Ep. 14 | Why Tomorrow's CFOs Need to Think Beyond Finance

The role of the CFO is evolving faster than ever. As AI automates routine work and businesses demand greater agility, finance leaders are expected to understand operations, drive strategy and make decisions that extend far beyond the balance sheet.In this episode of the Finance Chief Podcast, host Ella Wilkinson meets Aidana Zhakupbekova, Chief Operational & Financial Officer (COFO) at Rydoo, to discuss the changing face of finance leadership, why operational knowledge is becoming essential for CFOs, how AI should augment rather than replace human judgement, and why creating equal opportunities is key to building stronger finance teams.Having built her career from a junior finance role at IBM at just 19 years old to executive leadership across startups and scaleups, Aidana shares the lessons that have shaped her approach to leadership, business growth and the future of finance.