Interview to Roberta Girondi, Finance & Accounting Manager at Binhexs
The administrative department of any company plays a crucial role in the performance and financial management of a business and beyond.
Roberta Girondi, Finance & Accounting Manager at Binhexs, opened the office doors to tell us what an administration and accounting department does and how her team contributes to Binhexs‘ success.
The Interview
Verdiana Paleari (interviewer): Let’s start by explaining your role and that of the Administration department in Binhexs, which internal departments and external stakeholders do you cooperate with and what are the main responsibilities?
Roberta Girondi: “I am Roberta Girondi and I have held the role of Administrative Manager since February 2019. I am basically in charge of organizing and verifying the activity carried out by my two team colleagues Elena Guerzoni and Elisa Giussani and reporting the results of the activity periodically. Administration carries out a series of activities that require precision, attention and specific skills: it proceeds to the accounting records necessary for the preparation of the annual financial statements; it detects and manages financial flows; and it supports Management in the strategic planning process. Administration connects not only with Management and the Board but also with the Sales department, Purchasing Department, Human Resources Department, and Delivery departments. Externally, Administration interfaces with the tax consultant, labor consultant, legal consultant, auditor, DPO, and Privacy consultant, but also, of course, with customers, suppliers, Banks, and all those offices, public and private, that might impact daily administrative activities.”
V: What are the most complex work challenges you have faced in recent months, given the period of structuring and transition the company is experiencing?
RG: “The historical period that Binhexs is experiencing has required the entire Administration department to work harder. Specifically, the administrative calendar has been completely reorganized to allow production, in the first 15 days of the month, of infra-periodic, that is, monthly budgets. All this was done with the aim of supporting management in decision-making. To the ‘uninitiated’ such a task might mistakenly appear trivial. In reality, the production of periodic and representative financial statements of the company’s performance entails a series of activities that can no longer be spread over the course of the year and that, by necessity, must be organized in periods that, by their very nature, are chaotic. Indeed, let us not forget that the activity carried out by Administration must, as a basic rule, meet deadlines that cannot be postponed. The load of responsibility at the head of the department is therefore particularly important.”
V: What would you suggest to anyone who wants to embark on a path in accounting and administration?
RG: “I believe that study and training in the field are essential for anyone who wants to work in the administrative field within a major firm such as Binhexs. Personally, it was a great help to me to have worked almost seven years in a professional firm shortly after finishing my degree. This experience allowed me to learn teamwork, but more importantly, it allowed me to independently manage a multifaceted client base. The accounting approach changes depending on which accounting regime you belong to. Seeing and managing different realities (artisans, professionals, businesses, etc.) allows for a broader view of accounting. I therefore believe it is a good starting point to ‘cut your teeth’.”
V: What is your mantra in life and why?
RG: “It might make you smile what I am about to tell you, as this phrase is often uttered in self-help groups. I actually find it to be extremely powerful because, when said with conviction, it allows one to see and approach any aspect of one’s life with a different perspective. It is the sentence: ‘grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’ In fact, among my many faults, the worst one is thinking that I am always in control of everything. Life, unfortunately or fortunately, has taught me that this is not possible. This phrase has helped me and still helps me.”
By the words of the Finance & Accounting Manager, Roberta Girondi, it is clear that the finance and administrative department of a company is crucial in charting the course of the company’s economy and analyzing any critical issues, thus contributing to the constant improvement of results.
The Binhexs editorial staff would like to thank Roberta for her valuable helpfulness and openness in introducing us to her work.