I work with finance and non-finance staff across the organisation. I’m currently leading on a key project to improve cost recovery in bids for restricted funding in order to free up unrestricted funds, which are sparser because of inflation. We need to be rigorous with cost recovery in our fundraising, internal reporting and programme management processes, and it’s my role to enable this across the organisation. I’m developing tools, reports, guidance and training to help our accountants and heads of finance with this initiative.
People planning helped me with the communication skills needed for a non-profit role
My role is an interim one, so I’m up against some tight deadlines. But I love my job and we are already looking at extending the project. What I really like about the role is that we have clear steps set out for how to achieve our goal. Also, no two months are the same. There are no recurring activities such as monthly closing, but I am continuously progressing month on month, working with a diverse range of people and roles.
I started my career in audit at EY in Hungary. I then moved into the commercial sector, working for Budweiser Brewing Group in people planning and performance management, and tech sales management. These roles helped me with the communication and technical skills necessary to move into the not-for-profit sector and fulfil my wish to carry out work that has a positive impact on the environment, women’s role in society and international development.
My strategic thinking serves me equally well at home as it does at work!
New technologies offer good opportunities for accountants. Accountants are under great pressure to find efficiencies and cost savings, provide quicker and better insights, and perform more strategic tasks, and tech can help them do all those things. Developing and implementing a cloud-based budgeting, forecasting and reporting tool for Budweiser Brewing Group is something of which I am very proud. The project became part of global best practice and enabled me to travel to the US to deliver training on the solution – all on top of my day job.
There are always new skills to be learned. If you are starting out as an accountant, take the opportunity to learn something new. Whether it’s a small task or a large one, it will be knowledge that will be useful in the future. Online tutorials and speaking to colleagues are also great ways to learn.
I love to travel outside of work, learning about new and exciting places. I’m planning on going to Costa Rica next, to trek nature trails, visit volcanoes and explore the exotic flora and fauna. At home with friends and family, I’m a big fan of board games, in particular those that involve working as a team to survive, so my strategic thinking serves me equally well at home as it does at work!
