EMEA Recruitment Podcast #157 - The Optimistic Approach – Tania Micki

We were delighted to welcome Tania Micki, Group CFO at Tecan AG, onto the EMEA Recruitment podcast. 

"Dream big, stay unique, make it count."

In this episode, Tania reveals that it's the simple things that keep her smiling; spending time with her son in the mornings and dropping him off at school. 

In terms of time management, Tania believes it's all about priorities and balance. She has always been ambitious, and strives to continuously learn and evolve in her career, now taking part in mentoring to help others. 

Paul Toms asks Tania what it feels like in the role of Group CFO at Tecan AG. She recalls coming back home from the office feeling great and smiling. Tania adds that, when you are doing something meaningful, it makes the work much more enjoyable. At Tecan AG, there is a focus on people and culture, which shines through.

Tania discusses joining the company during COVID, which she found challenging. However, she had already had lunch some colleagues before lockdown, which made relationship building easier; even though relationships can be created virtually, it does not replace the face-to-face interaction, she believes. 

Touching on Tania's optimistic approach, she explains that, through life and experience, you can either cry and complain or you can do something about it and find a reason to smile.

Exploring the qualities of a leader, Paul commends Tania for the great recommendations listed on LinkedIn referencing her leadership and work ethic. In her role, optimism definitely helps, alongside being a role model, having clarity in your goals, and offering freedom and trust. 

Speaking about the younger generation and their attitude to work, Tania claims that the vast amount of information available means that they are looking for change at a faster pace. Instead, Tania is a fan of internal rotation and "asking the question"; you cannot learn about the company and your role in its entirety within 18 months, so have a conversation with your manager about opportunities before moving on – patience is key. 

Onto the future of the Finance function, Tania believes that artificial intelligence can support the function, but it will not provide all the answers. The added value is knowing the actions you are going to drive from digital tools and their results. 

Furthermore, Tania believes that qualifications can provide you with the foundations of knowledge and an understanding of the discipline, but you must update that on a regular basis, alongside your business acumen and common sense. As CFO, you must understand a wide range of topics that will bring change to the table.

To end the episode, Paul and Tania discussed change, diversity, and women in the workplace. Tania has created a CFO/CHRO women group, who meet quarterly and exchange information. She is also a believer of natural change from an equality and equity point of view, and feels that a change in mentality is helping. 

 

Are you looking for a particular part of the episode? Use the timestamps below:

01:20: The last thing that made Tania smile
02:40: Setting priorities
06:55: What it feels like to be Group CFO
10:20: Joining Tecan AG during COVID
13:35: The optimistic approach
15:30: Qualities of a leader
19:05: The importance of trust
21:50: The benefits of staying with a company for 10+ years
27:40: The future of Finance
36:00: The importance of qualifications
40:50: Change, diversity, and progress

If you'd like to reach out to Tania, connect with her on LinkedIn