We asked Monica Bruni, Chief Financial Officer at Escher Group to share with us some insights on her experiences and how she draws inspiration from the environment around her, role models she had during her careers, the best advice she received, and what she sees as the biggest challenge facing leaders today.
Voltedge: What is your current role and how long you have held this position?
Monica: I am Chief Financial Officer at Escher Group and I’ve been in that role for approximately 11 months now.
Voltedge: Where do you draw inspiration from?
Monica: I think passion is a tremendous source of inspiration for me. I really enjoy what I do so that passion and drive really helps to motivate and inspire me. The opportunity to come in and help grow a business and make it into something truly special is inspiring. At Escher for example, there’s been a lot of positive change recently in terms of restructuring and refocusing our goals. To be able to be a part of that is as exciting as it is inspiring for me.
Voltedge: During the course of your career, was there a role model or mentor that stands out for you?
Monica: I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a few people along the way who’ve helped guide and encourage me. Strangely enough, their messages have all been pretty similar as well. Be yourself. Be confident. Don’t be afraid to be either.
Voltedge: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given during your career?
Monica: In my 30+ years in business, I’ve given and been given a fair amount of advice. The one thing that sticks out to me is to trust your gut instinct. I think that also ties into being yourself and feeling confident in yourself and your abilities. If you can do that, you’ll find you have pretty good instincts to help guide you. Seeking advice or guidance from others is important and at Escher we have a great support structure for that; but in the end, trust your gut.
Voltedge: What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing leaders today?
Monica: Rapid changes in the marketplace. Many businesses today are operating in a global environment. The rapid rise and expansion of ecommerce has only accelerated that. We see that at Escher every day when speaking with our clients. More businesses (small and large) are embracing and implementing technologies which allow them to compete across borders. With that comes a need to understand and operate effectively in complex technological, geographical, and geopolitical environments.
This increases their demand on technology and increases the need to keep pace with the rapidly changing environment.
Voltedge: What is your favourite quote and why?
Monica: “You don’t get what you don’t ask for.” Over the course of my 30-year career, I feel I can confidently say that being a woman has never held me back. However, when I do look in the rear-view mirror and all the lessons I had to learn along the way, that one definitely stands out. You have to raise your hand and take risks.
It applies to a lot of circumstances in every-day life and in business. Maybe you’d like to get a discount from a vendor you’re working with or looking to advance in your current position; you won’t get it if you don’t ask for it.
I think earlier in my career I was less confident and maybe a little passive. I often sat back and waited for good things to happen rather than going out and making them happen or asking for them to happen. I felt if I worked hard it would get noticed and just happen. In the end, you don’t (and won’t) get what you don’t ask for.
