IronTree was a proud sponsor of the recently held SAICA Finance Leaders Symposium, the biggest gathering of financial leaders across multiple sectors and industries to date. Some 60 leading speakers and panel members spoke in two cities on the future of industry and debated who, and what, will be leading us into the future.
Leaders shared their insights into smart strategies that’ll enable both personal and company growth.
IronTree’s business development and strategy director Steven Cohen, who is a co-founder of Sage Pastel and a veteran of financial software, gave a speech on the fourth industrial revolution, as described by global affairs expert Klaus Schwab.
The event was hosted by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and produced a lot of food for thought about what the future holds, and what business should be focusing on: artificial intelligence or emotional intelligence, technology advancement or leadership, the programmed system or the human touch?
Cyber security was a big topic of discussion and several leaders spoke on the increasing risks faced by the industry and possible solutions to them.
Cohen noted that many attendees are following the ‘It won’t happen to me’ philosophy: “I empathise with them because much of the landscape has been obfuscated through the use of complicated terminology.”
“I believe the responsibility rests with providers of cyber security to explain both the issues and their respective solutions in a manner that simplifies the way forward. Then at least people can ‘hear’ without anxiety and thus falling into the trap of inertia (inaction).”
Cohen pointed out: “It’s become a complicated world out there, and all customers ask is: ‘Where do I start and what will the cost be?”
Read IronTree’s guide on how to manage and protect your data through the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
