For the 100^th episode of the EMEA Recruitment podcast, we were delighted to be joined by Jasko Hrnjic and Rafa Cruz Guzman.

Jasko is the Finance Director FP&A for APAC at Microsoft in Singapore and Rafa is the Senior Finance Director – International Finance at Delivery Hero in Berlin.

“We manage things in Finance that are very complex; you need to be able to bring that complexity to very simple terms, to become truly influential and identify what really matters.”

Virtually, they joined our Founder, Paul Toms, for a conversation about their careers in Finance. Jasko and Rafa have known each other for many years and have both previously worked in different divisions at Procter & Gamble (P&G).

Rafa explains how his Finance career started in an unusual way; his Internal Audit role at P&G wasn’t “sexy”, but created a very strong foundation. Jasko went into investment banking and realised that he wasn’t at home in that role. He then took a similar path to Rafa, learning core skills that helped him build himself.

When you make a wrong decision in your career, Jasko offers advice on what step to take next. He explains how different business units can have different philosophies, so find a company that helps you bring your best self to the role.

So, how do you know what you’re going to enjoy? Jasko felt that he knew his own strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else, so made tough decisions on his own. Rafa agrees that you should have a plan for yourself and keep evolving by finding jobs that you like.

They both have different reasons for going into Finance in the first place, but Jasko and Rafa see the value beyond number-crunching; Finance is developing into a function that can truly shape great business results through strong relationships and communication.

Paul posed the question of the impact of Business Intelligence (BI) and Data on Finance to Jasko and Rafa, who both believe that the function will evolve, rather than be eliminated. Although the traditional hard skills are still needed, they both feel that soft skills will be in higher demand as automation frees up capacity in teams.

If you’re currently starting your career in Finance or are looking to change roles, Jasko and Rafa offer unique insight into standing out in the market and utilising your network.

They end the podcast by explaining what they’d be doing if they weren’t in Finance – it sounds like they’d still be a dream team!

Listen to the episode below to hear from two inspiring Finance leaders: 

You can also listen by following this link: https://emearecruitment.libsyn.com/emea-recruitment-podcast-100-the-100th-episode-jasko-hrnjic-and-rafa-cruz-guzman

If there’s a particular part of the episode you’re interested in, please use the timestamps below:

01:14: Their first roles in Finance
06:40: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned during your career?
13:17: How to find out what you enjoy
19:40: Why Jasko and Rafa chose Finance
24:51: The impact of BI & Data on Finance
29:56: How to get into Finance now
35:46: Why you should work abroad
39:55: Standing out in the current market
51:00: What Jasko and Rafa would do if they weren’t in Finance

The full episode is also available on YouTube:

You can message Jasko and Rafa on LinkedIn if you have any questions.

The EMEA Recruitment podcast is produced in partnership with Operation Smile. This is a cause close to Paul’s heart, as he was born with a cleft lip and palate himself. If you’d like to find out more about the incredible work that Operation Smile’s volunteers do or to donate, please click here: https://www.emearecruitment.com/pages/operation-smile

This episode was hosted by Paul Toms, our Founder, and Rose Jinks, our Senior Marketing Executive.

We support clients in finding the best talent in the market and can help candidates with their career plans. Read more about our expert services on our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

You can also follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

If you’d like to connect with Paul, please visit his profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

Or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms

If there are any questions you’d like us to answer on the EMEA Recruitment podcast, please email Rose at: [email protected]