Speaker Highlight: Olaide Olunloyo

In times of uncertainty, finance leaders play a crucial role in steering their organisations through crisis. As Head of Finance at Jesus House , a London-based charity, Olaide Olunloyo FCCA MSc DChA knows firsthand the challenges of financial leadership in turbulent times. With a deep passion for organisational resilience and finance leadership development, she has built a career that blends technical expertise with a mission to drive meaningful change.

In this exclusive interview, she shares insights on leadership development, crisis management, and the evolving responsibilities of CFOs. As she prepares to take the stage at World Finance Forum London to discuss Leading Through Uncertainty: CFO Strategies for Crisis Management, Olaide offers valuable lessons on adaptability, financial resilience, and the power of diverse leadership. Keep reading to learn from her experience and discover the strategies shaping the future of finance leadership.

Tell?us?a?bit?about?yourself?and?how?you’ve?ended?up?where?you?are?today.

My name is Olaide Olunloyo FCCA MSc DChA and I currently work as the Head of?Finance?at a London based charity. I am also the founder of a foundation that supports under privileged children in rural areas. I hold a degree in Accounting with Taxation, a Fellowship with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) as well as a masters in Charity Accounting.?

Despite having my core training as an accountant, I have tracked my career development within the charity sector as I am passionate about contributing to growth within the sector as it allows me to make a tangible difference within different communities. Working within Charity?Finance?allows me the best of both worlds: Aligning my core financial background with intrinsic values and core passions for change.

I am also deeply passionate about organisational resilience and finance leadership development as I believe the role of finance leaders has evolved greatly over the years and finance leaders need to be adequately equipped to lead with change.

How?are?you?developing?yourself?as?a?leader,?and?how?important?do?you?think?it?is?to?spend?time?doing?that??

Developing myself as a leader not only impacts my personal effectiveness, it also aids the success of my organisation as it enhances various aspects of my life including:

• Enhancing me with skills to make more strategic impact

• Improving stakeholder confidence in my leadership capabilities
• Having innovative approaches to financial management and strategic delivery of my organisation’s objectives
• Developing long term resilience
• Sharpening my decision making capabilities
• Equipping me with capacity to navigate changes in my various spheres
• Improving my ability to inspire, motivate and guide my team as well as communicating more effectively amongst others.

As a result, I think it is very important to spend time developing as a leader. I do this by implementing the following:

Self-Assessment, Reflection and Growth Strategies:

• Taking time to understand my strengths and weaknesses as a leader by seeking feedback from colleagues, mentors etc, using assessment tools, and reflecting on continued experiences.
• Regularly setting aside time for self-reflection to evaluate my progress and identifying areas for improvement.
• Developing a personal leadership plan and constantly reviewing it.
• I do my best to practice public speaking, presentation skills, and writing abilities to ensure I can convey my ideas and thoughts effectively and that I am understood.
• Improving my interpersonal skills, such as active listening, conflict resolution, and communication.
• Attending conferences, seminars, and networking events to connect with other leaders.
• Delegating tasks appropriately to empower my team and enabling me to focus on high-impact strategic value delivery.
• Developing the ability to adapt to change and remaining resilient in the face of challenges through structured approaches and career coaching.
• Developing emotional intelligence by working on understanding and managing my emotions.

Structured Learning:

• I take advantage of Formal Education - short term leadership programs and workshops that focus on leadership development, books and articles as well as online courses.

Mentoring and Experience:

• ?I join mentorship programs so I can access professional mentors who can provide guidance, share their experiences, and offer advice.
• Taking on leadership roles within projects in my current position to aid development of my leadership skills.
• Volunteering on boards outside of work to gain diverse experiences and engagements.

As?a?CFO,?where?does?EDI/diversity?fit?into?your?strategy????

EDI fits into our strategy in a few areas and is crucial for several reasons as it supports ethical commitments and business performance including:

Talent Attraction and Retention: It fits into our recruitment policy as a diverse workplace is attractive to a broader talent pool. By fostering an inclusive environment, we enhance employee satisfaction and reduce turnover, leading to cost savings in recruitment and training.

Enhanced Decision-Making: This has aided our organisation to make more informed and balanced decision-making, reducing risks and leveraging new opportunities.

Market Innovation: A diverse team better reflects diverse customer bases, allowing for a deeper understanding of customer needs and preferences especially within the NFP sector where I operate as we have a large customer base. This has aided market innovation and improved customer satisfaction in service delivery.

Reputation: We’ve found that organisations with strong EDI practices have better reputations, which can enhance brand value and also impact investor/funders perception positively, as many investors/funders consider EDI factors in their decision-making processes and this is a very crucial factor in the NFP environment.

How?has?the?role?of?the?CFO?changed?over?the?past?decade???

The role of the CFO has evolved significantly over the past decade as it has moved greatly beyond just focusing on financial performance. Below are some changes I’ve noticed:?

Strategic Partnering: CFOs are increasingly being required as strategic advisors to the CEO and board, going beyond financial management to influence long-term business strategy and decision-making. CEOs are requiring CFOs more as their right hand people.

Data and Analytics: With the rise of big data, CFOs are utilising advanced analytics to forecast trends and drive data-driven decisions, helping to improve financial performance. This is also becoming more apparent in the team structure with a shift from more technical members of the teams to a focus on data.

Technology Integration: Despite many not have the full expertise, owing to the rise in technology, CFOs are now being seen to lead digital transformation efforts in their organisations to aid efficiency.

Sustainability and ESG Focus: With the growing emphasis on ESG, CFOs are playing a key role in sustainability reporting and aligning financial strategies with broader ethical goals.?

Talent Development: CFOs are now increasingly involved in talent management, building teams with the skills necessary to adapt in a changing business environment ensuring value add rather than just focusing on financial performance and tasks delivery.

The?question?everyone?loves?to?hate,?if?you?could?speak?to?your?younger?self?earlier?in?your?career,?what?one?piece?of?advice?would?you?give?them??

?You are not “too anything”, to be anything you dream of! There are no limitations or extremes that can prevent you from achieving whatever you aim for!

If you found this interview with Olaide insightful, be sure to catch her session, Leading through uncertainty: CFO strategies for crisis management, at World Finance Forum London.

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