Anastasia is a German national and a devoted mother of 2 children. She has spent 8 years in Switzerland and is the CFO of Outdoorchef AG.
Outdoorchef AG is an outdoor barbecue business with companies in the Netherlands, Germany and Austria, with the HQ in Switzerland, and is held by Diethelm Keller Group. 

As someone who has been working in Switzerland for many years, what changes have you seen to the employment market, particularly within finance?

Over the last 9 years the market has seen an increase in Pharmaceutical businesses and start-up companies. Switzerland has maintained its’ competitiveness for new companies and still has a strong work life balance, which is attractive. Switzerland is known for our support of start-ups and low tax systems to attract international companies. We also have a strong international base of professionals which seems to have strengthened. I’d say there hasn’t been too much of a change on this front. 

We can see that you are growing your brand portfolio, what is your strategy and how does this affect your position?

We have a lot of brands and sectors that we work with; what’s important is having a passion for your product, whatever it is. You need to find that motivation for the product. 

Can you identify how your organisation stands out from the market and your competitors?

I just have one word - innovation. We have a unique product which is a unique system to produce tasteful and healthy grilled food. We are specialised on gas grills, which allows you time to spend more time with guests. It’s safe, tasteful and again healthy, which makes us one of the best in the market. The brand is just great - I have two barbecues at home!

What challenges await your business and how do you hope to overcome them?

There are always challenges that you will face, in any business and in any role. The best advice I can give to overcome these, is to surround yourself with a good strong team. With these foundations and working together, any challenge can be overcome.

You have worked for small companies and large businesses, what are the advantages and disadvantages of both?

I’ve really enjoyed working in both and believe it’s helped in my career to date. In a large business you can become a specialist in your field. In a small company you need to be more of a generalist, an allrounder. You have to work smarter and faster and I really enjoyed working closely with a business. It’s a little harder to be recognised in a larger company, but the training and development is there to support you. I had the luck of both and learned and developed my skills.

How did you get to the level you are at?

I’m ambitious, and I dedicated a lot. I love my job - motivation and passion are key attributes.

What great decisions do you believe you have made throughout your career and have you had to take risks?

Beginning my career in practice helped me. Not everyone who starts in the Big 4 becomes a CFO, so taking responsibilities and risks in your career is key. Everyday decisions hold elements of risk. When an opportunity arises, take it with both hands and embrace the challenges.

Looking back through your established career, what would you identify as a personal highlight?

Working at an international level, it’s really helped me to understand a variety of cultures, which makes you more open-minded. Languages are also key. I speak German, English, Italian and Greek; this gives me a better understanding of people and I can connect with my teams faster.

If you could give advice to mid-level accountants who are now thinking about their next career move, what would it be?

It always depends on their career ambitions; if they want to move forward and improve, it’s important to start with accounting. The basics. It’s key to know how this works and you can then become a Controller, Finance Manager or move into a ‘Head of’ role. Have passion in what you want to do and achieve. Changing companies and industry is also good - this varies your experience.

What advice would you give to future aspiring leaders, and why?

I would advise to lead with energy and focus; it’s again about having the passion for your role. For women, it’s important to treat all team members the same, in turn you will be treated with the same respect.
There shouldn’t be a divide between the sexes. You should be adaptable and teach this skill to your team. They in turn can work at the same speed as you. It’s important to have the trust and motivation from your team. Give them focus, work towards a target and enthuse energy to achieve the targets. Encourage team meetings with a purpose or agenda to follow.

Who is the most inspirational person in business to you, and why?

I have a lot! Every supervisor, CEO and colleague I’ve ever worked with I’ve learned from and they inspire me. I learnt the most from a former manager of mine; we didn’t personally connect but I was taught some great fundamentals which I still use today.

Equality in the workplace has been a hot topic for several years now. As a female CFO what issues do you face and how do you overcome them?

I think it’s really important that, as a Female CFO, I treat my team, my colleagues and my CEO the same. I’m not treating a female or male any differently and this reflects again on being treated the same regardless of title.  I’ve seen results with people treating each other like this. Throughout my career I have had to prove myself and to reach board level to bring another perspective to business and wish to see this increase throughout other international companies.