Congress discuss transforming finance in digital age

The 48th World Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Congress opened in Ho Chi Minh City on November 15, focusing discussion on transforming finance in the digital age.

Illustrative image
Illustrative image

In his opening speech, Nguyen Ngoc Bach, Chairman of the Vietnam CFO Association and head of the organising board, said the event, held for the first time in Vietnam, is a great opportunity for business leaders to gather, exchange and directly share their knowledge, practices and intensive financial management skills with experienced finance leaders from other continents.

“International financial experts will talk about new trends and provide insights into the future of the financial sector and the challenges that business leaders and financial professionals are facing in this technological era,” he said.

Nguyen Thien Nhan, member of the Politburo and Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, said Vietnam and HCM City in particular are focusing on implementing measures to improve productivity through technology and modernisation of business-level management.

The city is investing more in upgrading technology, applying modern financial management structures and new tools, creating investors and financial organisations to build suitable investment and financial plans and raise productivity in different fields, he said.

He revealed that HCM City is carrying out a project to build itself into a smart city in the 2017-2020 period, with a vision toward 2025, along with the establishment of a highly interactive innovation area which aims to combine R&D and human resources training centres.

The two-day congress, which is the most important summit of the International Association of Senior Finance Managers, is organised by the Vietnam CFO Association and the Japan Association of CFOs.

Its agenda focuses on a balance between policy considerations driving (or hindering) global and Asian growth and the transformative potential of digital technologies in responding to the opportunities and challenges they present.

Cybersecurity, blockchain technology, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI) are some of the key topics discussed at the event, which sees over 500 business leaders, CFOs, directors, and finance professionals from across the world taking part.