Finance Monthly CFO Awards Winners Edition

Finance Monthly CFO Awards 2020 www.finance-monthly.com 18 UNITED KINGDOM Finance Monthly CFO Awards 2020 What has been your biggest achievement as Lidl GB’s CFO so far? It’s wonderful to be part of a growing business that has had a significant and positive impact on British households. Not only have we made high-quality food accessible at affordable prices, but through our significant investments into the economy, we have also been able to create jobs and new opportunities for people and communities. Since I joined the Board, Lidl GB has almost doubled in size. It has been an exciting journey helping the business grow from an SME into the company it is today. I am also extremely proud of the team that I have developed. You can only work on industry-leading projects when you have the best in the industry working alongside you! For instance, together we have transformed the Controlling department into a modern Business Partner structure and established Business Intelligence and Analytics. We have also taken Legal in-house and set up a well-regarded Legal and Compliance team. What’s your piece of advice for someone that’s looking to become a CFO one day? What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started? The traditional career path usually starts with an accounting qualification, which in my opinion is still vital. Today many Board Members are very financially literate. It is therefore important that the CFO clearly stands out as the finance expert in the room. Beyond this, today’s CFO also needs commercial experience and technological understanding. Widening your experience outside of an accounting firm gives a unique opportunity to develop even stronger communication and leadership skills and to broaden your strategic perspective. So, don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone. CFOs need to be able to build and develop world-class teams that combine in-depth specialist knowledge with a strong understanding of the respective business. They should be able to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders on both detailed and abstract levels. But most importantly they need to be able to look beyond the risks, identify revenue opportunities and drive the agenda around innovation. Q Q