Kashnee Sewnarain

Kashnee Sewnarain is a committed leader who currently plays the role of chief executive officer, director, and technical specialist at Inspired Financial Management Solutions. The micro-enterprise is dedicated to enhancing financial management skills and processes within the public sector.

Additionally, Kashnee chairs the audit committee of a local municipality, which she is proud to say, has received their very first clean audit report. Kashnee also volunteers on the SAICA Public Sector Committee, where she advocates for capacity building within the public sector.

Growing up in Pietermaritzburg, Kashnee experienced an early childhood marked by financial challenges. “Through my parents’ hard-working commitment, we were able to progress in life,” she explained, reflecting on the values instilled in her from a young age.

Kashnee’s journey into the world of finance was not a straightforward one. In her early years, she was uncertain about what career path to choose and explored various alternatives to accounting. “Eventually, with much persuasion from my parents and my accounting teacher, I pursued a bachelor of commerce degree and thereafter continued studying while working, as I had to repay a student loan,” Kashnee shared. Later in life, she achieved a honours degree and qualified as a chartered accountant.

Her first job, however, had little to do with finance. While still in high school, Kashnee worked part- time as a writer for High Five, a teenage newspaper supplement of The Witness. This early experience in journalism gave her a unique perspective on the power of information, skills that would later prove invaluable in her career.

PRESSING NEED
Kashnee’s exposure to the public sector led her to recognise the pressing need for enhanced skills, systems, and processes within this sector. “There’s definitely a need for dedicated people who are willing to impart knowledge to others in an ethical and responsible manner,” she says.

This understanding laid the foundation for Inspired Financial Management Solutions, a company she considers her proudest achievement. The company aims to make a positive contribution towards effective management and decision making of finances to enable enhancement of services for communities.

Founding Inspired Financial Management Solutions was a life changing decision for Kashnee, especially given the challenges of leaving a permanent job to venture into the uncertain environment of public sector consultancy. She acknowledges the challenges consultants face in this space, where they are often seen as ineffective and overpaid. “Consulting in the public sector was really a leap of faith, with many tough moments at the very beginning,” she notes. “Looking back, we’ve been able to grow Inspired Financial Management Solutions based solely on our reputation and solid performance in the market, as well as at reason-able rates.”

Inspired Financial Management Solutions are now in a place where they have a presence in the market and are known to be responsible in the way they conduct business.

CAPACITY-BUILDING
Central to Inspired Financial Management Solutions’ approach is a capacity-building and development strategy that enables effective skills transfer to public sector officials. Kashnee emphasises the importance of this sustainable approach, believing it to be crucial for achieving lasting improvements in public sector financial management.

Reflecting on the best advice she had ever received, Kashnee commented that a former boss once said to her that if she put in half the effort into her studies that she does into her work, that she would be able to achieve all her goals. “At that point in my life I had paused my studying, I was very focused on work and I used to spend a lot of energy and time at work, she reflected. This advice changed her perspective on life, and gave Kashnee the motivation to know that she could achieve her goals, which enabled her to continue with her qualifications. “It really was the push that I needed to start studying again and it led to me qualifying and now eventually opening my own business.”

IMPACTING CHANGE
As a leader, Kashnee places great importance on keeping her team motivated amidst the challenges of the market. “It’s important to keep reminding the team why we do what we do,” she explains. “Despite challenges in the market, we have a unique offering in that we have the ability to really impact change in our clients.” Acknowledging and recognising the achievements of her staff and clients remains very critical to stay motivated as a team so that they can continue to strive to achieve great results.

While many individuals have inspired Kashnee along her journey, she is deeply inspired by the positive changes she witnesses in her clients. “The ability to see positive change in our clients really motivates me to continue doing what we do,” she says. For her, the ultimate success is when municipalities fully grasp concepts and are able to execute tasks independently, without relying on her team. “That is the greatest statement,” she adds, noting the immense satisfaction that comes from seeing clients recognised for effective financial governance and key audit achievements. “That really is the true inspiration for us,” commented Kashnee.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Looking ahead, Kashnee is hopeful about the future of business in KwaZulu-Natal, particularly within the public sector. She envisions more conscious leader- ship, a stronger motivation among young people to pursue careers in government, and a shift toward more ethical and efficient decision-making processes. “I am hopeful that we will see a shift towards more ethical and efficient decision-making to improve the services to our communities,” she says.

Kashnee is currently the project lead on the National Treasury Systems Regulations Project and regards the upcoming systems regulations as an opportunity to improve governance and oversight in local government. Kashnee is optimistic that these changes will drive a broader push for reform and improvement across the public sector.

Kashnee’s personal and professional journey is guided by a quote she holds close to her heart: “Try not to become a person of success, but to become a person of value.” This principle underpins her approach to life and business, where she strives to make a significant and meaningful impact in all that she does.