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As many projects as controlling roles: how Astrid explores the controlling landscape as Controller at TriFinance

21 May 2024
Key messages
  • From a career start as an auditor at a Big Four company over a permanent position as a cost controller to becoming a Project Consultant in Controlling at TriFinance.
  • Consultancy as a way to assume various roles in different environments in a short period of time: business, commercial, cost, plant, project controlling, in a production or service environment: you name it.
  • Taking the lead on her own career path: choosing the most interesting trainings and further developing soft skills as a mentor to less experienced colleagues. The ambition? Advancing to a leadership role. The trigger? A CFO job vacancy Astrid stumbled upon in eleventh grade.

In eleventh grade, Astrid stumbled upon a job vacancy for a CFO role. Her interest was immediately sparked, setting the course for her career. After studying Business Sciences, she began her career as an auditor at a Big Four company. After four years, seeking new horizons, she transitioned to a role as a cost controller at a food company. However, after a year and a half, she lacked challenges and was drawn to the diversity offered by a job as a Project Consultant at TriFinance. A choice she still fully stands behind now, two and a half years later.

Working as a Controller

From Big Four over permanent position as a controller to Project Consultant at TriFinance

"At first, I was skeptical about returning to consultancy after starting my career at one of the Big Four and transitioning to a permanent role a few years later. Once again, constant changes in terms of colleagues, locations, projects, clients... However, after some open conversations with the internal BaseCamp team at TriFinance, many of my doubts were dispelled, and I became fully convinced of the opportunities that TriFinance has to offer."

Experience shows that the pitfalls Astrid feared on paper from the similarities with her previous role as an auditor are indeed not reflected in practice in her job as a Project Consultant at TriFinance.

I work in my own region and can also co-define the content of my next project. This allows me to give direction to my own career.

"In my role as a Project Consultant, I can make much more of an impact at the client: instead of checking how everything is going from an audit perspective after the fact, I now get to work executive and can make a difference. By working on projects for longer than a few days or weeks, Astrid now also builds strong relationships with both the team at the client and with TriFinance colleagues. “I get a lot of energy from that sense of collegiality. Regular events with TriFinance colleagues help to strengthen the connection, but also working together at the office for a day, for example. I regularly work at the TriFinance office on Fridays so I can end the week with drinks with colleagues.”

Crossing the entire country is no longer necessary either. “I work in my own region and can also co-define the content of my next project. This allows me to give direction to my own career. For me, that is a big difference compared to my previous permanent position as a controller. Now I can explore different roles, keep challenging myself and at the same time I am also supported in my professional growth.”

In my role as a Project Consultant, I can make much more of an impact at the client: instead of checking how everything is going from an audit perspective after the fact, I now get to work executive and can make a difference.

Exploring the landscape, both personally and professionally

Astrid often leaves home in the morning with not only her laptop but also her surfboard in the car. "When the weather permits, I like to drive to the coast after work to catch a few waves. Another passion of mine is the GR5, a long-distance hiking route from the Hook of Holland to Nice in France. Professionally, my job as a Project Consultant allows me to explore the various roles in the controlling landscape. Moreover, the internal BaseCamp team serves as a guide in my career: I am regularly challenged to reflect on the progress of my project and how I can get more out of it, both for myself and for the client. The direction for future projects is also set together. These conversations prompt me to reflect on what energizes me in my current project and what doesn't. This helps in shaping my career."

I am regularly challenged to reflect on the progress of my project and how I can get more out of it, both for myself and for the client.

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Project track record
  • Project: Group controlling & consolidation officer at an international cookware manufacturer
    Scope: Assisting in the process of loading monthly figures, performing consolidation entries and monitoring intercompany differences. Also initiating the cash flow set-up in the consolation system and some more complex analyses, such as profit in stock eliminations and impairment analyses.
    Growth opportunities: Looking at the consolidation process from the other side versus my previous role as an auditor.

  • Project: Business controlling at an international producer of building materials
    Scope: Temporary support as a bridge between departing employee and new permanent employee. Important focus on mapping purchase price variances.
    Growth opportunities: After a very brief hand-over, quickly gaining control of the situation in order to meet reporting deadlines. Improve existing reporting and prepare manuals for closing.

  • Project: Commercial controlling at an international market research company
    Scope: Support in monthly closings, preparing reports and performing analysis, setting up and monitoring budgets and monthly forecasting. Financial business partner for the sales teams and assisting in the implementation of the new ERP system.
    Growth opportunities: New type of environment (services instead of production) and new systems. The confidence given by the customer allowed to take ownership and achieve a lot, including setting up contribution reporting for 16 sales entities, with both statistical and dynamic data. Result was an improved understanding of current numbers and a more accurate forecast. Especially proud of the fact that this reporting was launched internationally, aligning processes across countries and enabling better collaboration.

Whether it's taking training courses or discovering new career opportunities, at TriFinance you are encouraged to bring out the best in yourself.

(Rapid) growth opportunities

Without a doubt, Astrid finds the advantage of the various projects to be the steeper growth curve. “At TriFinance you get the chance to fulfill different roles in various environments: business, commercial, cost, plant, project controlling, in a production or a service environment. You name it. Those experiences allow me to develop my skills and expertise in the broad sense and grow faster than in a permanent role. And on top, you can always count on the TriFinance team to support you in your development. Whether you have specific questions related to your project or you need more general guidance in your growth journey.”

That growth and development culture also translates into training opportunities. “I'm in charge of my own career and my ambitions are really listened to. With those ambitions as a guiding principle, I can decide which training or courses I want to take. For example, I have already taken courses in cost controlling, Power BI and People Management.”

At TriFinance you get the chance to fulfill different roles in various environments: business, commercial, cost, plant, project controlling, in a production or a service environment. You name it.

Ambition to grow into a leadership position

Remember the vacancy for CFO from eleventh grade? As an ambition for herself over the next 5 years, Astrid sees more challenging roles within finance and consulting. “Ideally, I would like to grow into a leadership position in which I can lead and mentor a team and use my experience to achieve successes. Today, I am already mentoring less experienced colleagues at TriFinance. In that role, I find it important to provide a listening ear and new insights. I get a lot of fulfillment from passing on my knowledge, both soft skills and hard skills, to my colleagues.”

I get a lot of fulfillment from passing on my knowledge, both soft skills and hard skills, to my colleagues.

In addition, Astrid wants to further deepen her expertise in specific areas, such as financial planning and analysis or strategic management. “My ultimate goal is to be recognized as a trusted consultant in the industry and to make valuable contributions to the success of the organizations I work with.”

Working as a Controller at TriFinance

Do you have the ambition to grow your career? Are you fascinated by the world of financial or business control? And would you like to broaden your horizons by working with various companies and sectors? In that case, you’re the controller we’re looking for.

At TriFinance, we do things differently. Here, you decide the direction your career will take, and we put your ambition and personal growth first. Develop your expertise and controlling skills thanks to a variety of challenging projects for different clients in diverse industries.

Varied, challenging and completely fulfilling: are you ready to grow your ambitions as a controller?

Apply now for a job as a Controller at TriFinance

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