Olesya Afanasyeva ’26

Across two decades in the steel industry, I’ve learned that the strongest organizations are built through trust, empowerment, and clarity. That belief grounds my work.

I’ve been with my company for over 21 years. In my role as CFO, I’m responsible for everything that falls under the finance function—accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, tax, treasury, and transactional services. I also have responsibility over IT and supply chain, which many traditional CFOs don’t. Owning these functions enables me to support the business end-to-end by integrating data, capital, and operations into a single strategic system.

I had always wanted my MBA, and the timing felt right when my daughter went to college. Yale SOM’s values and the focus on business and society really resonated with me. I joined the EMBA to expand the lens through which I lead and better understand how decisions ripple across communities, markets, and people. We’re all part of something larger than ourselves. How do we make decisions that consider impact beyond individual interests and priorities?

My company has production facilities in both the U.S. and Canada. The steel industry is a real-time case study in geopolitics, where abstract macroeconomic shifts become operational realities overnight. Leading in this environment requires seeing the full system—from global forces to local impacts—and anticipating how trade and regulatory changes ripple across our business.

The EMBA program’s structure is very deliberate, flowing naturally from foundational topics to advanced concepts. For example, we started by studying macroeconomics and eventually moved to monetary policy and global finance. This method gives a holistic view of the different components of the system—in this case, how global macroeconomic trends impact local rules and regulations. Seeing how the puzzle pieces fit together is both helpful and practical; I look at course material through the lens of my professional experience and apply it to my daily work and strategic planning.

The EMBA has not just deepened my appreciation of the complexity of the business environment; it’s also given me more tools in my toolkit to be a better leader. The program clarified the kind of leader I aspire to be, one who creates environments where people think boldly, act autonomously, and grow beyond what they believed possible. I now pause more often to ask myself what kind of environment I’m creating for my teams—a question that has reshaped how I communicate, delegate, and cultivate relationships.

I’m committed to building values-driven organizations and strong team culture. For me, this program has really been about personal development and about becoming a better version of myself. I’m excited to bring these lessons back to my organization as we continue building the next chapter of our business.