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Women leaders in finance are increasingly shaping more than financial outcomes. Their influence now extends into transformation, governance, technology, talent, and strategic decision-making, reflecting how the finance function itself has evolved from a stewardship role into a business leadership discipline. Leaders who have worked across functions and industries bring an especially broad perspective to navigating organizational change and building sustainable growth.
With nearly three decades of leadership experience across finance, telecom, ICT, and global marketing, Csilla Torma, key Sr. Finance & HR leader at Cheil Worldwide in Hungary, exemplifies this multidimensional approach to leadership. Her career began at Deutsche Telekom following its acquisition of Hungary’s incumbent telecommunications company, where she was entrusted with establishing the finance function and supporting transformation into a profitable, strong Central European operation. Working alongside C-level senior leaders and advisors, she helped with the projects’ coordination required to navigate this significant organizational transition.
Her journey subsequently expanded into Deutsche Telekom’s international wholesale business, where she contributed to building global competencies enabling service delivery for international telecom providers through a shared-services model. The role also broadened her leadership remit beyond finance, encompassing HR, compliance and privacy. This cross-functional exposure strengthened her understanding of how people, processes, governance and financial performance need to work together to create organizational value.
Another defining chapter came with the GTS acquisition, where Csilla led the HR stream. The experience deepened her understanding of transformation and reinforced her belief that leadership cannot be confined to individual functions. Across these diverse assignments, she developed the ability to view organizations holistically, connect different business disciplines, and lead through periods of significant change.
Her subsequent transition into Cheil Worldwide brought her into the dynamic intersection of creativity, technology and global marketing, while allowing her to carry forward the financial discipline and transformation expertise developed throughout her earlier career. Today, her leadership reflects a career built not simply around managing finance, but around understanding how finance, people, technology and organizational transformation can collectively shape business performance.
Global Woman Leader engaged in a one-on-one interaction with Csilla Torma, Finance & HR Leader at Cheil Worldwide;- let’s read on.
Which experiences helped your transition from telecom and ICT into Cheil’s marketing and agency environment?
The transition came through an executive development programme at Deutsche Telekom, where I had already gained exposure to international marketing, and by completing a digital marketing course at Yonsei University, I deepened my interest in the field. Cheil’s leadership noticed my course and offered me an opportunity to join the local organization. What attracted me was the chance to improve integration and transparency across a global organization through cross-border implementation of SAP and GHR infrastructure. The opportunity to work within Samsung’s creative ecosystem and different corporate culture was equally motivating, and to purposefully create long-lasting customer experiences that matter.
How has the finance function evolved into a more strategic role at Cheil?
Finance today is no longer simply about recording or explaining numbers. It is increasingly shaping the future of the business and acting as a strategic advisor to senior leadership. In a creative, technology-driven organization, finance connects profitability, cash flows, investment, talent development, and risk management. In my role, I provided insights that enable leaders to shape business models and make more sustainable decisions faster. This required understanding the wider business rather than viewing financial performance in isolation. Finance leaders need to show where the organization should focus, how risks should be managed, and how long-term value can be created.
How do you bring finance, HR, governance and transformation together across diverse teams?
I see finance and HR as interconnected rather than separate functions. Financial performance ultimately depends on having the right people, effective processes, appropriate technology, and strong governance working together. Accountability, open communication, and measurable objectives are important, but trust is fundamental. Working internationally also requires respect for cultural differences. European and Korean cultures, for instance, bring different perspectives, and leaders should recognize those differences to make the most of them. For me, leadership is about knowing and involving people, giving them space to contribute ideas, and creating a common purpose across diverse teams. When people feel they are part of the journey rather than simply being asked to implement change, they become much more engaged in improving the organization.
What was the biggest challenge in moving from telecom into marketing services?
The business environment and client expectations were different, so adapting to a new pace and business models was an interesting challenge. My telecom experience had taught me the importance of agility while maintaining financial discipline. In marketing, I needed to combine that discipline with structured thinking and the ability to respond quickly. Another important aspect was understanding the relationship between the parent and local organizations. Since Cheil works closely with Samsung, maintaining global standards while adapting them to the local environment was essential. I focused on ensuring consistency with the broader organization while remaining responsive to local requirements.
What has SAP transformation taught you about managing organizational change?
I have learned that successful transformation is ultimately about people, not systems. Even the best technology delivers limited value if people do not understand it, trust it, or know how to adapt to it. Having the right team, engaging people early, and maintaining clear communication are therefore critical. One of the strongest aspects of our transformation was the international collaboration involved, with people from different countries and functions working together. That collaboration helped us make the transformation viable and actionable within a year, allowing the system to go live successfully. For me, it demonstrated the importance of people working together around a shared objective, and technology can provide the platform, but people determine whether transformation creates real value.
Csilla Torma’s leadership journey has been built not simply around managing finance, but around understanding how finance, people, technology, and organizational transformation can collectively deliver value and shape success
How will AI change the finance leader’s role?
AI will increasingly take over repetitive analysis, forecasting support, automation, and pattern recognition. This will give finance professionals greater capacity to focus on strategy, scenarios and value creation. However, technology should support human judgement rather than replace it. AI-driven decisions also need to consider ethics, people-related risks, and long-term consequences. Ultimately, leaders remain responsible for decisions made using AI-generated outputs. This makes critical thinking even more important. Finance leaders will need to understand these technologies, help their teams use them responsibly, and ensure that AI contributes to better decision-making rather than simply increasing efficiency.
What can organizations do to create stronger pathways for women into senior leadership?
In my experience, women need visibility, and sponsorship is extremely important. They also need meaningful responsibilities and opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities through challenging assignments. Organizations should create transparent leadership pipelines and ensure talented women have access to the same career-defining opportunities as their male colleagues. At the same time, I believe leadership opportunities should be available fairly to both men and women. Creating visibility, providing sponsorship, and giving people opportunities to demonstrate their leadership capabilities are important steps toward building stronger and more inclusive leadership pipelines.
What would you like the next phase of your leadership journey to achieve?
I want to continue developing my knowledge and understand how AI, Gen AI, and other capabilities can be used to enhance value. People development is another important priority for me because I want to help create environments that are financially strong, innovative, and future-ready. I do not believe legacy should be measured only through business results. It should also be reflected in the leaders and people I have helped develop and the opportunities I have created for them. Through advisory board contributions and broader industry engagements, I would also like to contribute to shaping the future of finance, HR, and leadership communities.
Csilla Torma, Director, Finance
Csilla Torma is a seasoned finance and business leader with around three decades of experience across telecom, ICT, and global marketing. As a key Finance & HR Leader at Cheil Worldwide in Hungary, she contributed expertise in financial strategy, transformation, governance, HR, and organizational development. Her leadership journey spans cross-border transformation initiatives, technology implementation, and building future-ready organizations through people, innovation, and responsible growth.
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