Panel Session
What Will Define the GCC's Next Era of Finance?
Technology or Finance Leadership?
Hear leading CFOs, finance, tax, and technology experts explore what will truly create competitive advantage as AI and digital transformation become increasingly accessible.
Chandra Vikram Prahladka
CFO & Finance Transformation Leader
Choithrams (UAE) & Al Reef (Oman)
Alia Saleh
CFO & Finance Leader
ISG Middle East | Co-Founder, She Counts
Ekansh Agrawal
Founder & CEO
ScaleX Tax
Paresh Bafna
CEO
COVORO AI
Rahul Dev Swarnkar
Global Compliance Strategist | CRO
COVORO | Moderator
About the Session
Beyond Technology.
Toward Measurable Business Value.
The GCC is entering a new phase of economic and digital transformation. As AI, automation and digital infrastructure become increasingly accessible, technology alone is becoming less of a differentiator.
The real question is: What will organisations do with it?
In this Beyond the Numbers executive panel, leaders from finance, tax, business and technology explore how organisations can turn technology into measurable business value through stronger leadership, governance and execution.
Technology
How AI and digital transformation are changing the finance function and the evolving role of the CFO.
Leadership
How finance leaders are becoming strategic partners in enterprise growth and transformation.
Governance
Balancing innovation with control, compliance, risk and accountability.
Execution
Turning technology, leadership and strategy into measurable business outcomes.
What You’ll Learn
1
Why technology alone may no longer be a sustainable competitive advantage.
2
How the role of the CFO is evolving from financial management to enterprise transformation.
3
Why AI needs trusted data, governance and execution to create real value.
4
How finance leaders can balance innovation with risk and accountability.
5
What organisations should build beyond technology to prepare for continuous change.
6
How digital regulation and compliance can become drivers of transformation.
7
What separates AI adoption from AI-driven business value.
8
Where the next competitive advantage for GCC organisations could come from.
- The CFO is no longer just managing finance. The role is becoming much more strategic.
- AI needs strong governance, trusted data and responsible leadership to create real value.
Alia Saleh
- Compliance can become a driver of transformation, not just a regulatory obligation.
Ekansh Agrawal
- When everyone has access to the technology, leadership becomes the differentiator.
Paresh Bafna
Who Should Watch
Designed for leaders shaping the future of finance
Designed for leaders responsible for compliance, finance transformation, technology enablement, and business readiness.
CFOs & Finance Leaders
Finance Transformation Leaders
Tax & Compliance Professionals
CIOs & Technology Leaders
Digital & AI Transformation Teams
ERP & Enterprise Technology Leaders
Shared Services Leaders
Business Owners & Decision Makers
Meet Our Speakers
Voices from finance, tax, and technology
Chandra Vikram Prahladka
CFO & Finance Transformation Leader, Choithrams (UAE) & Al Reef (Oman)
Chandra brought the CFO perspective on finance transformation, leadership, and translating strategy into execution within a complex enterprise environment.
Alia Saleh
CFO & Finance Leader, ISG Middle East | Co-Founder, She Counts
Alia shared the perspective of a modern finance leader navigating business growth, transformation, and the changing expectations of today's CFO.
Ekansh Agrawal
Founder & CEO, ScaleX Tax
Ekansh brought a tax and e-Invoicing perspective on how regulatory change and digital tax transformation are reshaping business operations across the UAE and wider region.
Paresh Bafna
CEO, COVORO AI
Paresh shared the technology and enterprise transformation perspective, focusing on how AI and automation can move from experimentation to real operational impact.
The Future of Finance Across the GCC
Hear directly from finance, business, tax and technology leaders as they explore technology vs. finance leadership, AI, governance, decision-making and the capabilities required to create lasting business value.