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

<p>Technical skills can build your career. But they won’t take you all the way.</p><p><br></p><p>So what really takes you from management accountant to CFO?</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>In this conversation, Rehan looks beyond technical Finance and shares why soft skills become increasingly important the further you progress in your career.</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>This is not just a conversation about becoming technically better at Finance.</p><p><br></p><p>It is about developing the skills that allow you to lead, influence and bring people with you.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>What you will hear in this episode:</strong></p><p>📌 Why soft skills matter in Finance</p><p>📌 Why technical expertise alone can only take you so far</p><p>📌 The skills that become more important as you move into leadership</p><p>📌 The importance of communication and influence</p><p>📌 The role of motivation in our careers and organisations</p><p>📌 Rehan’s journey from management accountant to CFO</p><p>📌 Lessons from more than 37 years of leadership</p><p>📌 What it really takes to progress to CFO level</p><p><br></p><p>This episode is proudly supported by Alaan الآن, the Middle East’s leading corporate card and expense management platform.</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>A big thank you to Alaan for supporting this season and helping us bring these