You currently work as Director of Finance and Operations at Straumann and have clearly had a very successful career within the business. What have been your career highlights and what would you say has been a key point to your success?
My career highlights within Straumann have included the successful implementation of a new ERP system (SAP), maintaining a high contribution margin, even in the recession, and after becoming responsible for the Benelux region, the successful restructuring of the Benelux finance function.
In implementing SAP, my task was to harmonise the business process for easy international roll out and to ensure smooth implementation in Benelux. As a result, we were able to easily consolidate financial data and sales reports for multiple countries, which previously needed to be pulled individually from their own standalone systems, and in including end users in the test phase, we saved considerable time and energy after the Go Live.
Reviewing the Benelux finance function allowed more interesting roles for team members to be created with opportunities for personal development and growth and for the business, we saved on overall headcount in Benelux as the combined team improved the profitability of the Belgian organisation.
I think the key point to success is to always take the opportunities that come up, focus on what the best outcome for the business is, continue to develop yourself and do what you like doing because that is so much easier to excel in than when you end up doing something that you do not enjoy doing.
 
What attributes do you think make a good leader in finance?
A good finance leader is able to connect the numbers to the business. Do not just create reports but understand what the numbers mean and be able to explain the meaning to top management and advise on corrective actions if needed. From a team leading perspective, it is essential that you coach a team to be empowered, allow them to make mistakes and help them learn from it. Give them space to develop and grow. I noticed that if you allow them to find their own area of interest they usually go to the area they excel in, focus on that rather than on continuously trying to improve the areas they are not good at.
 
What advice would you give to ambitious women who are aspiring to reach senior leadership roles?
Do not overthink your career, do not plan it too much or it could limit your options. Take the opportunities as they come and try new things, even if you are not totally confident; there are always people to support you. Be pro-active. Take ownership. Celebrate your successes.  If you lead a team, show them trust, delegate and support them where needed because you will only be successful if your team does well. Try to find a company that has a culture that fits to your values, in such an environment it is easy to thrive well.
 
What books/blogs are you currently reading?

I am currently reading ” Choosing Change”? by Susan Goldsworthy, she was my coach during the IMD High Performance Leadership Training. Also, posts by Harvard Business Review. I am studying Internal Control Systems and Risk Management to refresh my knowhow in that area. I continue to develop my skills and attend several 1-day trainings related to Business Management/Strategy and Productive/Efficient working methods.

 
When you have interviewed candidates in the past, what are the common mistakes/positives you have noticed?
I notice that candidates tend to put a lot of focus on their formal education, this to me is on the theoretical side of things, it is a snapshot of your theoretical knowhow at a certain point in time. I am more interested in your experience and practical skills, what tasks have you performed, what are your achievements, how did you improve yourself.
 
What is the best piece of advice you have been given throughout your career?
Continue to question the status quo and talk to people, ask questions all the time. Stay curious and learn along the journey. And most of all, do not give up.

*Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the Interviewee and NOT views shared by EMEA Recruitment.*

Describe yourself in 3 words.
Responsible, accountable and takes ownership … those are also my expectations of people whom I work with.
I believe these describe a person rather than the person’s capabilities … it means you have someone who is aware of himself and the role he plays in the company, who is responsible for the tasks being done rather than relying on someone else to do it instead. When such an individual accepts the outcome, either positive or negative, then you have an accountable colleague you can count on. Furthermore, a person needs to be willing to sacrifice a part of himself, invest themselves in the company … add to the company’s values and objectives rather than seeing it purely as a monthly source of income … almost as if they own it. In most cases, the company will return the favour.

How would you advise a jobseeker to approach the current market?
It will become rare in the future to find many people, who are willing to make sacrifices for the benefit of the company. Individuals who will be prepared to do so, will be better positioned … almost like starting the 100m race with a 10m head-start. I base this on my last couple of roles in Switzerland and Germany, where I found it very challenging to find recent graduates with realistic expectations of advancement. Nowadays it is hard to quickly advance starting from zero in almost any company, so I would advise someone in university to get exposed to the business whilst studying, as it will be a significant advantage. Overall, the advice is: be flexible, do not have rigid expectations of what a job should be like. Compromise is an essential skill to learn and later on, you will have the ability to be more selective if your skills and experience make your profile more attractive to the market.

What attributes do you look for when choosing a recruitment partner?
Foremost – the ability to understand the company’s and my needs. Secondly, the ability to gather a significant pool of candidates, and thirdly, having international presence. In terms of value-add, I personally need to understand the local market quickly. I haven’t been in Switzerland for a long time, consequently I need to know things quickly to be effective. Receiving advice from local experts is of huge value. Nowadays, there are often discussions about different generations’ expectations, which clearly play an important role in the recruitment process, but I also believe one should not underestimate the cultural differences. Hence why I want more than just a list of people ranked by their abilities and positions held in the past … and I want to be advised correctly when I am perhaps less knowledgeable.

Looking back through your established career, what would you identify as a personal highlight?
This would definitely be the time I spent in Prague participating in the set-up of an in-house regional shared service centre for a multinational, and progressing to eventually leading it. This is a highlight because it was a new thing for both myself, and for my employer. There was no blue-print, we had a lot of freedom to try new things. For me, this was probably the time in my life when I made the most mistakes… and learned from each and every one of them. Due to the importance of the centre at that time, it was unthinkable to make the same mistake twice. It was a very steep learning curve for me as well as for all of my colleagues. Today I wouldn’t claim it to immediately be a particularly smooth operation which delivered all expectations, but I do know that it improved from quarter to quarter and eventually became a benchmark within the company for scope, execution and excellence.

We see that Biosensors seems to be partnering with some of the larger names in the medical devices space – can you identify how Biosensors International stands out from the market/ competitors?
When compared to other competitors in the market Biosensors is not automatically the largest. However, in terms of current and future technologies, it is perhaps one of the most advanced. We have currently a product in our portfolio, which stands out from the rest on the market … and we have clinical evidence proving it, something our competitors simply do not have. We believe we have technological platforms which are setting future standards. Where we do see a challenge, is in scale – Biosensors does not have the reach to use the full potential of the new and exciting products. Therefore, finding a strategic partner was of significant importance to us. We are finding synergies with their ability to cover markets, and successfully sell and market our product. For example, when entering a new market, it takes a lot of effort, time and resources to be successful. Being able to partner with a company which is already present is a huge advantage. It is also true that there are benefits for the partner as well!

What do you love about Switzerland, and why?
I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but I find it amazing how well things work in Switzerland. Compared to my experiences in other countries, things here are very efficient and streamlined. There is very limited bureaucracy involved, the responses you get from various bodies and authorities are very clear. It’s also very impressive how willing they are to use logic and common sense versus blind adherence to the rules. It all gives you a feeling that they want you to be successful. Often you feel like you have a silent business partner … you don’t actually employ them, but you know you have someone supporting you in what you are trying to accomplish. This is a contrast to some other environments I have experienced, where often the bureaucracy represents a hurdle rather than help. Switzerland is so much more than low tax rates which are presumed to be the reason for all the businesses relocating here … several other countries have low tax rates as well … it’s the whole package that is impressive.

If you could choose an Artistic/Musical/Sporting career, what would it be and why?
Tennis. I played tennis – unfortunately not good enough to make anything meaningful out of it. Recently I am more into endurance activities but this is rather a personal challenge than anything else. Acting, singing, I’m terrible at them, sports is more my thing. I would look to a few players to aspire to; Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg, and being in Switzerland, I guess I cannot skip Roger Federer. For me, they represent the sport, and seem to be (from what you read in the media) humble and normal guys, who in theory could take advantage of their status, but have chosen not to.
 

*Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the Interviewee and not views shared by EMEA Recruitment.

You are currently working as VP Finance/CFO for Stryker Europe and have clearly had a very successful career within Stryker. What has been your career highlights and what would you say has been a key point to your success?
 
I believe my career highlights were from when I moved from Switzerland to Hong Kong with Stryker where I worked as CFO – Emerging Markets. This was a super exciting environment of high growth with lots of challenges and diversity, where I learnt a lot both professionally and personally interacting with different levels of leadership, which was a great environment for development. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to assist with the growth of the business, including a combination of M&A and R&D across a variety of Countries and divisions. I contributed to the strategy of the business, whilst learning a huge amount. A key success factor for me was flexibility and the ability to effectively balance business support with controlling and motivating the team to deliver the maximum in both areas of activity.
 
What element of Finance really motivates/excites you?
 
The reality here is the connection that Finance has to the business. I have passed on many of my opinions to my team. I think it is essential in a Finance role to wear two hats at once so to speak. You need to be a very good business partner and of course have a really good understanding of the financials. Together these skills create a natural evolution, which can create opportunities to work with the Leadership team and to really add value.
 
You spent several years working for EY in Milan and London, what would you say is the best piece of advice you could give someone who is looking to make their initial move outside of a Big 4 Practice?
 
Here there are multiple factors to consider. Firstly, ensure it is the right company that offers the most appealing role, where there is career development and learning capabilities. Research the growth and performance of the company and make sure the job content takes priority over the job title. Arguably Big 4 training is a very strong basis for a career in Finance, so you need to make sure your role in Industry will offer you the opportunity to leverage what you have learned there. At the same time, keep an open mind and be humble acknowledging that you are frankly still at the beginning and there is a lot you do not know about the dynamics of a business. If you maintain this attitude and work hard to make your mark, you will succeed and build a great career.
 
When you have interviewed candidates in the past, what are the common mistakes/positives you have noticed?
 
Some of the mistakes I have encountered are that candidates prepare their story and do not deviate from that. Of course it is important to talk about your day to day responsibilities but I think it is key to decipher what are your relevant achievements. Candidates need to ensure they listen to the question being asked and stay focused on that point. The ability to really understand the key point of a question being asked is essential in an interview environment.
 
During your career, you have had lots of International experience and exposure. What are the benefits of this and do you think this is essential for success?
 
International exposure has been essential for my success, simply down to the diversity factor. I think this experience gives you a completely different view point, dealing with a diversity of thoughts, interests and cultures. It helps to learn to be adaptable to a variety of environments. Moreover, if you want to operate at a high level in today’s global business environment, international exposure is critically important.
 
If you could go back and give your younger self some career advice, what would it be?
 
Number one, accept the fact that you learn along your journey and of course you will make mistakes. Learn from those, but ensure you remain yourself and do not try to do something or be somebody that is not you. Secondly, as you grow your career, focus on creating and developing the best team. Don’t be afraid to make changes, you will be hesitant initially but try not to procrastinate. Always be transparent, direct and honest in providing feedback either positive or negative.
 
A general piece of advice would be to take ownership of your career and direction. Colleagues notice when you take on more responsibility and are proactive with your approach and take yourself outside of your comfort zone.

*Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the Interviewee and not views shared by EMEA Recruitment.*

You have worked throughout your career with Nestlé in various roles and across different countries. Which has been the most memorable role and why?

A lot of people ask me that question, but there is no difference for me in any of the roles and that’s valid for the roles, the countries and the people. I lived in six countries and all of them were good. If you really challenged me I may remember a few bad things, but I decided a long time ago to become an ex-pat, for which you need a certain mindset – and a supportive family! The most important support I had was from my wife and we grew up with the kids together. They are two ‘safety nets’ when you are an ex-pat – your family and the company.

In every country it was great for different reasons and I grew with each of the jobs – it was a very interesting learning curve. I started without too much experience – I grew up in Hungary behind the ” Iron curtain”?. In the first year of University I still had a book ‘The Political Economics of Socialism’ – which was thrown away soon after the second semester.

My diploma was in International Commerce and so I started in finance with no knowledge of accounting and learnt on the job, I never studied accounting until working!  At university I followed the international finance subject, which helped me understanding the topic faster and better.

I moved to Switzerland in 1990, after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. I won a Scholarship from the Swiss embassy in Hungary for a Postgraduate course and studied at the University of Neuchâtel. I heard of opportunities at Nestlé from a contact at my tennis club and started working at the headquarters in Vevey. I was sent to Croydon, England to learn English, where I studied an intense three-week course and then had to start work in England and adapt to the language very quickly!

Luck and network have huge importance in your career – though I believe you can manage your luck. I always embraced opportunities offered to me and made the best of them.

This year Nestlé is celebrating 150 years in Switzerland, what do you think has been the key to the company’s ongoing success?

I think it’s always helpful to be in the food business as people always need to eat! Infant cereal was a revolutionary product and also Nescafé was a breakthrough. A scientist at Nestlé created technology to make soluble coffee as the Brazilian government needed a way to store an excessive supply of coffee beans. Chocolate was also revolutionary, towards the end of 19^th century, using milk powder to mix with roasted and ground cocoa beans.

Nestlé have considerable expertise in manufacturing and technologies in all the categories. We probably spend the most out of all food companies on Research & Development. Nespresso, for example, was ahead of its’ time. It was actually created in the 80’s but only picked up popularity 15 years ago.

Nestlé has also grown through acquisitions with the likes of Carnation (and Friskies) in the 80’s, Rowntree’s and Spillers in the 90’s and later Purina or Wyeth.  Innovation and renovation are key, as is an ongoing understanding of geographical expansion and emerging markets – for example the Philippines, with limited milk production, was a busy market for powdered milk during the time I worked there.

What do you think are the major challenges that lie ahead for Switzerland’s growth?

The Swiss market for Nestlé is relatively small, making up less than 2% of Nestlé’s worldwide business, but is extremely important as we are a Swiss company where Henri Nestlé founded and set up the business. Nestlé have opened, at the site of his first factory, a museum (an interactive experience about food and nutrition) called the ‘nest’.

There are some changes for the business in the near future with current CEO Paul Bulcke becoming Chairman in 2017, and new CEO Ulf Mark Schneider (from Fresenius Medical) joining in September 2016.

How have you seen the role of finance change throughout your career?

A lot actually – it is more important and different than it was before, because of strategic thinking. When I joined Nestlé the role of finance was just that – financial – but now it is much more strategic. The CFO and CEO are the only people who see everything to do with the company – we have an overview of balance sheet, P&L, everything.

Each business unit has ‘co-pilots’ dealing with the finance. We have a portfolio management tool which manages from bottom up the forecasts from the markets, from the businesses, which is consolidated at each level – globally managed business level and group level - so I have visibility of all regions and all categories. I use that information get the full picture to work with the CEO and Zone Management to set the direction and targets of all the markets and monitor them. So our decisions really impact the development of the business.

What attributes do you think make a good leader in finance?

I strongly believe in management through convincing, not through fear. If staff are motivated, then the results and profits will follow.

I like to adopt a ‘door is always open’ policy as availability is so important.  My colleagues know that if my door is closed it’s because there is something confidential, otherwise it is always open as is my inbox. Personal interaction is key and I believe that a good leader motivates people and that people follow you because they believe in what you say. There are managers and leaders - leaders are much more effective. I also believe that it is possible to learn and grow into a good leader.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in their career or aspiring to be where you are now?

Patience is very important – if promotion doesn’t happen immediately keep calm, understand what’s happening around you and enjoy gaining experience. Appreciate how lucky you can be and take opportunities.

For example, I was asked to move across to the Philippines with my family earlier in my career with Nestlé, with only 3 weeks’ notice. I negotiated a slightly later start to celebrate my 40^th birthday in Hungary with my family, but we then moved across and I took the opportunity.

Exposure to different countries (some developed, some not), cultures and various stages of technical advance has really expanded my experience.

One of the great things about Nestlé is that management always find a reason to trust you and obviously continuous coaching and mentoring throughout, particularly when young in your career, is very important.

What are the biggest challenges you have faced in recruitment for Nestlé?

I think that retention of staff is a bigger issue than recruitment. We are a desired company and so do attract the best people, but we must understand new generations well. We need new people, Nestlé is a good school to train them, but then we don’t want to lose good people. We need to move with the times and find the right combination of things whether it is flexible working hours, different motivation, digital interconnection, etc. - the world is changing so quickly.

Employer branding is very important and we have ongoing discussion about how can we create a globally competitive finance function and attract the best staff.

We have a youth employment programme here and like to give skills and knowledge to the younger generation.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given throughout your career?

You should try not to have a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction – particularly in an era when we communicate by email and can sometimes react too quickly. Give yourself time to absorb what’s happened and consider your reaction – perhaps keep your email response in the ‘draft’ folder until the following day when you’ve slept on things. Also, remember that emails can be misconstrued - it is sometime more effective to communicate by phone call or personal interaction.

*Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the Interviewee and not views shared by EMEA Recruitment.*

We see that HP has recently gone through a large and public transformation – can you identify how HP stands out from the market/competitors?

The company separated in November 2015 into 2 listed Fortune 100 business laptop,companies; HP Inc., the personal systems and printing company and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, the server, software, network and servicing company.The separation has been hugely beneficial. At HP Inc., we are now more agile and more focused with the freedom to invest and innovate solely in our own technologies such as with 3D, where will we lead in that market. The separation was a huge operation that went very smoothly with Finance at the forefront of the process. As part of the team, I am very proud of that.

Is the recent spate of announcements we have seen from HP Inc. a result of the transformation then, or is this the new pace you will work at?

Both, we are faster and more innovative.The speed of innovation coming out of the business now is mind blowing. Not only are our devices the best they have ever been, with the world’s lightest consumer and business laptop, plus the world’s smallest printer all coming out in the last year but we're innovating into whole new categories, such as immersive computing with HP Sprout and our 3 in one device, the HP X3. We are truly re-inventing the market and what we bring to it.

Why are you excited to be working for HP Inc.?

We’re the world’s largest start up! We have a renewed energy and focus but also the investment and scale to make a big impact. I was at Drupa recently, the leading industry event for print and graphics, and we had the biggest exhibition ever. I was proud and excited to see this in person, and to see peoples’ reactions.The people element is also very important and the partnership and trust that the rest of the business has with finance, is the best I have ever seen.Plus as one of the largest technology companies in the world, we have great international opportunities – I have worked in the UK, California, and now Geneva.

If you could go back and give your younger (graduate) self some career advice, what would it be?

If you work hard, do your best, and never give up, you are going to succeed. It is a bit of a cliché, but I have found it to be true.The other piece of advice I would give is the importance of networking. People give you advice and open doors for you. I am still learning from other people each and every day. This doesn’t have to be a professional formal ” mentor”? relationship. You can learn a lot from people over coffee. Approaching people and asking for advice is a good thing – not only will you learn from them but they will often think of you for a project or a position, and try to help.

What do you love the most about your current role?

I love the interaction with the business. I really enjoy influencing and helping the business. The return you get from the successes is motivating. My team is second to none and they have an excellent, can-do attitude. We all work together to be successful and deliver our balanced scorecard – share, profitability, channel control, and cash. I genuinely feel we have a team of very high performers here at HP, who go above and beyond to deliver results.

Having previously worked in the EU and the US, how does Switzerland compare?

I probably have a different view from some people here, as I work in Switzerland as part of an American company. I like Switzerland because it is very international. It gives a different perspective. It feels small, but when you see how many companies and banks are based here, it’s amazing. The scale and mix of business is very impressive.

What attributes do you look for when choosing a recruitment partner?

I think the most important thing from a recruitment partner is to have a deep understanding of the business and the culture.They need to understand the business dynamic and understand what sort of person will fit within the team. Every business works in a different way. Someone with the right personality, motivation and energy will sometimes be a better selection than someone with all the right experience assuming the technical skillset is there. Then it is about communication, leadership and being results driven.

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

Believe in what you are capable of and work hard. It is a simple, yet unavoidable truth that nothing comes without work. You need to be motivated, energetic and you need to believe. You should learn to adapt your style. Not everybody responds to the same style in the same way. Different people have very different styles so if you want the best result, you have to adapt to your audience.

If you could have chosen an Artistic, Musical, or Sporting career, what would it be and why?

I would have chosen to be a professional dancer. I danced when I was young until university. Watching professional dancers is awe inspiring; you have to be so strong and yet make it look so graceful. Dancers have to put their body through a great deal of training and tough situations. It’s a good approach to bring to my job today, work hard for results but do it gracefully. 

*Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the Interviewee and not views shared by EMEA Recruitment.*

As someone who has had over 20 years’ experience within the Swiss market-place, how have you found the Swiss market & working environment has changed over these years?

It has completely changed. The main driver is the change in technology. Twenty years ago, who had a mobile phone? The answer is almost nobody. Technology has impacted and accelerated other changes like globalisation. It certainly changed the working environment; availability is no longer limited to office times.  

Communication is now faster, usually more efficient and more frequent than it was 20 years ago. I use video conferencing systems daily enabling me to visually connect to people all over the world at little cost.

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

Our industry has always been very fast moving and high paced. But summarising the last twenty years, it has meant changing product portfolio; less desktops, more notebooks; then less notebooks, more tablets etc. The last years were driven by the growth of smartphones. At the same time we saw a continuous pressure on margins, we reacted to this by adding more value for our customers and streamlining our cost structure.

Currently we are entering a decade of significant changes. Among others, the following four trends may have an impact our industry:

• Internet of Things - meaning more and more devices being connected. It is expected that the number of devices connected over the next five years will double. Studies estimate efficiency gains in 2025 to be somewhere between 4 and 11 trillion dollar – What an opportunity!

• Industry 4.0 – meaning connecting the production processes and machines - crossing borders allowing optimization of Supply Chains with immediate detection of defects. It will also impact the construction area: You will be able to walk through your new house with 3D glasses, walk into rooms, choose colours and furniture etc. before anything has started. Parts of your house will be printed and no longer built. They estimate in a study that going forward this will save 60% of the material and 70% of the time to build a house.

Almost all areas of production will be impacted and will have a significant impact on job profiles and requirements.

• Cloud – meaning you will have your current data available anywhere at any time. Many people think of this as a personal cloud /storage space (e.g. Dropbox), but this will become more relevant to the working world with private clouds.

The Software industry already started to move the business model from buying to renting a software. This means a different revenue stream for the manufacturers and a different model for the users, e.g. you will always have the latest version of a software.

• Security - having everything linked and stored in the cloud raises the question, is it secure? The need for Security will boost the demand for both physical and software security.

There are so many different opportunities for our industry, if we catch them.  The competition will change in response to the differing up and coming opportunities, we will see new competitors, some we do not even know about yet, many of which will be entrepreneurial start-up companies. As a consequence our industry will look quite different in 10 years’ time.

What does your organisation currently do to contribute towards career development?

For us, the most important asset is our people. I know everybody says that however for us it is so important as it is what differentiates us from our competitors, the personal touch from our sales staff and the customer service we provide. After all, the products we sell today are exchangeable – ” it’s the same box our competitor sells there’s hardly any branding”?.

We invest to retain and develop our employees, for example we have our own academy; the ‘Tech Data Academy'. This is where managers and staff with high potential learn about not only Tech Data but also the economy, management, financials etc. We systematically do ‘on the job’ training with internal and external trainers and have career plans in place.

As you hold a degree in Economics and a Masters in Accounting/Controller, what would have been your third choice and why? 

Actually, none of them were my first choice. As a teenager during my apprenticeship I was interested in literature about psychology and human behaviour. My plan was to study psychology, so I visited an information day in a school in Zurich. Unfortunately they told me I would need a degree first. As most of the other visitors had a degree in Economics, I followed suit with the clear aim to study psychology afterwards. It turned out differently. But I am still fascinated by human behaviour, how they react to certain situations etc.

What are your career motivators?

To do my job well and achieve my targets, my strongest motivation is to strive to do this every day.

What attributes do you look for when choosing a recruitment partner?

Trust, the better the recruiter knows my company, its’ culture, me, my team, my needs, the better the pre-selection will be. Over time this will lead to building a partnership where both parties know one another well and work well together. Personally, I do not believe in changing a recruiter each time we have a new role to fill. The cost of recruiting the wrong person is huge.

What would be your advice to someone aspiring to be where you are now?

Firstly: Make sure you set big targets, and set them high!

Life is like walking on a landscape, with hills and valleys: If you are on a hill you have a good view and everything looks nice, but if you are in a valley the next hill looks much bigger than it actually is. If your target is not set high enough, you lose it when being in a valley. But if it is high up, you will still be able to see it. I have always set high targets.

Secondly: honesty, this is more important than short term benefits or short term profit. For me, this is a key attribute for an employee to have. Always be flexible and anticipate change, make decisions hard decisions, but never lose your humanity. Push yourself out of your comfort zone to achieve targets, ensure you work hard and focus on the important things. Do not expect to be better than average if you work average!

Finally, you need to have the right theoretical background; go to school and study, the younger you are the easier it is. Keep refreshing your knowledge, find something new to learn. 

*Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the Interviewee and not views shared by EMEA Recruitment.*