I’m currently with Accenture as an SAP Finance Analyst after being in Queensland State Government in various Corporate Finance roles for 11 years. Consulting, hence is very new for me and I’m glad to begin with the company so very renowned in the technology and consulting world.

What inspired you to have a career in SAP?

With world’s 98% of the 100 most valued brands using SAP system for their enterprise management, I’m sure you will be never out of work or learning the SAP space, that is what inspires me to start this journey of self-learning and exploring newer and better ways of using SAP ERP systems. I’m aiming to secure a role in next 3 years with SAP to be able to work on some of their newer and unique offerings like SAP PSCD, SAP GRC, SAP RISE etc.

Tell us about your career journey in tech / SAP to date?

I got introduced very organically to use my first ever SAP system-based role in early 2011 with the state government department for environment in the corporate finance division for financial accounting activities like AR/AP, end of month and year process, financial statements preparation etc. Then we were using the SAP ECC 4.6c with eventually moving on to ECC 6 upgrade in another department another finance role in 2014 to early 2016. Come late 2016 I was involved in the greenfield project of new system implementation in one of biggest government departments with implementation of SAP S/4 HANA cloud, with managing the SaaS, PaaS and IaaS licenses and subsequent upgrades and implementation of PSCD system for revenue management in late 2020. So, from being an accountant to an SAP super user and business user I feel I have transformed myself from being at the bean counter to more of a business partner and newer technology user. Still on-going as there is a lot to learn and apply to impart a more sustainable process in the world of ever-changing finance roles and practices.

 What are the main obstacles you face in your current role and how do you overcome them?

I guess the three things I learned in the consulting world is – network, network and network some more to be able to have the answers you seek! Since I am not from a technical educational background so sometimes the tech jargons can seem more gargantuan than they are meant to be! So, I’m un-learning and re-learning some of those basic technical skill sets that I gathered in my 10+ years career, to be able to portray and apply my knowledge while collaborating with my peers and customers.

What is the best thing about working in SAP technology?

I have found it to be intuitive and an ERP system with an advanced and aesthetic user experience. One of the apps I have used in the past is SAP Fiori. It is more simplified offering an enhanced user experience by having it easily accessible on your fingertips on personal desktop, mobile phone etc. through the portal. And there is more for a rookie in SAP to learn and apply, so hoping to have a bit more content to share in next year (watch this space!).

What does equality mean to you?

Equality for me - is the ability to be able to provide equal opportunity and being fair no matter what. 

Ensuring that no one is left out when considering rights, responsibilities, and opportunities.

What inspirational words would you offer to other people looking for a career in SAP?

Today nothing is impossible, so if me as a rookie in technological arena can make it where I’m now, I’m sure anyone can have a crossover, a shift in professional career, building knowledge by collaborating with industry experts and utilizing all the free and readily available information on SAP blogs, free courses and system demos for self-learning.

What advice would you give you to women working in the SAP ecosystem and looking to advance their career?

Don’t be scared to ask for help, as that not only clears the doubts but also opens the floor with your peers to be more receptive of your perspectives, knowledge-sharing and collaboration.

What can we all do to inspire more women into working with SAP?

To make technology not seem all so scary, introducing it early in school curriculum which I believe is bit more widespread nowadays, with having technology summer camps. We need more women representation in technology and like in every knowledge stream or profession – “start them young”

What female inspiration have you had in your career?

There have been many that have inspired me at different stages of my career, some of my mentors were women that shared the same zest and enthusiasm as me. I’m ever more thankful for them to push me to be a better version of myself personally and professionally. But if you do need a name and a face one of the few who is the industry pioneer and leader that I look up to and is inspired with is Julie Sweet, our own Accenture CEO.