Most Important Skills for a Financial Planning and Treasury Manager at Big 5 Sporting Goods
Kelvin's career progression in corporate finance at Big 5 Sporting Goods hinges on a blend of technical accounting skills ("my debits, my credits...directly feeding that accounting background into balance sheet accounting"), economic understanding, and strong leadership abilities, navigating team dynamics and "managing expectations" while fostering a high-trust environment. The CPA designation provides a solid foundation, complemented by experience in managing people and navigating complex economic factors.
Financial Accounting, Financial Planning, People Management, Economic Forecasting, Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
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Traits
Kelvin Sun
Manager of Financial Planning and Treasury
Big 5 Sporting Goods
New York University, 2008
UCLA Anderson School of Management
Business Management & Admin
Apparel, Beauty, Retail & Fashion, Sports & Fitness
Finance
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Strong technical skills in accounting and finance are crucial, particularly for forecasting and understanding macroeconomic impacts. A CPA designation is mentioned as highly beneficial.
2. Excellent people skills are essential for collaboration with various department heads and reporting to higher management, especially during stressful situations.
3. Effective management and leadership skills are necessary for managing teams, setting expectations, and guiding career development, demanding strong integrity and trustworthiness.
Transcript
What sort of skills are most important for a job like yours?
The skillset you need to move up in a corporate finance role like mine is fundamentally technical. You have to have the underlying business skills.
I earned my CPA, which is probably the biggest tool I use day-to-day in a forecasting setting. The debits, credits, and accounting principles learned in an undergraduate program are directly applied to my forecasting. This means not only thinking about the income statement going forward, but also feeding that accounting background into balance sheet accounting.
On the treasury side, finance skills are most valuable. Understanding economic forecasts and what could happen to the business when the macro environment changes, like with inflation, is very helpful. Following Federal Reserve announcements and understanding their implications is also critical.
The next skill is definitely people skills. You're working with department heads and reporting to the CFO. Getting people to talk and work together can be challenging when they have their own deadlines and priorities.
Management skills also fall under people skills, specifically managing your team. Sometimes you have to work evenings and long hours, especially through the pandemic. Managing expectations and learning how to lead a team is a critical skill.
The final, and I think most important, skill is integrity. I feel I'm in a high-trust position, so always being forthcoming and learning how to navigate expectations is critical as you take on more responsibility.
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