Season 4 Episode 23: Why Soft Skills Matter More Than You Think

Technical skills can build your career. But they won’t take you all the way.

So what really takes you from management accountant to CFO?

This week on Alchemy Uncensored, Conor McHugh is joined by Rehan Laiq, a C-level finance and business executive with more than 37 years of leadership experience across international markets.

Rehan’s career has taken him through senior global and group-level roles across water and wastewater, power and renewables, oil and gas, and large-scale infrastructure. His experience includes serving as Global CFO of the Seismic business at SLB, Group CFO of Fauji Foundation and CFO of Metito Utilities.

In this conversation, Rehan looks beyond technical Finance and shares why soft skills become increasingly important the further you progress in your career.

From communication and influence to motivation and understanding people, they explore the skills that can help finance professionals earn a seat at the table and become more effective leaders.

Rehan also shares the lessons behind his own journey from management accountant to CFO and what more than three decades of leadership have taught him about career progression and success.

This is not just a conversation about becoming technically better at Finance.

It is about developing the skills that allow you to lead, influence and bring people with you.

What you will hear in this episode:

📌 Why soft skills matter in Finance

📌 Why technical expertise alone can only take you so far

📌 The skills that become more important as you move into leadership

📌 The importance of communication and influence

📌 The role of motivation in our careers and organisations

📌 Rehan’s journey from management accountant to CFO

📌 Lessons from more than 37 years of leadership

📌 What it really takes to progress to CFO level

This episode is proudly supported by Alaan الآن, the Middle East’s leading corporate card and expense management platform.

Alaan helps companies eliminate petty cash, reimbursements, and manual reconciliations by automating expense tracking, approvals, and accounting, giving finance teams greater control and visibility without the manual work.

A big thank you to Alaan for supporting this season and helping us bring these conversations to life.

Whether you’re building your career in Finance, stepping into leadership or working towards a future CFO role, this episode is a reminder that some of the most important skills in your career won’t come from a textbook.

🎧 Listen to Alchemy Uncensored. New episodes every Wednesday.

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