Business
Today on the podcast I am chatting with Agnes Handayani. Agnes is the treasurer at Mastronardi Produce. Agnes is based in Detroit and has made the switch from the car industry across into the food industry. She has a good understanding and insight into working in different industries. On the episode: Agnes spent the first 20 years of her career in many different finance roles before she took a project assignment that saw her move towards treasury at the end of the project. Agnes loves working in treasury and the fact that within treasury she is able to stay connected to all aspects and departments within a company. The different industries that Agnes has worked in has given her a range of experience. She has found that the growth potential and cash flow between the different businesses can be very different. From a technical perspective the different industries are similar within the treasury department. When it comes to the cash management side of things can be different along with the exposure. The change from one industry to another was not difficult for Agnes and she was able to adapt to the change well. It is simply getting use to the different focus in the different companies. Agnes finds that building highly performing teams is the thing she is most proud of in her career. When hiring for a team, Agnes looks for someone who can adapt and continue to reinvent themselves. The requirements of the staff member does change based on the company and the company needs. Resilience is also important when choosing a team member. Agnes would recommend that those coming into the industry take opportunities and take the risk with something new. A successful treasurer in the eyes of the CFO would be someone who is well immersed in the business and the projects within it. Also someone who is innovated and keeping up to date with the changing of technology. With technology advances, Agnes foresees that the role will change with processes being put in place and technology being able to assist with the tasks created from the processes. Mentors have played a big role in Agnes career and she has had a lot of them throughout her career. Networking has always been a natural part of Agnes and her career and has been very useful at different times within her career.