Society & Culture
Guest: Alia Saleh
Alia Saleh is a dynamic finance leader whose work extends beyond balance sheets and boardrooms. She draws upon her global experiences in speaking, writing, community building, mentoring, and even theatre to bring a different approach to leadership. Across diverse roles, Alia continually demonstrates that finance is not merely about numbers but about driving impact, fostering ethical behavior, and inspiring positive change.
Guided by core principles of integrity and collaboration, she has championed different ways of thinking—both on stage and in the workplace—that emphasize empathy and creativity. Her ability to connect with people from all walks of life has led to impactful mentorships, resonant public speaking engagements, and initiatives that transcend traditional corporate boundaries. At the heart of her journey is a genuine commitment to harnessing the power of financial stewardship to uplift communities and promote inclusive leadership practices.
In “The Human Conversation with Kaumudi Goda,” Alia will delve into her views on ethics, integrity, and what it truly means to lead in an ever-evolving world. Join her as she shares stories of navigating complex dilemmas and redefining leadership through a lens of humanity, authenticity, and shared purpose.
HIGHLIGHTS & TAKEAWAYS:
- KG: I've always wondered, is there a red thread that ties all of this together for you? What's the driving force behind all that you do?
- ALIA: The short answer is curiosity. I am inherently a very curious and inquisitive person. And whenever I see something new or stumble upon something new, either it is a technical accounting standard or an emerging Al tool, maybe in financial forecasting, I have this burning need to figure out what it is. Why does it matter? Why are people talking about it? And whether I can apply it in my day to day, be it either professional or my personal life. And It's always that sense of wonder, a little bit of trepidation of stepping into uncharted territory that keeps me going. But equally, it also forces me a little bit out of my shell because I am an Introvert, believe it or not, I am an Introvert. I like my numbers, I like my computer screens, I like staying at home, I like conserving my social battery. But my curiosity forces me out of my shell because as an individual, I can't know everything. I'm not an expert in everything, but if I want to learn, I need to step outside and speak to people. I need to speak to experts, in the field of sustainability, for example.
- KG: I celebrated along with so many others when I saw your recent update, you were featured in a very special magazine. Will you tell us a little bit about that latest feather in your cap?.
- ALIA: I'm very happy to say that I was featured in ACCA's AB Direct magazine. I remember when I was just starting out studying. at Deloitte for my chartered accountancy, reading stories about men and women at the time who had made it. I remember looking at their resumes and reading their journeys and being inspired and saying, you know what? I want to be like them one day. And then last year when I got asked by ACCA whether I would be interested in being covered in the AB Direct, I had a pinch me moment. I just couldn't believe it. And sometimes we need to sit back and reflect and acknowledge how far we have come.. We have to recognize our own achievements and recognize our own accomplishments. And it feels just so much sweeter when you have a community that celebrates with you. It motivates you. It empowers you.
- KG: We are sharing stories and highlighting Individuals who are showing the world that you can be successful and display integrity and ethics along the way. And so my question to you is, what do the terms integrity and ethics mean to you?
- ALIA: I often say that I perhaps learned about integrity well before I understood the word and well before I understood the meaning of the concept of ethics. What integrity meant. It is about doing whatever needs to be done, Irrespective of what others may think.. and regardless of how uncomfortable that situation may be.. It Is about taking responsibility no matter what.. And.. ethics is a framework that guides you in terms of what's right and what's wrong in terms of specific scenarios.. Integrity. Is acting like that every time, consistently.
- KG: Have you had a personal experience yourself where you had to navigate a difficult ethical dilemma? What I'm interested in is how did that experience shape your approach going forward? Many times as a leader, you're likely in situations where you do not have an answer. There is no clear cut right or wrong, nor is there a ready example for you to emulate and follow. Therefore you're pretty much inventing the path forward. So I'd love to hear from you. What did you do through that challenge and how did that shape your approach going forward?
- ALIA: But in terms of standout situations where I’ve had those issues tested, for me it was COVID-19. During that time it was one of the toughest dilemmas that I've ever faced in my career and that's when I felt like I grew up. I genuinely felt like I matured as a leader during navigating that period. We were tested. What did we do? We got all the data that we had. We tested multiple scenarios. We exhausted all our options. We spoke to our supply chain. We spoke to our landlords. We applied for relief programs depending on the Jurisdiction that we were in. I mean, we did have to downsize, but I'd also like to think we did it in the right way where we did it transparently. We communicated to our team whenever we could about where we were, what decisions we were making, and when we would possibly be able to get back to them. Some people were scared with that and they didn't want to hear that we didn't know what the future would look like..
- ALIA: But we continued on that path because we believed that we had to continue to communicate and be as transparent as permissible. Now, not everyone agreed with our decision. Some people thought that we could have held on longer. Some people thought that we took too long to make a decision, but .. That's the burden of leadership. As long as you're acting with integrity, you are using the best information available and you're making decisions collaboratively, not just on a knee jerk reaction, on an emotional impulse that I found, gave me moral clarity.
- KG: Sometimes you make the call and others might agree or disagree, but as a leader, it's on your shoulders. Therefore using exactly as you've said, all the Information at hand, your experience and your. foresight into what it might play out as and willingness to deal with the consequences, know, through well thought through decision, there will be consequences. We know that and you've thought through how you're to handle them. That's all we can do.
- ALIA: And I remember coming across something from the Harvard Business Review that, and the title is what really grabbed my attention, which is why I clicked on it. And it was measuring the return on character... And for me, it hit all the right boxes because one, it's measuring return, because we're talking about finance, but it was a return on character.. And whenever you're thinking about, am I doing the right thing? Is it worth it? Will people see it? Does it matter? Sometimes articles like this put things into perspective.
- KG: I have heard you speak about some things that are on your mind as you think about the future of finance, the future of the world of work. And so as a finance leader, do you have any observations on ethical dilemmas most relevant today? And what would your advice be on such situations for more junior, younger finance professionals who are seeking to be both successful and feel like they're aligned with their values and behave in high integrity.
- ALIA: I'd like to think that traditional ethics or ethical dilemmas.. with certain cultural nuances, depending on which jurisdiction that you're working in, everyone is generally aware of. But in terms of new and upcoming ethical dilemmas, I believe businesses are continuing to struggle with sustainability. Whether it be social value, or environment, I think businesses today are still struggling with what to do about it. There is, I would like to think, a consensus that we need to balance people, profit and planet. .. And it's necessary to maintain a sustainable operating environment.
- ALIA: It's a dilemma and there's no easy answer. And I think everybody is still trying to figure out how to balance it, the how. We agree, it's important. How do we do it? And the only answer that I can find is start small, start somewhere. If you have leadership that acts with that in.... And I'm saying Integrity because that is the root of today's conversation. But if you have leaders that continue to act with that. In some way, shape or form, they have already invested in something that could benefit the environment to reduce their carbon footprint. And they have done that because it saves money.
- ALIA: Start small and start somewhere. I guess that is my approach. And sometimes when it comes to shifting the dial, when it comes to leadership, it is starting to have those conversations. And here I'd like to bring up the carrot or the stick analogy. Either the carrot is, you're going to get more market share. The stick is, you're going to lose more market share because your competition's already doing it. The carrot is, you're going to save a lot of money. The stick is, you're going to pay a fine. So it's about knowing what levers to pull in those conversations with your leadership to try and shift the dial. And even if it's a small shift, it matters.
- KG: You speak up, to what needs to be said. You speak up fearlessly. Where does that come from?
- ALIA: I think that comes from experience. I think it absolutely comes from experience. I have had a lot of missteps where I have perhaps not delivered the message in the right way and I have faced a lot of pushback. It comes down to, I guess it comes back to integrity, right? If It's about doing the right thing irrespective of how uncomfortable the situation is or what, regardless of what other people think, if it's the right thing to do... you will speak up about it. And if you're upset with it not landing correctly, then you need to recalibrate on how you deliver that message. So do I continue to speak up? Absolutely, I do. And I do it when I think it adds value and I do it when I think it has the most impact.
- KG: Is there a quote, a book or a piece of advice that you’d like to share?
- ALIA: I would like to say as a statement that I hope will stick, as ETHICS is knowing the right path to take... INTEGRITY is taking it every time. So that is something that I like. If I need a sticker, that's what that's a sticker that I'm going to have in front of my desk.. But yeah, it's taking the right path every time, even when no one is looking.
REFERENCES & LINKS:
ALIA’s LinkedIN/Website page
ALIA’s Suggested Book
MEASURING THE RETURN ON CHARACTER
The Human Conversation Podcast Channels