Nelly Lupu, Finance and Accounting Operations General Manager – WNS Global Services Romania
I am Nelly Lupu, and I am the Finance and Accounting Operations General Manager for WNS Global Services Romania, being part of this great team for the past almost 12 years. WNS is currently exceeding 600 employees in Romania and over 58.000 employees at a global level. WNS is a leading Business Process Management (BPM) company. WNS combines deep industry knowledge with technology, analytics, and process expertise to co-create innovative, digitally led transformational solutions with over 400 clients across various industries. WNS delivers an entire spectrum of BPM solutions, including industry-specific offerings, customer experience services, finance and accounting, human resources, procurement, and research and analytics, to re-imagine the digital future of businesses.
How did you start your career? Which were your first steps? How did you envision your career?
I started my career in a Shared Service center in the accounting area, where I discovered that, beside my passion for numbers, I enjoy working with people, which led to my involvement in leadership. I enjoy coaching and mentoring people, to encourage them to learn, improve, and achieve their full potential. Being there for every step of someone’s success is very important for me as a coach or mentor because it becomes a reflection of my abilities.
What were your key career moments?
As far as my key career moments go, I would like to mention the transition from an SME (subject matter expert) to people management, extending my role from a local lead to a global one, and having the chance to coordinate and guide a great team from India. Working in our intercultural environment here at WNS, where you have the chance to engage with people from all around the world, really highlights your role in this global organisation. Not only the location you are from depends on your vision but also other locations and the way they interact with various occasions. This really opens your eyes to the depth of your work and helps you grow on a totally different scale. Also, as WNS key principles include understanding diversity and work equity, this interaction on a global scale comes as a binding agent to hold everything together.
What are the three most valuable career lessons you have learnt?
First of all, I would mention the fact that every idea counts and has value. The fact that we, as human beings, are different from each other always represents the catalyst of outside-the-box approaches, bringing fresh ideas to a conversation or way of working. Secondly, having the ability to work well with and in a team, being able to rely on them, has been a highlight of my career, as good group cohesion and communication can lead you to the stars. It is also good to remember that achievements come with recognition. I have always tried to recognise and reward my teams’ performance, as it is a very potent motivator for every single one of us, and all should enjoy the rewards of their hard work. Another valuable lesson learned in my career is all about resilience. Once COVID-19 took a hold on our global society, everyone had to adapt and reinvent themselves. Even under all the restrictions imposed and social distancing, we were able to pull through and reach the current equilibrium, having, in some cases, even better results than when going fully to the office. This was a challenge, and we managed to overcome it!
Why did you choose the Business Services Industry? What were the top 3 reasons for choosing your company?
I started my career in Shared Services and I extended it to BPM, having the opportunity to understand and work with various clients and different industries. As WNS is a global operator with strong values and growth opportunities, I was firmly convinced this is the way to go for my career. I’ve had the chance of learning, growing and broadening my horizons ever since I joined. Also, considering the decades of domain expertise across industries, analytical prowess, and ability to drive agility and scalability into digital transformation journeys, the digital innovation brought forward by WNS offered me a prosperous and high-potential environment in which to grow my career and also my personality and skills. Following the recent official inclusion of WNS in Forbes World’s Best Employers top, I can say that I am really proud to be part of this organisation and of the entire effort led by our organisation in reaching these new heights.
Tell us a little bit about your private life: your passions, family. What do you do to relax?
I really enjoy traveling, however, during the pandemic, I discovered I have a passion for gardening – this is a great way to relax and learn to have patience. The wonder of seeing a sprout reaching fruit via your work and care does not really compare to anything, in my opinion. On a deeper note, this free-time activity is somehow linked to my professional growth path and my current set of responsibilities and motivation factors. In my work, I like “growing” people and empowering them to reach new heights, just like I enjoy watching my plants grow and flourish. Apart from gardening, I enjoy spending quiet time with myself and my close friends, going out in nature, and just taking a step back from everything. I consider it is crucial to have a good balance between your professional life and the personal one as it fosters good health and helps you really enjoy life more prepared.
If now you were starting your career, knowing the present and near future opportunities, what would you do?
If I were to start my career nowadays with all the knowledge I possess, the focus would be on understanding the business, the digitization process (major efficiency driver), and getting a better overview of the company before even choosing a path. The COVID-19 pandemics taught us the hard way about the possibilities and opportunities offered by remote working, not being tied to an office space and having the flexibility of working from anywhere. I would also keep this in mind if I were to start my career all over again.
What are the top 3 skills that you would develop?
I have always considered the one- skill-focus approach to be incomplete, as people generally benefit from having a good set of developed skills to support each one, individually. Empathy is a good skill to be developed and nurtured. Also, as a support, communication skills act as another piece of the puzzle and having too much of it is never a fact.
What would you do and what would you avoid doing?—practical advice to young professionals
First of all, as wise men say, “a journey of 1000 steps starts with only one”, young professionals should never consider a job opportunity as lesser, as every single time when starting a professional path, baby steps are required. Only time can tell where the path will lead you, provided you show consistency and professionalism. Having patience, understanding and anticipating the future, having determination, and finding a good raw model who can tell you about best (and worst) practices are paramount for any young professional.