What are you doing now?
I just started a new position at Accenture as a Strategic Value Analyst within the CFO and Enterprise Value team in Zurich (Switzerland).
How are you helping?
We live in an incredibly uncertain, rapidly changing world, characterised by the aftermath of a pandemic, rising energy prices, falling customer demand and, in many countries, high inflation and eroding household incomes, indicating a slide into recessionary territory. Today more than ever, companies need to navigate uncertainty, gain insights, and find quicker ways to realise value. This is what I am helping Accenture’s clients with.
In my role, I design enterprise value strategies which include new operating models, organisational structures, corporate visions as well as customer strategies—all of which are often motivated by disruption, changing customer needs or new regulatory requirements (e.g., related to sustainability). Supporting clients in architecting change helps them to prepare for an ambiguous future.
Also, it is my responsibility to look at value holistically, from a 360-degree perspective. When designing strategies, my team aims to drive financial as well as non-financial value. Whereas financial value looks at metrics such as revenue, profit or cost optimisation, non-financial value aims at value creation in areas such as inclusion and diversity, sustainability, talent development or improved experiences for internal and external stakeholders. Even though most projects are initiated because of financial incentives, it is equally important to look at non-financial benefits for the long term.
What tools/methods are you using?
Due to the complexity and variety of the projects and industries that Accenture advises clients, there is no “one list”, and I keep learning new tools throughout my job. Nevertheless, some tools and methods are most likely useful regardless of the assignment. In my experience, such useful methods are stakeholder mappings, process flows, and co-creation workshops. I would say that these will be useful in most projects. Reflecting on what I learned at DMI I would say the most useful takeaways for my current role are approaching problems holistically (in consideration of the wider system), applying a human-centered mindset that thinks about how stakeholders will be affected by a possible solution, and the ability to empathise and collaborate with people from different backgrounds.
Lara's Bachelor Thesis
