Editor’s note: In today’s A Day in the Life, Elsa Ariany Setyadi ACMA, CGMA (pictured), financial planning and performance head at SMBC Indonesia shares with FutureCFO audiences how working with the CFO and finance team is always an exhilarating experience for her and how gardening, painting, and travelling inspire her.
FutureCFO: What does a typical morning look like for you?
Elsa Ariany Setyadi (EAS): Each day, I try to balance priorities for my family, myself, and my team.
As a working mum of three daughters still in school, mornings are always busy so my day begins at 5.30 am with a breath of fresh air in my garden. Once the children are off to school, I get to work and dive into my tasks to meet deadlines.
Multitasking helps me meet my morning work commitments and goals, but I always I also try to find even a small moment for self-care, such as having a nice cup of coffee or tea, to give me a little boost and help me stay focused.
FutureCFO: What excites you the most when you work with CFOs and Finance Function?
EAS: For me, working with the CFO and finance team is always an exhilarating experience, it provides me with an opportunity to contribute to value creation within my organisation and develop my career for a few reasons.
Firstly, it gives me valuable insights into the strategies, day-to-day operations, and talents departments across the organisation. Everyone brings unique strengths, and understanding these dynamics ensures we support the organisation to achieve its goals as one cohesive team.
In addition, the CFO together with the finance team help shape the strategic direction of the organisation, and being part of this process is intellectually stimulating and rewarding, it challenges me to think critically and strategically, making the experience both dynamic and fulfilling.
And lastly. I’d say that I particularly enjoy being involved in decision-making and strategic planning, such as resource allocation or investments for growth, which directly contribute to the organisation's success.
FutureCFO: Can you share an experience which was key to your professional growth?
EAS: I remember a project I once had that required both a deep understanding of finance and managing numbers, as well as strong commercial acumen and the ability to link them to business strategies.
Being able to think critically across operational, financial, and human resources to identify new opportunities and mitigate potential risks in a dynamic and competitive business environment was essential to devising a better approach for long-term value creation, yielding better results for all stakeholders.
I would say that the skills and competencies I developed through earning my CGMA designation have been invaluable in taking this project on. It provided me with the tools and confidence to tackle such a complex project, lead informed decision-making, and guide my team through challenges, ultimately contributing meaningfully to my organisation's success.
FutureCFO: Is there anything outside work--such as travelling, a book, or a sport event--that serves as an important inspiration to your work or life?
EAS: There are a few things, yes.
The first is gardening – I love nature, and gardening allows me to nurture delicate plants and watch them grow, which bring me immense fulfilment.
The second is painting with watercolours – although watercolours are unforgiving and mistakes are hard to fix, it reminds me to take time for myself, trust my instincts, and embrace imperfections.
And the last is travelling with my family – together we create precious memories for the future, and it reminds me of the value of time, as we cannot go back to these moments.
These activities not only provide relaxation and joy but also inspire me in my work by fostering patience, creativity, and a deeper appreciation for the present.
