Andrea Vascon

Born in 1966, with a degree in economics and commerce, Andrea Vascon has always been in the world of industry, that which produces, that which creates. After working as an accountant in a number of companies in the automotive, household appliance and plastics sectors, Andrea Vascon joined Reer exactly 20 years ago as head of the administration department.
And, as he tells us, with great satisfaction.

How does your working day unfold?
My daily routine in the company is punctuated, of course, by a series of tasks. It starts in the morning with looking at the bank position and movements, checking liquid assets, payments to be made and so on. Then we deal with any problems that are reported to us internally: our office has as its reference not only the management, but also provides internal advice to other entities, such as the commercial department or the purchasing department, and to those who generally have activities with accounting implications. We are called upon to carry out financial evaluations for them or other activities that fit into our daily routine and get in the way of the routine activities of our office. No two days are the same, that’s for sure.

How is your work team made up?
In general, each member specialises in a particular task, except for me who, as manager, has to have one eye on everything in order to coordinate the work. Now there are five of us in the office, at the Turin office. There are those who look after client accounts, also dealing with debt collection and legal matters. Then there are those who take care of accounts payable, recording invoices and following up on payments. And those who manage the company treasury, personnel, international purchasing. Everyone follows the individual activities in their entirety, from A to Z. The administrative office here at ReeR is a good training ground because the activity is varied, you really deal with a lot of things. Sometimes the stress can get to you, because the work volumes are high, but you definitely get a lot of experience. In the end, those who work in our administrative office can handle any task.

What characteristics must an accountant have to work at ReeR?
ReeR is a complex company, which works a lot with foreign countries and is confronted with all the cases that an administration department is usually called upon to deal with. Whoever joins ReeR must have specific characteristics, either in terms of studies undertaken or previous work experience. Not only that: one must have a predisposition for a type of activity such as ours. One of the required traits is a kind of ‘positive agility’: you need energy to solve problems, not to suffer them but to face them as protagonists. Whoever chooses from among the candidates must be able to understand whether there are the skills that are needed in the company and whether there is a readiness to be part of a complex reality such as ours. If there are these prerequisites, then there is a real possibility that whoever enters will become an extremely important resource. At ReeR we have always looked for enterprising people who can solve problems. These are the qualities we look for: competence, availability, resourcefulness. I would also add speed of execution. It is not easy to find all this, which is why recruitment and selection always takes a long time.

How is the relationship with other internal bodies, with management and with subsidiaries configured?
As already mentioned, in addition to the activities properly related to accounting, the administrative department is at the service of the other corporate entities because the economic and financial aspects have an impact on the decisions they have to make. The first entity we serve is the management, for which we prepare, for example, the monthly balance sheet and reports from which the necessary indications for decision-making are drawn. Then there are the other entities to whom we give the information that is requested and to whom we offer support in solving any problems or for personnel management. And we must be able to provide timely answers to all these needs, to facilitate them as much as possible.

In recent years, ReeR has also become increasingly international. We were therefore called upon to address the issue of the relationship with our foreign subsidiaries and the reporting of their activities, which we do every three months. Today, the subsidiaries use their own accounting platforms, different from the one we use at headquarters. One of the key tasks in this area is, therefore, to work towards the most homogenous reporting possible, which allows us to make comparisons. The next step, which we will undoubtedly have to take in the future, will be to develop a single reporting platform, as present in the longest-established multinationals.

Have there been any innovations on the administration front since you joined ReeR?
Absolutely! We are always trying to improve the way we work. For example, we try to automate the performance of some basic procedures as much as possible to simplify and speed up routine work and have more time to use for more high-profile activities. In 2016, we adopted a new type of management software that changed the way we work and gave us the opportunity to improve workflows. I have to say that the company, on the organisation of work, leaves a lot of freedom and this is one of the things we appreciate most. In this way we can adopt the methods and modalities that we consider most congenial to achieving our results and objectives. We are constantly trying to innovate our way of working, both for internal needs and for input from outside, for example from the Internal Revenue Service.

Work in the administrative sector is much more varied than one might expect…
Yes, it is a complex and also niche activity. Certainly it is a job you have to like and for which you have to be suited. The administrative staff have no turnover guidelines, they simply have to do their job and we do it with enthusiasm. This is also why our team is highly valued at ReeR. It is certainly a demanding company, but one that also knows how to involve you and recognise the quality of your work. That is why everyone in the company does their utmost to bring ReeR and the people who work there to ever greater achievements and goals. I am very satisfied, I feel good. I am genuine: ReeR is really a wonderful company in which to gain experience, enrich yourself professionally and work towards common goals.