Larisa Stoicescu, Finance Manager and mother of two young children, joined Reanda Netherlands three years ago. During that time, she experienced the company’s culture firsthand while witnessing a lot of growth: that of the firm, of her children, and of her own career. From building up the finance department from scratch and laying the foundation to Reanda’s maternity leave, we talked about how she grew at work and in her private life.
Family first
Laying the foundation to the maternity leave policy? Yes. Despite Reanda’s eighth anniversary and while over 70% of their employees are women, Larisa was the first to go on leave at the office. “We didn’t have anything built around it yet,” she says, thinking back. “However, they were excited for me and wanted to do this right. They asked what I needed. I didn’t ask for anything specific, but if I did I’m sure it would be accommodated. The only thing I really needed was flexibility; to be able to work from home sometimes, spend less time commuting. So that’s exactly what I have now. I work part-time and a few days a week I can work from home, stop at six and prepare dinner. That balances things really well.”
The message was very clear: take care of your family, take the time you need. Larisa joined Reanda after her now four year old daughter was born. “She would often get sick in daycare but it was never an issue. ‘You can resume work when she’s okay,’ I was often told. With my second leave, my direct manager was really happy for me when I told him the news and he asked me how much time I would need. There was no pressure at all. But they also wanted me to know that they did want me to come back so that I’d go into my leave relaxed. It’s a more personal approach that I really appreciate.”
“I appreciate the human part at Reanda; you are listened to and there’s a personal touch,”
– Larisa Stoicescu – Finance Manager, Reanda Netherlands.
Grown along with the company
The assurance went further than just knowing that she’d still have the same job. Larisa was told that her role was not going to be the same when she came back from her leave; it was going to be even more interesting.
“It was nice to see that my role changed quite a lot. Before, I was doing several operational tasks, and I trained one of my colleagues to make sure that she could take over. The transition was easy. It gave her room to grow and she was promoted when I came back. My role grew to a strategic level; to work more with the partners, give them real time insight reports, so they can make better and faster decisions.”
When Larisa started at Reanda, the company was still small and she built the whole financial department from scratch, step by step: bookkeeping, internal and external reporting, budgeting, processes. “The beauty of it, what kept me engaged and motivated, was that I could develop along with the company. When a company grows, you cannot be left behind. You are pushed in a good way. And when my role changed, I felt supported to continue to grow. I have the freedom to change things and to make mistakes. One of the values of Reanda is that we really empower and trust the employees. If this would mean to make a mistake, it’s part of the process.”
“The nice part of my role is that I’m always reconfiguring. It is not easy to keep up, especially to balance personal and professional life, but every time I find it difficult I remember that in comfort you cannot grow.”
Culture of cultures
At any company, the finance work is the same. The numbers, the deadlines. What makes the difference is the culture, the environment and the people you work with. “I think that’s what makes people stay,” Larisa says.
When Larisa asked about the culture at the firm during her interview, she was met with a smile. ‘Good question. How do you define a culture where we have several cultures?’ After three years at Reanda, Larisa would define it as a Culture of Cultures. “People from various cultures feel heard and feel at home here. And yes, I do too. I’m surrounded by like-minded people; we are all motivated and growing. It lifts you up. We always think together and we are open to feedback, to change, to suggestions; people are encouraged to speak up, regardless of the level that you are on. That comes with our collective wisdom. It’s important that you are in the right place with the right people.”
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