Employee Profile

“I chose Cargill because it is a responsible global leader in the food industry with a long standing history and its commitment to the resource stewardship. Cargill’s size, operating model and diversity of businesses offer a great opportunity for personal development.”

Cargill has been helping the food industry for almost for 150 years by applying its insights and experience generously. Our contribution to the food supply chain and network is crucial, and I feel that in my daily work I am part of a family helping to nourish people. In my business, we work very close with seaweed farmers/fishermen in South America. We apply science to this research in Belgium and produce food ingredients in France, and also supply globally for the food (i.e. ice cream) and personal care industries.

Describe your work responsibilities and the importance of your role.

Finance at Cargill is an important strategic function partnering with business units across the company. Our goal is to support the business teams in maximizing the value of the business in line with company’s vision and core values. I am responsible for the financial management of Cargill’s Hydrocolloids and Functional Systems businesses in the Europe, Middle East & Africa region. My job is to ensure financial performance of the business is measured effectively, facilitate business planning short/long term, provide insightful information for the key decisions, help to design and execute business strategy and also ensuring reliability of the records and compliance to the fiduciary requirements. The finance role as a gatekeeper is crucial for a successful business.

Describe your day-to-day activities and the skills needed to perform well.

In Finance, you should balance business partnering and controlling activities smartly: being a strategic business partner in the way of value creation enabling business for further growth profitably and at the same time, acting as a corporate gatekeeper in the light of value preservation ensuring accuracy and reliability of the numbers and effectiveness of the overall control framework. And you need to perform those activities in a most efficient way. Therefore, understanding the key value drivers for the business is key. I spend most of my time working with Commercial, Operation, Project Managers and other teams/functions. I am in daily contact with our teams across the country; either travelling or over the phone. We review financial performance together, analyze potential risks and opportunities and develop solutions to ensure we are on track to our objectives and risks are addressed timely. Having a good business sense and excellent finance skills are the key in the finance job family. Communication, analytical and strategic thinking, team play, conceptual flexibility, change management and broad view are also some of the important skills to be a successful finance professional in today’s complex business world.

Describe your career path. Where did you start and how did you get to where you are today?

I started my career at Coca-Cola Co. as a Financial Analyst in Istanbul in 1996 and obtained my MBA while working there. Then I moved to United Kingdom and joined DuPont as a Controller and worked there in its European headquarter in Switzerland, regional offices in Turkey, Middle East and Africa and operational hub in Belgium till 2010. I have also obtained a Six Sigma Black Belt degree there in the US. I joined Cargill in 2010 in The Netherlands as a Finance Director in the Starches & Sweeteners business. Last year, I moved to another business unit of Cargill, Texturizing Solutions, where I currently work. During my career, I have worked in different industries and countries, participated several projects and worked with teams from all over the world. I’ve worked in headquarters, distribution centers and manufacturing sites. All these experiences me a large and diverse perspective about the overall value chain of the business operations at international scales. Each assignment taught me something different and helped developing myself continuously.

What do you find most rewarding about your work?

Food is vital in our life and Cargill plays a critical role in the global food system. Being part of a global team and able to contribute in nourishing people together is a good feeling. What I like about Finance is that you can see every aspect of the business and better understand the overall value chain. It gives you the opportunity to see the big picture - from procurement, supply chain and manufacturing to sales & marketing, planning and strategy. At Cargill I have the chance to see global perspectives and learn and develop every day.

Why did you choose to join Cargill and what keeps you here? In other words, how has a career at Cargill helped you to thrive?

I chose Cargill because it is a responsible global leader in the food industry with a long standing history and its commitment to the resource stewardship. Cargill’s size, operating model and diversity of businesses offer a great opportunity for personal development. It is a very dynamic environment where you meet and team up with people from different businesses, functions and countries constantly. You learn and develop every day here. It is a big family, people are friendly, open and ready to support when you need.

What advice would you give someone interested in a career at Cargill like yours?

Cargill is a great organization to build a finance career because it offers a great variety of finance areas such as planning &analysis, controllership, accounting, treasury, tax, risk management and audit in several processing and trading businesses. Its global presence and operating modal give you the opportunity to learn and practice finance skills at international scales and be part of projects in different areas. You get supported by trainings, tools and coaching for your personal growth. People are experienced and approachable, so you get supported when you need help.

Share an interesting tidbit about yourself such as hobbies, volunteerism, favorite foods or activities, accomplishments inside or outside of work.

I am coaching a kids‘ soccer team on weekends. It is an amazing experience to play with kids, having fun and teaching them good sportsmanship and some basic technics in a safe way. It is an interesting experience for me to see how kids are evolving and how competitive they can be.