Shawna, Sr. Finance Director at Parker Meggitt: Advize Career Interview
Shawna's journey from exploring multiple college majors to becoming a Senior Finance Director at Parker Meggitt is a captivating story of unexpected passion and impactful career growth.
A chance accounting role ignited a love for finance, leading to a progression through business finance and FP&A. The current role managing accounting and finance at a large manufacturing facility involves navigating complex challenges like SOX compliance and prioritizing competing demands while fostering collaboration across departments.
This position's direct impact on the business and the aerospace industry, a field Shawna finds immensely rewarding, provides both professional satisfaction and personal pride.
The interview reveals crucial skills for success—translating financial data, strong interpersonal abilities, and the importance of building relationships—along with the unexpected lessons learned about the role's inherent unpredictability and the need for proactive work-life balance.
Entry-level positions like Finance Analyst or Accountant are highlighted as valuable starting points, showcasing that a successful career path isn't always linear, even for a senior leader.
The interview concludes with insights into the importance of overcoming gender bias in a male-dominated industry and the value of a strong work ethic cultivated through experience.
Advizer Information
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Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
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Job Functions
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Shawna Anderson
Sr. Finance Director
Parker Meggitt
California State University, Northride, 2009
UCLA Anderson School of Business, MBA
Finance
Aerospace & Defense
Finance
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
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Career Path of a Senior Finance Director at Parker Meggitt
Shawna's career path was unplanned, starting with "five or six different majors" before a mortgage market crash led to an accounting position at ITT, where problem-solving and collaboration unexpectedly sparked a passion for finance. This evolved through roles in business finance and financial planning & analysis (FP&A), culminating in Shawna's current senior finance director position overseeing accounting and finance for a manufacturing facility.
Main Responsibilities Of A Senior Finance Director At Parker Meggitt
Shawna, a Senior Finance Director at Parker Meggitt, oversees accounting and finance for a nearly 600-person manufacturing site, currently focusing on "ensuring proper accounting controls and becoming SOX compliant," a process that began six months prior to the interview. This involves coordinating with other site functions to communicate the impact of new ownership changes.
A Day in the Life of a Senior Finance Director at Parker Meggitt
A day for Shawna, a Senior Finance Director, involves prioritizing tasks based on urgency and team support needs, acting as the second highest authority for approvals ("purchase orders or contracts"). This includes juggling daily requests, long-term projects like SOX compliance and inventory counts, and collaborating with other departments, constantly re-prioritizing tasks to ensure timely completion.
Most Important Skills For a Sr. Finance Director at Parker Meggitt
A senior finance director's most crucial skills involve translating complex financial data into digestible information for various audiences, using analogies like "breaking down building this pen" to illustrate concepts. Success also hinges on strong interpersonal skills, collaboration, and knowing "where to look on general accounting policies," along with the humility to seek help when needed to become a true business partner.
Favorite Parts Of Being A Senior Finance Director At Parker Meggitt
Shawna, a Senior Finance Director at Parker Meggitt, appreciates the "direct impact" her current role allows on the business, unlike previous divisional roles focused on strategy. This current position enables Shawna to collaborate with diverse teams, fostering improvement through communication and shared goal achievement, which Shawna considers a key factor in achieving "much better outcomes".
Biggest Challenges Faced By A Sr. Finance Director At Parker Meggitt
Shawna, a Sr. Finance Director at Parker Meggitt, identifies prioritizing tasks as the biggest challenge, stating "constantly trying to figure out what is important versus what is urgent". This challenge is compounded by the need to balance "where Finance meets business" with detailed accounting issues, requiring Shawna to strategically leverage both their team's expertise and broader company resources.
Favorite Parts Of Working In The Aerospace Industry As A Senior Finance Director
Shawna, a Senior Finance Director at Parker Meggitt, finds immense pride in the aerospace industry, highlighting the tangible impact of their work—"airplanes can't fly, people can't get home safely"—and the personal satisfaction of knowing their contributions ensure safe air travel, even sharing this with their children. The opportunity to learn "cool facts" about aerospace components further enhances Shawna's enjoyment of the field.
What type of person thrives in the Aerospace industry, according to a Senior Finance Director at Parker Meggitt
Shawna, a Senior Finance Director at Parker Meggitt, describes a diverse workforce in the aerospace industry, noting a mix of experienced professionals who bring "an abundance of older people who have been doing it for decades" and newer individuals. Success requires appreciating the industry's legacy while also "building on it and trying to connect people from all backgrounds and age groups."
What a Senior Finance Director at Parker Meggitt Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Finance Industry
Shawna, a Senior Finance Director, learned that the unpredictability of the role — "you're never going to know what your day looks like" — is normal, a fact that prior warning would have eased the transition. The interview also revealed a missed opportunity to better heed a predecessor's warnings about work-life balance challenges which ultimately contributed to the predecessor's burnout.
Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Finance Directors
Entry-level finance roles for undergraduates may not have "sexy titles," but positions like "Finance Analyst 1" or "Accountant 1," especially those involving analysis, offer good starting points; Shawna, a Senior Finance Director, emphasizes that these roles can be developed to suit a candidate's strengths, noting her own career path began with an accounting role despite lacking interest in becoming an accountant.
Significant Career Lesson From a Senior Finance Director at Parker Meggitt
Shawna, a Senior Finance Director, emphasizes the critical importance of relationships in a numbers-driven field, stating that "people really really are critically important." Success hinges not only on accurate data but also on building trust, actively listening, and understanding how to communicate effectively with others to ensure information is properly received and acted upon.
College Experiences Helping A Senior Finance Director At Parker Meggitt Succeed
Shawna's undergraduate experience, characterized by "jumping around a lot with lots of different majors," wasn't initially beneficial, but the demanding schedule of working full-time while studying honed their prioritization and multitasking skills. This intense approach continued into their MBA, with Shawna maximizing productivity by listening to readings during commutes and travel, demonstrating a dedication to efficiency and a strong work ethic that has clearly served their career.
How Identity Has Influenced a Senior Finance Director at Parker Meggitt's Career
Early in their career, the senior finance director was unaware of how being a woman impacted their trajectory, later realizing they over-prepared to compensate for gender bias in the male-dominated aerospace industry ("only 30% of the workforce is female and less once you're at my level"). This professional now actively challenges stereotypes, advocating for other women while maintaining professionalism, viewing it as a responsibility to counteract gender inequality.
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