Backstage: Finance, Accounting & Controlling

"Understanding the company in figures"

Johanna, Accounting Manager | Anton Paar GmbH

In the area of finance, the whole company is represented in figures while also being evaluated and analyzed. In order to interpret these figures correctly, comprehensive knowledge about the company’s business procedures is required. This is what makes working in our team so exciting: A thorough knowledge and understanding of the company is important to be able to draw the right conclusions.

Our team works in two key departments, Group Controlling & Consolidation and Accounting & Treasury. In Group Controlling & Consolidation, we are the main contact persons for our colleagues in the finance divisions of Anton Paar’s worldwide group companies. Our task is to support them in their daily business activities. Additionally, we are responsible for performing the consolidation for the whole Anton Paar Group. Finally, in this department, we also assume wide-ranged key controlling tasks for the corporate group, ranging from monthly statements and analyses to the annual budget plan.

In Accounting & Treasury, we keep daily accounts and take responsibility for the accounting of Austrian and German group companies. Our tasks, depending on the company, range from the accounting of the cash flows, the debitor and creditor management (including related business cases) and the timely reporting of taxes to monthly statements and annual accounts. We deal with local tax issues, especially with the Value Addex Tax Act and the Income Tax Act. Due to Anton Paar’s wide range of business units, it is necessary to constantly acquire special knowledge.

Additionally, we are responsible for central treasury topics. Our tasks include, among others, the preparation of weekly payment proposals, the creation of cash flow plannings, the granting of internal loans and foreign currency hedging.

I started working for Anton Paar in 2019 in the team of Group Controlling & Consolidation, supporting 11 foreign subsidiaries. On top, I was part of a team that was assigned to integrate a company purchase. I was also responsible for the training of my colleagues and supported their switch to our new SAP ERP system.

Since the end of 2019, I have been working as the department leader of Accounting & Treasury. This meant getting to know Anton Paar’s headquarter and other Austrian group companies. Since then, I have been responsible for the proper accounting, the timely reporting of taxes and duties as well as the preparation of monthly statements and annual accounts. I am also the main contact person for tax advice and auditing. I am aware that it is essential to work accurately and with far-sightedness. In double-entry accounting, unilateral accounting is impossible, so extensive know-how and high precision are key requirements for my work.

In finance, the world moves on rapidly. Therefore, it is necessary to scrutinize and develop our work constantly. In a global company, it is important to identify process improvement and integrate it efficiently in order to manage a large number of business cases. Digital work is the established practice at Anton Paar.