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Lindström FINANCE AND BUSINESS CONTROL DEVELOPMENT Thinking about my 14 years in Lindström, it came to my mind, that during last several years our Lindstrom finance function substantially developed. Our finance transformation started a while ago with creation of centralized core functions center in Finland (led that time by incredible Karita Laakso, great work done!) and development of proper business control in the countries, making clear focus on business partnering and supporting decision-making with timely & reliable data in group and regional level. Lately, we have country business controllers in most of Lindström subsidiaries, headed by regional heads of finance and substantial support from group finance, data and analytics teams, treasury, M&A and centralized core functions in Head office. I am impressed by great development of our head office group reporting and financial control team, headed by experienced leader Olga Gasheva. Our CFO Petri Vapola greatly supports initiatives and pro-activity, enhancing people to grow. To achieve our purpose and as well our ambition for growth, we continue to develop strong and agile finance function that can support our business strategy, markets, risks and processes. Today and in the future, we need to act fast, efficient, be some kind of superheroes. Business partnering is becoming important part of our company caring culture and its evident, that our Country Business controllers should further develop skills to support the business. Finance needs to have versatile communication skills, effective storytelling, and an insatiable desire to solve business puzzles. We need to be able to influence, challenge, and connect the strategic, operational, and financial planning, without creating silos. In other words, we persist in our efforts to transition from reporting to actively leading and enabling the organization to make optimal decisions more swiftly.  That is how we move from operating in the background to becoming a co-pilot in driving the company's profitable growth journey. I am enthusiastic about witnessing how our finance function will further evolve in the coming years! 😍 #WeCare #LindströmFinance #BusinessPartnering

This month our Employee Spotlight is shining on Graeme Barnes, our Regional Commercial Finance Manager who has been with the business since 2020… What does your journey at Mayborn look like? I was initially hired as a Management Accountant looking after our UK and Europe P&L’s. I was then promoted to Management Accountant & Transformation Lead in Oct ’20, tasked with aligning and streamlining our global finance processes and following that I was again promoted to Management Accounts Lead in Jan ’23, taking over supervision of the Management Accounts team and responsibility for the numbers reported. In February 2024 I was promoted to my current role of UK & Europe Commercial Finance Manager. I now act as a conduit between the Management Accounts and Commercial teams to try and ensure reliable forecasting and well-articulated actuals in my regions. How does your role support/ impact the business? My role currently involves presenting forecasts to senior members of the business, which will inform strategic decisions we make. The numbers I present can indicate where our strategy is working, and where intervention is potentially required. My Management Accounts background helps me quickly identify and communicate potential surprises within the numbers, which hopefully inspires a bit more confidence in the numbers we present. What’s your favourite thing about Mayborn? There’s always challenge and scope for progression here for those who want it. I also love that change is actively encouraged and that you’re empowered to make a positive impact. I’ve worked in change-resistant environments previously and it can be incredibly frustrating. What’s your biggest achievement over the last 12 months? I’d probably say how seamless my transition away from the Management Accounts team has been. In my time managing that group, I purposely put a lot of focus on consistent ways of working and succession planning, so it’s been great to see that the continuing to do well. Of course, it could be that I was useless and they have a more capable team now! 

Ever wondered what it takes to be a Finance Manager? We sat down with Steven Craig, NWR’s Finance Manager, to find out. Steven’s wheelhouse is in “most things finance”. His work involves leadership and mentoring, strategic planning, stakeholder management, and financial modelling and analysis. All of which help keep our management accounting, tax compliance, and commercial matters on track. It’s more than that, he says. “Finance and accounting are more than numbers. It’s really about communication; making sure what we see on a page is clear and concise and relatable to others, is extremely important. Also, the ability to plan, problem solve, and quickly adapt is crucial in being successful in finance.” While planning and problem solving are core, and previous experience matters, Steven really thrives on challenges. “I’ve always been drawn to challenges and interested in and enjoyed managing, supporting, and helping people to grow.” As part of his role, and promotion to Finance Manager, Steven leads a small professional finance team which he sees as a significant opportunity for learning and career progression. “I feel very supported,” he adds. Since joining NWR, three and half years ago, Steven has been involved in some of our biggest negotiations, stakeholder meetings, and technological changes. His drive and strength to jump right in comes from what he describes as “feeling comfortable in the uncomfortable.” Naturally, his best advice to aspiring professionals and our team is similar: “Take the opportunity. With your career, or whichever path you choose, taking the opportunity is key. I have learnt the most from having complex problems and tasks put in front of me and diving into the deep end.” With the future looking bright and many challenges on the horizon, Steven’s ambition, and confidence in taking the lead for our finance team is undeniable. What truly stands out is his affiliative, people-first leadership style and genuine approach to creating a space for team safety, which sets him apart as our next-gen leader. 🙌 #NWRpeople #keepitreal #authenticity #meetourteam

If you are a finance controller but want to become a finance director, here's a simple tip. Stop being a control freak. Nobody wants to work with someone who triple checks everything and takes 3 weeks to make a decision. Start focusing on the bigger picture. Finance directors aren’t hired to manage the details. They’re hired to lead. Delegate more. ______________ ⤴ If you are a senior finance professional, looking to improve your visibility through storytelling on LinkedIn, find more details here at gauravmehta.me

100% agree. Attention to detail got you here. But to move up, you need to think bigger. Finance Head or directors aren’t hired to triple-check numbers or obsess over every decimal. They’re hired to lead, make decisions, and drive strategy. ✅ Delegate more—trust your team. ✅ Speed up decisions—perfection slows progress. ✅ Focus on impact—big-picture thinking wins. #FinanceLeadership

Some of the ways one could be a best finance manager in their company 1.Master Financial Fundamentals: Excel in financial reporting, budgeting, and understanding financial statements. 2.Stay Updated: Continuously learn about industry trends, regulations, and financial technologies. 3.Strategic Thinking: Align financial strategies with business goals and manage financial risks effectively. 4.Effective Communication: Clearly convey financial information to stakeholders and negotiate well. 5.Leadership: Lead and develop your finance team, and make informed, strategic decisions. 6Ethical Practices: Uphold integrity, ensure transparency, and maintain compliance with legal requirements. 7.Operational Efficiency: Manage costs, automate processes, and improve profitability. 8.Build Relationships: Collaborate with internal teams and network with external partners. Those are some of my thoughts as a young lady passionate about being the best female finance manager Qn:You As a finance manager already in making kindly share with me what you think can help me ease my career journey to being the best finance manager by the age of 25?

I am a proud Finance Controller. I have been in Finance controllership for many years now and let me tell you, its less of a job, more of a mindset. It’s about foresight. - When to pull the brakes, when to accelerate. - When to say “not yet” or when to say “it’s time”. Our decisions are not always popular, but are necessary. → We look beyond the numbers. → We understand the pulse of the business. → And when a crisis hits, we don’t panic. We respond. In the end, we don’t just manage the books. We shape the future of the company, one decision at a time. #ProudFinanceController

I was a Finance Manager, I wanted to prove myself. The CFO gave me a task, but it was impossible to complete in the given time frame. I stayed up all night and made it possible. His reaction? He gave me the next impossible task, and the next impossible task and the next.... And thats how by completing impossible tasks after tasks, I grew in my career and went on to become → Deputy General Manager → and later Finance Controller. With every challenge, I was taught to see beyond the limits. To think bigger. To anticipate what was needed before anyone even asked. I used to think he was setting me up to fail. But in reality, I was being set up to lead. The challenges never stopped. And nor did my growth :) #FinanceController

In today’s world, work-life balance has evolved into more of a ‘work-life continuum’, where both realms don’t always need to be rigidly separated. It’s about embracing what works best for ‘you’ based on your priorities, your personal situation, and your unique energy levels. This continuum thrives when we stop boxing time into work or personal and instead aim for a flow that feels natural. Sometimes, that may mean putting in extra hours to fuel your passion or letting work spill into unconventional hours, while other times, it’s unplugging fully and diving into personal interests. As long as you’re enjoying the journey and not feeling overwhelmed or guilty for not carving out “me” time in the way it’s conventionally seen, then you’re likely on the right track. What works for you may not work for someone else—and that’s completely fine. It's about authenticity: honoring what energizes you rather than following a one-size-fits-all formula. In the end, the goal is fulfillment, and how you get there is yours to define. #WorkLifeContinuum #BalanceYourWay #DoWhatFeelsRight #PersonalFulfillment #AuthenticLiving #AvoidBurnout #MeTimeMatters #WorkLifeHarmony #ThriveTogether #PrioritizeYourself #DefineYourPath #FindYourFlow #EnergyManagement #UniqueJourney #BeYou #OneSizeDoesNotFitAll #LivingAuthentically #SelfCareInWork #RedefineBalance #WorkAndLife

If you're not good at something… You need to find someone who is good at it. I have always believed in that saying. Everyone has their talent, and you should build and trust in that. That this is true and works for you, I have experienced over the past 26 years with my highly esteemed colleague Marcel Dresen. He started with us as an accountant and is now the CFO of our company. He holds the highest position in finance within The Schippers Group. He manages various financial departments for us from his role, and he does it so well. We have been able to rely on him for years. He knows everything, can do everything, does everything. That's wonderful. Now, it's just that The Schippers Group is getting bigger. For that reason, we need to open a Family Office. That's a part of the company where the family's wealth is managed. A lot needs to be done for that, as you can imagine. And Marcel has still been doing that as CFO. But currently, we have reached the point where we really need to separate this. It takes too much time, and it requires such expertise that it's better to have someone else handle it separately. I discussed this issue with Marcel, and Marcel wondered if he should become the accountant for the Family Office. He seriously considered it. I found that very special because it would mean he would go from CFO back to the role of accountant. He was almost willing to do it because he wants to help maintain the Family Office. However, we decided together that he is far too good as CFO. He belongs in that role. He excels at it. He should continue to use that talent. Besides, it feels good and familiar when he is the CFO. He knows everything, can do everything. We truly work together. But what now? This means we are looking for a super good controller. A controller who loves managing financial administration, who enjoys joining a family business with global ambitions, someone who likes a challenge with numbers, and also someone who, in addition to their expertise, has a passion for the profession. Are you or do you know the controller I describe? Apply now! Or forward this post to the controller you know. https://lnkd.in/ec8EQj8B Sharing is appreciated! 😁