Публикувано на: 21.7.2022 г.
Meet the team: Nikola Genev, Finance Business Partner Bulgaria, Albania, North Macedonia
Think you know Avon? Think again. We’ve been doing beauty differently for 135 years. From the scientists who mastermind industry-leading innovation in our labs, to the distribution teams around the world who make sure the lipstick is in the box and arrives safely; everyone in the team plays an integral role in supporting our global network of Beauty Advisers and transforming women’s lives through beauty.
Tell us about your career journey so far.
I joined Avon as Marketing Controller for the Balkans region, since then for the 7 years I have been part of the company I switched a lot of roles covering different regions and assuming different responsibilities. Currently I am the Finance Business Partner for Bulgaria, Albania and North Macedonia.
What do you do as a Finance Business Partner?
My role is to act as the main financial advisor to the cluster’s Country Lead as well as to the management team. Together we are tasked with making financially sound business decisions, that will be beneficial both for the company and for the Reps.
What is the most challenging part of your job? And what is the most rewarding part?
The most challenging part of my job is trying to financially navigate our cluster through both external and internal challenges. Recent years presented us with various market calamities which we had to overcome while at the same time transforming internally. Most rewarding part is that even after facing continuous hardships, together with the team we managed to reshape our cluster profitability and make us one of the most profitable Avon markets in the world. This being an accomplishment by itself is also putting us in a favorable position to withstand the economic distortion ahead of us.
What are you most proud of when it comes to your work at Avon?
The company’s main activity is not only producing and selling cosmetic products but also helping independent women build their own businesses and at the same time raise money and awareness for important causes like breast cancer and gender-based violence.
What is the most important career lesson you have learnt?
Agility and being able to quickly adapt to changing environments will be a career skill for the future.
What would you advise young people looking for a career in finance?
Working in finance in most cases is similar to being a translator. You will be required to translate financial information to the business to make their decisions easier and at the same time you will have to quantify how various business moves will impact the company performance. This being said, my advice for young people starting in finance right now will be to invest time and effort in learning their “second language” so that they become successful financial translators/professionals.