26 November, 2024
#57 Portret van een vrouw in de financiële sector: Rebecca Dutrieux
- Can you briefly present your current role in the organization (in one sentence)?
I handle business controlling for the Western Europe region at Mastercard. I monitor the region’s performance, and my team and I serve as the middlemen between business colleagues and finance colleagues, assisting them with all finance-related matters. To effectively support our business colleagues, we need to excel in accounting and reporting, while also gaining a comprehensive understanding of the business.
- What brought you to finance?
I enjoy working in finance because it offers a comprehensive overview of the company’s business—from strategy to operations. It allows you to gain insights into the business side and translate them into meaningful numbers. Before joining Mastercard, I worked in the pharmaceutical industry, which focused more on production, whereas Mastercard is centered around services. Having worked in finance in both environments, I now understand the fundamental differences between these two setups and can adapt financial strategies, reporting & focus accordingly.
- What did you learn recently regarding gender equality?
On one hand, we haven’t yet achieved gender equality, but a company like ours is doing a lot to move towards it. When I see what other countries, like Afghanistan, are going through, I realize we are in a privileged position in Belgium. I believe it must start at a young age: boys and girls need to change their mindsets about gender equality early on and it has to come from the parents as well.. Many companies are promoting gender equality, but I’m not sure if women are fully ready for it and really take their chance.
- What was one of the decisions that had the most impact on your career?
When I became Finance Director for Pfizer in the Netherlands, before my time in Mastercard, I moved from Belgium to the Netherlands for seven years. I learned about a different culture, a new language, and how to adapt and become a stronger manager. It was a completely different role, I managed many different topics, from accounting, audit to business controlling, and I had very limited prior experience in Dutchaccounting . I learned that even if you don’t have the technical knowledge, you can build a strong team that will help you to be successful.
- What would you tell your younger self?
There are so many things I’d say: speak up, be curious, give yourself permission to make mistakes (I was raised to believe I wasn’t allowed to make any), and I know now that it’s okay. Just that: it’s okay to make mistakes, everything will be ok.
- Any message to share with female students interested in finance, or with young women starting their careers?
If you go into finance, you gain insight into the entire company. Starting in finance doesn’t limit you: you can move into other areas within the company, as it opens doors. Since we in Finance work with so many people and departments, you’ll get full visibility of the entire organization. I find it very interesting.
