What truly defines an effective CFO today—financial discipline, commercial foresight, or the ability to turn uncertainty into opportunity? The answer lies in bringing all three together to create lasting business value.

In an exclusive interaction with Thiruamuthan, Senior Correspondent at Finance Outlook India, Linu Nair, CFO – Gas Power Services, South Asia at GE Vernova, shares how the finance function has evolved from a traditional stewardship role into a strategic business partner.

Leveraging over two decades of experience across investment management, consulting, commercial risk, and finance leadership, she discusses the growing influence of AI, capital allocation, commercial decision-making, cross-functional collaboration, and the leadership qualities shaping the next generation of CFOs.

Read the full conversation below to explore how the modern CFO is evolving into a strategic business leader.

Your career spans investment management, consulting, commercial risk, and finance leadership. Which experience most transformed how you approach strategic business decisions today?

Every role has contributed to my journey because I've always chosen opportunities that kept me close to the business rather than confined to traditional finance functions. However, two experiences fundamentally shaped my perspective.

The first was my time in consulting and investment banking, where I learned how powerful data can be in shaping business and investment decisions. At the same time, it is never the complete answer.   

During my time in the Middle East, I saw investment decisions being influenced not just by financial analysis, but also by cultural priorities, religious considerations, and sectoral preferences. That taught me an important lesson—that good decisions come from combining data with business context and stakeholder priorities.

The second defining experience was joining GE in a technical commercial role. Coming from a non-engineering background, I had to understand how gas turbines work, how power plants operate, and how commercial contracts are structured.

Over the course of my career, one enduring lesson I learned is to embrace change rather than resist it. These hands on experiences have shaped the way I think today. They helped me combine data, commercial understanding, and change management to make decisions that create long-term value for the business and its stakeholders.

Having witnessed the CFO role evolve over decades, what fundamental shift has redefined finance leaders from financial stewards to influential business partners?

I would say there's been a paradigm shift in the role of the CFO, and I think the turning point was the COVID period. It changed the way businesses operate and highlighted just how unpredictable the world can be. Now, with AI accelerating that change, finance leaders who haven't embraced this shift need to do so quickly.

Earlier, the CFO's role was largely centred around governance, compliance, bookkeeping, taxation, and financial reporting. It was primarily about ensuring everything was in order. But today, that is no longer enough.

COVID taught us that uncertainty can come from anywhere—whether it's a pandemic, geopolitical tensions, or changing economic conditions. Finance leaders now have to help businesses navigate those uncertainties with speed and agility.

At the same time, automation and AI are transforming the finance function. Many of the manual activities we once spent hours on, such as reconciliations, bookkeeping, and routine compliance processes, can now be automated. That gives finance professionals the opportunity to focus on interpreting data, identifying risks, and generating insights rather than simply processing transactions.

I believe this is where finance has to wear its commercial hat. Instead of looking back and explaining what happened, we need to work closely with sales, commercial, and operational teams to help them make better decisions in an increasingly uncertain environment.

For me, that's the biggest transformation. The next generation of finance leaders must become business strategy drivers rather than scorecard keepers.

How should finance leaders interpret geopolitical shifts without allowing short-term uncertainty to derail long-term business strategy?

Geopolitical uncertainty is something we simply cannot control. We can't predict how global events, tariffs, or policy changes will unfold. What we can control is how well prepared our business is to respond.

When it’s about long-term strategy, I focus on the things that are within our control—understanding market trends, listening to customer expectations, strengthening our technology, and continuing to innovate. Those are the factors that help us remain competitive, regardless of external disruptions.

Certainly, short-term events do create challenges. As a global business operating across multiple currencies, we deal with foreign exchange volatility all the time. While I can't control currency movements, I can reduce the impact through prudent hedging strategies and disciplined financial planning.

Another important factor I believe is diversification. Expanding across markets, strengthening local capabilities, and using predictive analysis and scenario planning help us prepare for different outcomes rather than react after the event.

One lesson I've learned is that data alone isn't enough. Data tells you where you are, but leaders also need to evaluate different scenarios, assess potential risks, and decide how much exposure the business is willing to accept.

For me, the role of a finance leader is to translate uncertainty into measurable business risks, bring those discussions to the table, and work collaboratively with stakeholders to make informed decisions. Governance and compliance will always remain essential, but equally important is helping the business stay resilient and move forward with confidence, even in uncertain times.

Capital allocation often shapes an organization's future. What qualities should finance leaders possess to make confident investment decisions during periods of market volatility and economic uncertainty?

I believe capital allocation becomes even more critical during periods of uncertainty because both capital and opportunities are limited. In such situations, one quality finance leaders must have is decisiveness. If a decision needs to be made, time becomes a very important factor. Delaying decisions or waiting for complete certainty can often mean missing the opportunity altogether.

At the same time, decisiveness has to be backed by financial discipline. Every investment decision should be supported by data, sound analysis, and a clear understanding of the risks involved. Today, we have the advantage of leveraging AI, automation, and the collective knowledge of our teams to evaluate different scenarios before making those decisions.

I also believe collaboration is essential. There will always be differing opinions, so the role of a finance leader is to bring stakeholders together, build consensus, and present a data-backed case that enables faster and more informed decisions.

Ultimately, finance is about making the best use of limited capital, limited time, and limited opportunities. When you combine discipline, speed, and collaboration, you put the business in the best position to navigate uncertainty and invest confidently for long-term growth.

Also Read: Redefining the CFO Role in Cross-Functional Decision-Making

Energy businesses operate amid policy shifts, supply chain disruptions, and changing demand. How should finance leaders prepare organizations for continuous business growth?

If I speak specifically about the energy sector, we're going through a period of significant transition. As finance leaders, we have to ensure that we're participating in that transition while continuing to invest in technologies that create real value for our customers.

For me, the focus is on helping customers improve reliability, reduce downtime, and increase productivity through upgraded technologies. When customers benefit from those investments, it becomes a win-win situation because it strengthens their business as well as ours.

At the same time, we have to invest wisely. Energy businesses often operate through long-term contracts, so managing volatility through prudent financial planning, local expertise, and appropriate hedging strategies becomes equally important.

I also believe agility is critical, and digital transformation is a key enabler. Digital tools, automation, and AI give us real-time visibility into the business, allowing us to identify trends earlier and respond proactively rather than reactively.

Ultimately, technology doesn't replace financial judgment. It gives us better data and faster insights, while finance leaders continue to interpret those insights, collaborate across the business, and make decisions that support sustainable growth in an increasingly dynamic environment.

How do you build trust across business functions while ensuring finance remains a catalyst for sustainable growth?

Trust is not something that comes with the title. It's something we earn through our actions every single day. One principle I've always believed in is leading with integrity, and I think transparency is the foundation of trust.

Whether I'm evaluating a new business opportunity, highlighting a potential risk, or presenting a recommendation, I believe in being transparent and backing every discussion with data. That builds credibility over time, and credibility eventually becomes trust.

Finance professionals are naturally trained to interpret data, but our responsibility doesn't end there. We also have to translate complex financial information into simple business insights that every stakeholder can understand. If people leave the room with greater clarity and confidence to make decisions, finance has created real value.

In today's matrix-driven organizations, collaboration is equally important. You earn your seat at the table when business leaders see you as someone who can help solve problems, navigate uncertainty, and make better decisions—not just someone who reports numbers.

At the same time, finance always has to balance two responsibilities. We have to support commercial growth while maintaining strong governance and compliance. It's a fine balance, but I believe that's what makes finance a true business partner. When you combine integrity, transparency, collaboration, and financial discipline, trust follows naturally, and finance becomes a catalyst for sustainable growth rather than simply a control function.

Also Read: How CFOs Are Transforming Compliance into Business Value

Looking ahead, if the business becomes more interconnected and unpredictable, what capabilities will distinguish tomorrow's most effective CFOs from those of previous generations?

I think we've already started seeing this transformation. The days when finance was largely confined to back-office operations, governance, and compliance are behind us. As automation and AI continue to evolve, many routine activities will increasingly be handled by technology.

What will distinguish the next generation of CFOs is not their ability to do those tasks faster, but their ability to combine human judgment with artificial intelligence to create better business outcomes. Technology can process information and generate insights, but leaders still need to apply experience, context, and sound judgment to make the right decisions.

Personally, I've always enjoyed staying close to the business because that's where the real learning happens. Understanding customers, markets, competition, and operations gives finance leaders the context they need to interpret data more effectively.

As businesses become more interconnected and unpredictable, I believe successful CFOs will be those who remain curious, embrace continuous learning, and use AI as an enabler rather than seeing it as a replacement. They will combine financial expertise, commercial understanding, and technology to guide the business through complexity with confidence.

For me, that's the defining capability of tomorrow's finance leader—not replacing human intelligence with AI, but using both together to make smarter and faster decisions.

What is your personal mantra?

If I had to sum it up in one mantra, it would be this: turn complexity into clarity, and uncertainty into opportunity.

As leaders, our responsibility is to simplify complexity, bring clarity to decisions, and help our organizations move forward with confidence.

I also believe that every uncertainty presents an opportunity if you're willing to look beyond the immediate challenge. That's the mindset I've tried to carry throughout my career.

Above all, I believe in leading with integrity. For me, that's non-negotiable. In finance, trust is your greatest asset, and integrity is the foundation on which that trust is built.

6 key pieces of advice for the emerging women leaders from Linu:

• Leverage Your Strengths: Turn everyday life skills into leadership advantages.
• Prioritize with Purpose: Focus on what matters most at each stage of your career.
• Delegate to Grow: Outsource routine tasks to avoid burnout and create time for high-impact work.
• Invest in Yourself: Build your health, skills, knowledge, and financial discipline consistently.
• Plunge: Don't wait until you feel 100% ready before accepting new opportunities. Take calculated risks, embrace challenges, and trust your ability to learn along the way.
• Network with Intent: Build meaningful industry connections to learn, grow, and unlock new opportunities.