Gulf Business · 1 Oct, 04:44 · Finance briefing

Deloitte’s Javed Iqbal on the CFO’s shift from accountant to analyst

What it means for you ↓ Courses for this story

28%average pay gap between certified and uncertified finance staff

2.4xfaster promotion with a professional credential

83%of finance leaders rank upskilling a top-3 priority

20days to your first credential

The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

Deloitte executive Javed Iqbal highlights a fundamental transformation in the Chief Financial Officer role, moving away from traditional historical accounting towards forward-looking strategic analysis. This shift reflects broader corporate demands for finance leaders who can interpret complex data to drive decision-making rather than merely reporting past performance. The article underscores how modern CFOs must leverage advanced analytics and technology to provide actionable insights, effectively bridging the gap between financial data and operational strategy to enhance organisational value.

Employer demand for Financial Modeling skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

This shift demands that you move beyond routine bookkeeping to master predictive analytics and strategic interpretation. Professionals in finance must now value data visualisation, business intelligence, and cross-functional communication over pure compliance. If you aspire to senior leadership, you must demonstrate how financial data informs broader business strategy. Start by upskilling in advanced Excel, Python for data analysis, or financial modelling. Engage with non-finance teams to understand operational metrics. This holistic approach positions you not just as a number-cruncher, but as a strategic partner capable of driving growth and mitigating risk in an increasingly data-driven corporate landscape.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Financial Modeling, Data Science, AI in Accounting and Risk Management Strategies — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

Enrol in these
to benefit.

These programmes position you for exactly this shift — online, self-paced, and finishing with a verifiable certificate you can share the day you pass.