When Argyro Apostolou joined her family’s business, founded more than 40 years ago by her father, Isidoros Garifalakis, she didn’t step right into the C-suite. She started as a receptionist at the front desk, learning the business from the ground up. Today, she’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Omega Industries (Omega), one of the largest The post What empowers modern CFOs to lead with confidence and agility appeared first on Microsoft in Business Blogs.
When Argyro Apostolou joined her family’s business, founded more than 40 years ago by her father, Isidoros Garifalakis, she didn’t step right into the C-suite. She started as a receptionist at the front desk, learning the business from the ground up. Today, she’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Omega Industries (Omega), one of the largest suppliers of main-line railroad crossings in the United States.
Her journey reflects a new reality: today’s CFOs aren’t focused solely on financial oversight, they’re leading enterprise-wide transformation. Argyro exemplifies this evolution. With Microsoft Dynamics 365, she makes faster decisions and helps future-proof Omega for the road ahead.
From gut instinct to predictive insight: the data-driven CFO
“I’ve seen how dramatically finance has changed,” Argyro reflects. “Thirty years ago, technology was scary. We didn’t trust it. But over time, I’ve come to see it as one of our greatest allies.”
At Omega, Microsoft Dynamics 365 has become foundational to how the business operates. With real-time data at her fingertips, Argyro and her team act with better speed and precision. “With Dynamics, we’re not just faster, we’re better. The insights are accurate, timely and actionable. We make decisions with confidence because the data backs us.”
That reliability was put to the test in September 2024, when Omega experienced a major cybersecurity incident that shut down its servers and network access. Thanks to Dynamics 365 Business Central, the team retained access to a full year of data and continued paying vendors, billing customers and tracking sales without interruption. Without a cloud-based system, the organization would have faced weeks of operational downtime while restoring on-premises data. Instead, its continuity was preserved, and recovery was swift.
This kind of resilience changes how Argyro leads. “I can spot risks early. I see patterns before they become problems. I act decisively, and more importantly, I now spend more time thinking ahead. I feel more energized than ever, allowing myself to dream bigger.”
Explore how connected data can empower your finance, sales, service and operations teams. Learn more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, trusted by over 45,000 small and midsize businesses.
Business impact at a glance
Since adopting Dynamics 365, Omega’s finance team has accelerated operations, empowered employees and positioned the organization for future growth:
- Up to 50%-time savings on daily finance tasks
- 60% faster month-end close
- Improved forecasting and planning accuracy
- Faster response times to customer and executive inquiries
- Streamlined, cross-functional collaboration companywide
When people have the right tools, they show up differently
For Argyro, the impact of digital transformation goes beyond the numbers, it changes how people perform.
“When employees feel prepared and supported, they’re more confident. They collaborate better. They lead in their own roles.”
Before Dynamics 365, accessing project or sales data required help from multiple departments. Today, finance teams operate in a shared, secure cloud environment, where data is available instantly without bottlenecks or silos.
“Now, my team has the tools they need to do their jobs. And it shows in how they carry themselves, how they make decisions and in the quality of their work.”
That same readiness extends to the customer experience. For Argyro, data is the key to delivering service with consistency and care. “I can only have a satisfied customer if I’m prepared to serve them. And the only way I can be sure we’re prepared is by looking at the data. That’s how I know we have what we need to deliver.”
Discover more about Argyro and her team’s transformation in the full Omega case study.
Building a culture of confidence with technology
For leaders navigating digital transformation, Argyro offers a clear insight: the tech is only half the equation.
“Change management is just as important as the technology itself,” she explains. “You need to prepare your people: emotionally and practically. When people hear about new systems, there’s fear. Will this replace my job? Will I still belong? As leaders, we have to be transparent. We have to communicate. We have to show people that they’re part of the change.”
A CFO blueprint for leading forward
From front desk to boardroom, Argyro Apostolou’s journey is one of vision, resilience and reinvention. As CFO, she’s showing how finance leaders can become digital catalysts, driving growth, efficiency and innovation with the right systems in place.
“My role is to spark change in people, in processes, in what we believe is possible. With the right tools, we’re not just keeping up. We’re leading forward.”
Omega’s transformation proves what’s possible when CFOs embrace cloud, AI and automation to scale smarter and faster.
Reimagine what your finance team can do, exploring leadership strategies for AI-driven transformation.
The post What empowers modern CFOs to lead with confidence and agility appeared first on Microsoft in Business Blogs.
