader discussion on how we correctly position Asia Pacific as a growth opportunity. Teck Kin is a highly experienced economist, having previously worked in North Asia and North America.

A North Asia perspective on economic growth
HE Hong Jin-wook, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea

With an economy that’s riding high of semiconductor sales - driven at least in part by a massive increase in demand for use in AI - South Korea is the economic darling of the North Asia region. While it’s been posting large trade surpluses largely because of the success of its largest companies, it’s small businesses have been suffering with high interest rates and rising costs. With inflation showing no signs of easing, the Government has moved to reduce the burden on SMEs through a range of measures. To help us understand how we should see South Korea - both as a domestic economy and as a significant investor in ASEAN - we’ll be joined by Ambassador Hong Jin-wook. Ambassador Hong will look at what the country has been doing to spread the benefits of big business success through the economy.

Members may attend with a member of their Finance team. Luncheon and light refreshments will be served.