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ECOVIS JRB and Tax Star successfully hosted the CFO Forum: The New Compliance Stack, bringing together senior finance leaders to examine what compliance readiness looks like.
Designed as a working forum rather than a traditional conference, the event convened 70–80 CFOs, Finance Directors, Heads of Finance, and senior decision-makers from across sectors. The forum focused squarely on execution and operational impact, addressing how e-invoicing, corporate tax, VAT, and evolving audit requirements are reshaping finance functions, systems, and team structures. Discussions went beyond theory, with speakers and participants sharing real-world experiences, challenges encountered, and practical approaches that have delivered results.
Salman Rafique, Founder and Partner – Assurance at ECOVIS JRB, said, “As tax and compliance become increasingly digital, audit expectations are also evolving. We are seeing a much sharper focus on data integrity, documentation, and control frameworks. CFOs who invest early in getting these foundations right will face fewer surprises as regulatory and audit scrutiny continues to increase.”
Rayhan Aleem, Founder of Tax Star, and Rashmi Rajkumar, Founder and Partner – Assurance at ECOVIS JRB emphasized in their presentations that, “E-invoicing is not just a compliance exercise. For CFOs, it is a data and controls issue that sits at the heart of the finance function. Organisations that focus only on technical submission risk missing the bigger picture around integration, accuracy, and long-term scalability.”
Rayhan Aleem led a session on “E-Invoicing for CFOs,” highlighting the need for finance leaders to look beyond technical submission requirements and prioritise controls, data readiness, and seamless integration with core finance systems.
Rashmi Rajkumar, Partner at ECOVIS JRB, followed with “A Practical Approach to Tax and E-Invoicing in the UAE,” outlining key tax updates and explaining how the evolving compliance and audit landscape is impacting finance teams at an operational level.
Two high-impact panel discussions anchored the agenda, offering forward-looking insights into the evolving finance landscape. The first panel, “The Future CFO Stack: Skills, Talent, and Technology,” moderated by Rayhan Aleem with panelists Amar Mehra, Louise Vine, and Ayman Kaouri, examined how the CFO role is rapidly expanding beyond traditional finance. The discussion highlighted growing talent gaps, rising expectations around data ownership, and the critical role of technology and systems in enabling compliance-ready, future-focused finance teams.
The second panel, “Tax and Compliance for 2026,” featured Rashmi Rajkumar, Rayhan Aleem, Salman Rafique, and Shoayb Patel, delivering a clear outlook on what lies ahead for CFOs. Panelists outlined how digital compliance, tax, and audit requirements are set to intensify over the next 12–24 months, underscoring the need for early planning, stronger governance frameworks, and proactive decision-making to mitigate future compliance risk.
The forum also featured a session by Alaan on “AI and Finance,” offering a practical view of where artificial intelligence is already delivering value in finance functions, and where governance and controls remain essential.