Olena Gusakova on Building Financial Resilience Through Strategy and Empathy "The modern CFO must be both economist and ethicist — recognising that how we finance growth is as important as what we grow. Profitability and responsibility are not at odds."

Olena Gusakova is a Dubai-based finance leader with over 16 years of experience spanning corporate finance, M&A, and capital markets. Having led landmark transactions worth over a billion dollars across the energy and commodities sectors, she is known for blending technical precision with human-centered leadership.

Today, Gusakova serves as a trusted advisor to boards and private equity sponsors. Through her work, she aims to showcase how disciplined financial strategy can drive both economic resilience and social impact.

Gusakova spoke exclusively with Entrepreneur Middle East to share her career and industry insights:

For starters, please talk to us about a moment in your life when you decided finance would be the right path for you? What has been the common underlying vision throughout the different phases of your career?

I never set out to "choose" finance — I found it: a language of logic in a world of uncertainty. I started my career amid intense volatility, when markets shifted daily and capital decisions determined survival. There I learned that finance is not just about control — it's about clarity, resilience, and translating chaos into structure. Across roles — from crisis restructuring to large-scale growth financing — my guiding vision has been simple: finance should not limit ambition; it should enable transformation. Whether leading an $800 million refinancing or developing the Dual-Track Investment Model, I aim to turn financial systems into engines of strategic confidence. "Finance is not the art of saying no; it's the discipline of making yes sustainable."

What guides your decisions when balancing growth and financial stability in big deals?

Every major deal is a paradox: the bigger the opportunity, the greater the risk of destabilizing what you've built. The goal is not to choose between growth and stability but to design a system that allows both to coexist. When structuring large transactions — from an $800M refinancing during a downturn to a $500M growth-capital deal — I always start with two questions: How do we protect liquidity today? What value will this unlock tomorrow? That's the essence of the Dual-Track Investment Model: one hand secures the foundation, the other builds the future. This approach transforms finance from reactive control into proactive leadership — you're financing the next chapter, not just the next quarter. "True financial mastery isn't about choosing between risk and safety — it's about choreographing them."

How do you see the role of finance changing in driving both business and social impact?

Finance today is no longer confined to balance sheets — it shapes behaviour, culture, and the world around us. Every investment decision creates ripple effects: it either fuels progress or reinforces inertia. The modern CFO must be both economist and ethicist — recognising that how we finance growth is as important as what we grow. Profitability and responsibility are not at odds. Investing in cleaner production, fair supply chains, or transparent governance strengthens brand, lowers cost of capital, and improves long-term resilience. Finance can accelerate positive change if used intentionally. I advocate for responsible growth — capital allocation that creates economic value while reinforcing trust, sustainability, and human progress. "Numbers alone don't build the future. The values behind them do."

Please elaborate on your "Dual-Track Investment Model." How does it help companies balance stability with bold growth moves?

The Dual-Track Investment Model addresses the persistent CFO dilemma: how to invest in tomorrow without jeopardising today. Most companies struggle to reconcile short-term liquidity pressures with long-term innovation. The model sets two synchronized tracks: the Stability Track (liquidity, debt control, risk management) and the Growth Track (innovation, M&A, ESG transformation). Its uniqueness lies in quantifying and governing the balance: converting trade-offs into measurable, rule-based decisions with allocation ratios, scenario-planning tools, and trigger points that signal when to pause or accelerate investments. I developed this framework during market turbulence when traditional budgeting lacked agility. It has since evolved into a structured methodology used in corporate practice and academic programs. "It's not about slowing down risk — it's about giving risk a roadmap."

What was the hardest part of moving from operational roles to strategic leadership? In that stead, what have the most challenging parts of your journey so far taught you about yourself as a leader in finance?

The hardest shift was learning to step back: from solving problems myself to designing systems that prevent them. Early in my career I handled every operational detail — cash flows, bank negotiations, restructurings — where each decision had immediate consequences. As a strategic leader, I had to trade control for coordination. Leadership in finance isn't about managing every number; it's about creating clarity so others can act confidently and sustainably. A pivotal moment was an $800M refinancing that required not only technical competence but trust-building across institutions and cultures. That taught me resilience and empathy are as essential as analytical precision. Today I focus on aligning people around shared financial goals — turning strategy into mission, not constraint. "You stop being the person who counts numbers and become the one who gives them meaning."

How do you balance technical expertise with empathy when leading your teams? What is the top trait that you believe helps finance professionals go from good to excellent?

Technical expertise and empathy are two sides of effective finance leadership. Technical mastery earns credibility; empathy builds trust. Without trust, the best analysis won't move people to act. A CFO's influence begins where numbers meet human context. Explain why figures matter, listen to the team, and enable ownership — that's how financial rigor becomes organisational performance. The trait that lifts a finance professional from good to exceptional is discernment: the ability to read data alongside risk, emotion, and opportunity, and to make coherent decisions from that synthesis. "Empathy gives precision purpose — that turns finance from a function into leadership."

In today's volatile markets, what does "responsible finance" mean to you — and how can leaders uphold it without compromising growth?

Responsible finance starts with accountability for both numbers and their consequences. In volatile markets it means resilience: protecting people, investors, and the business from shocks while preserving the ability to innovate. A responsible CFO doesn't banish risk — they define acceptable risk and build transparent governance so trust becomes an operational asset. Embedding financial discipline and ESG into strategy doesn't hinder growth; it strengthens it, because markets reward credibility and sustainability. "Finance isn't just about managing capital — it's about managing consequences."

How has ongoing learning shaped your approach to leadership in finance? Also, what changes do you think are needed to help more women lead in finance?

Continuous learning has shaped my leadership more than any single role. Finance changes rapidly — in technology, regulation and markets — so intellectual curiosity is essential. I combine executive education with learning from diverse teams to stay adaptive. Learning fostered humility and the courage to challenge old models and reframe finance as a force for purpose, not only profit. To enable more women to lead in finance we need visibility and systemic change, not tokenism. Many women have the skills; they lack structures that let them be seen and heard. We should shift perception from "female leaders in finance" to simply "leaders in finance." Women often bring empathy paired with precision, redefining strength as clarity, connection and conviction. "Master complexity by turning it into confidence for others."