Picture a fast-growing company preparing to migrate its ERP and financial systems to the cloud.

IT teams are excited: faster deployment, lower costs, easier scaling. Everyone sees the upside.

Then the CFO asks the questions no one has considered:
• Who owns the data?
• How do we ensure compliance with local and international regulations?
• Who manages access and roles?
• How is backup and continuity handled?
• What happens if there is a security breach?

Suddenly, cloud migration is no longer a simple technology project. It becomes a governance challenge.

Why Cloud Is a Governance Decision

Many organizations treat cloud adoption as purely technical. They focus on:
• Storage
• Software-as-a-Service tools
• Infrastructure flexibility

But these benefits are meaningless if the governance framework is weak.

The real risks involve:
• Data security and cyber threats
• Regulatory and legal compliance
• Operational continuity
• Accountability and ownership

Cloud enables agility—but without governance, it multiplies risk.

Governance Perspective

For finance and executive leadership, cloud adoption requires:

1. Defining data ownership
   Who is accountable for accuracy, privacy, and compliance?
2. Embedding controls in processes
   Cloud doesn’t eliminate risk; it shifts responsibility. Automated approvals and access management are critical.
3. Ensuring compliance and audit readiness
   Systems must support local laws, tax regulations, and international standards where applicable.
4. Planning for continuity and security
   Disaster recovery and access policies are as important as uptime and speed.

Cloud as a Strategic Instrument

When approached correctly, cloud is more than technology. It becomes a strategic tool that:
• Improves operational efficiency
• Strengthens control environments
• Provides real-time visibility
• Enables scalable growth

But only if governance drives the decision, not just IT enthusiasm.

Final Thought

Migrating to the cloud is not an IT experiment.

It is a board-level strategic decision that impacts risk, compliance, and accountability.

The organizations that succeed are those where cloud adoption is guided by governance, not convenience.

Technology enables. Governance ensures. Together, they deliver transformation.