Meriam Ben Boubaker is an influential finance leader advancing performance management, ESG, and sustainable value creation across North and West Africa. As Vice President of the International CFO Alliance, she leads the organisation’s global agenda on performance transformation and chairs its International Working Group on Performance Management. She is also Vice President of COGEREF, President of Fondation Essalem, and Vice President of MIZEN. A founding member of ICFOA and recipient of the Special Influence Leadership Award, her work connects financial strategy with social purpose, building tools and platforms that challenge outdated performance models and redefine the CFO’s role as a driver of societal impact.
What inspired you to pursue a career in finance or business leadership?
I was inspired because finance is not only the language of business, but it is the grammar of transformation. I was drawn to this field by the conviction that finance can be a force for good. I wanted to break the traditional mold and show that performance and responsibility are not contradictory, but complementary. Finance gives us the power to reimagine value, measure impact, and lead the shift toward a fairer, more sustainable economy.
Who has been your biggest influence or mentor, and what did you learn from them?
My greatest mentor is complexity itself — the ever-changing world that forces us to unlearn and reinvent. I’ve learned that in both leadership and life, certainty is an illusion. Embracing uncertainty with clarity and courage allows us to stay ahead, drive change, and build resilient ecosystems. It’s not about having all the answers it’s about asking better questions.
What’s one life lesson or philosophy you live by, whether in work or life?
Lead with intention, act with impact. Whether in business or in life, I believe every decision is a responsibility. Success is no longer measured by profit alone but by the footprint we leave. I strive to embody a leadership that combines excellence with purpose, because true influence is not about control, but about coherence and contribution.
What’s a book, quote, or concept that changed how you think?
Lessons from a Century of Life by Edgar Morin. Morin taught me that embracing complexity and uncertainty is not a weakness, it is a strategic strength. In today’s world, rigid models fail. It is adaptability, humility, and systems thinking that allow us to lead and innovate. This perspective fuels my mission: to build finance that is human-centered, agile, and anchored in long-term value creation.
Outside of finance, what are your hobbies or interests that people might not expect?
Most people know me for my commitment to sustainable finance, but few realize that I find balance through painting, abstract art, dance, and music. These are my spaces of freedom places where I can express what words and numbers often cannot. Music, in particular, gives wings to our thoughts. It lifts the spirit and fuels creative strategy. Far from the figures, I draw inspiration from movement and color to turn complexity into clarity.
Please briefly describe your current role and responsibilities in your organisation.
I currently serve as Vice President of the International CFO Alliance, where I lead strategic initiatives around the evolving role of CFOs, sustainable finance, and performance management. I also chair the International Working Group on Performance Management, overseeing key initiatives such as the International Performance Management Barometer (BIPP). My role is to build bridges between performance, innovation, and responsibility empowering finance leaders to evolve toward more resilient and human-centered practices. This mission is deeply international in nature, connecting experts across regions, addressing global challenges with local nuance, and contributing to a shared vision of responsible performance worldwide.
What are some milestones or achievements in your career that you’re particularly proud of?
Several milestones have shaped my career, but a few stand out:
Championing the integration of sustainable finance as a strategic priority for CFOs in Africa and beyond.
Launching the International Performance Management Barometer (BIPP) a global reference tool helping finance leaders anticipate shifts in their profession.
Transforming working groups into true collaborative innovation spaces, where we don’t just observe trends we help shape them.
And perhaps most meaningfully, inspiring a new generation of finance leaders to align economic ambition with social and environmental responsibility.
What professional designation(s) or qualifications do you hold, and which one challenged you most?
I hold several certifications in finance, management control, and corporate responsibility. But the most profound challenge wasn’t linked to a formal title it was a mindset shift: transitioning from traditional financial thinking to a vision where impact, sustainability, and purpose become part of how we define value. This transformation reshaping the way we lead, measure, and decide is perhaps the most demanding and rewarding qualification of all.
If you could give one piece of advice to a young finance professional starting out today, what would it be?
Don’t just learn how to manage money learn how to manage meaning. Finance today is not only about accuracy and performance it’s about relevance, responsibility, and impact. Be curious, stay humble, and build a career anchored in values. The world needs financial professionals who can read a balance sheet and also understand the balance of the planet.
Why did you get involved with ICFOA?
Because ICFOA is more than a network, it’s a global movement. I joined to help co-create a platform where CFOs from all regions can engage, inspire each other, and elevate their impact beyond the numbers. ICFOA allows us to break silos, accelerate innovation, and lead with purpose in a world that urgently needs financial leadership grounded in sustainability and human values.
What do you hope ICFOA will accomplish in the next five years?
I hope ICFOA will become the global reference point for future-ready financial leadership. That means:
Structuring actionable knowledge and tools for sustainable transformation
Positioning CFOs as key actors of economic and societal resilience
Creating stronger bridges between regions, sectors, and generations
I also envision ICFOA launching an academy or think tank to prepare CFOs for tomorrow’s responsibilities responsibilities that extend far beyond finance.
What role do you believe CFOs should play in solving global challenges (e.g. climate, inequality, digitalisation)?
Don’t just learn how to manage money learn how to manage meaning. Finance today is not only about accuracy and performance it’s about relevance, responsibility, and impact. Be curious, stay humble, and build a career anchored in values. The world needs financial professionals who can read a balance sheet and also understand the balance of the planet.
How do you see ICFOA bridging the gap between Global North and Global South CFOs?
By creating spaces of dialogue, co-creation, and mutual recognition. ICFOA can challenge the traditional top-down approach by valuing diverse realities and encouraging peer-to-peer learning across continents. The Global South is not a passive recipient it is a source of innovation, agility, and resilience. ICFOA must position itself as a connector, ensuring that knowledge flows both ways and that finance becomes a shared language for shared solutions.
What is one idea, project, or initiative you’d like to see ICFOA launch?
A Global CFO Academy for Sustainable Leadership a transformative space to empower the next generation of finance leaders with tools in ESG integration, purpose-driven decision-making, digital ethics, and inclusive value creation. Not just about finance about legacy.
Coffee or tea?
Tea, without question. Tea doesn’t rush – it invites. It slows the pace in a fast world and brings depth into a data-driven universe. It’s my way to stay grounded, clear… and inspired.
Excel or PowerPoint?
PowerPoint because storytelling is power. Numbers matter, but how we present them is what moves people. A well-crafted slide can inspire more than a spreadsheet ever will.
Books or podcasts?
Books, the deeper, the better. But I enjoy podcasts too, especially while traveling. Books nourish the mind over time, and podcasts feed curiosity in motion.
Early bird or night owl?
A strategic night owl with early bird discipline. My most creative ideas often come late at night, but I’ve learned to rise early because true leadership balances vision with execution.
If you weren’t in finance, what would you be doing?
I’d be a creative strategist or abstract artist, transforming complexity into beauty or leading bold projects in education or cultural diplomacy. Always with the same mission: creating meaningful connections and impact.