The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced March 17, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person May 10.
Next is Chief Financial Officer finalist in the Public Company category Katy Nierman, CFO of Siemens Government Technologies. Here, she talks success in her current role, proud career moments, taking professional risks and more.
What has made you successful in your current role?
As CFO I’ve really focused on our internal processes, ensuring we have the agility and responsive capabilities that support our project teams in the critical work they do every day for our customers. Equally important, is the work my team does to support new business capture, across a broad spectrum of roles from supply chain to audit, to finance controlling, pricing, and more.
Our ability to do each of these essential tasks well is really driven by a commitment to relationship building, centered on mutual trust and accountability, which fosters confidence in our ability to accomplish great things together.
I couldn’t be prouder of my team, and this recognition as a finalist for a Chief Officer Award is truly a direct reflection on all of them.
Looking back at your career, what are you most proud of?
For me it really is about the power of relationships. Siemens has afforded me unique opportunities to take on incredibly diverse roles in such a relatively short period of time, which in turn helped me form a deeply meaningful network of mentors and mentees.
I’m most proud of seeing the achievements and growth in leadership of the people I’ve mentored and led throughout my career. You really can have a much greater impact on the world by inspiring others to do great things, helping them unlock professional growth in ways they may have never thought possible.
What’s the biggest professional risk you’ve ever taken?
I think career growth and opportunity is about accepting risk, in the sense that you truly aren’t developing your professional skillset unless you’re pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. For me it has been a collection of some risk taking, including roles working for Siemens in Europe and South America. There truly isn’t anything quite like taking on a new job ⏤ which typically comes with its own steep learning curve and late nights ⏤ while simultaneously trying to learn a new language and culture!
Along with taking on these opportunities overseas, where I really made important connections across the full breadth of Siemens, I also took on an entrepreneurial opportunity as president of a private software company for five years in the middle of my career.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have challenging roles paired with just enough risk to learn from each step I’ve made. It’s thanks to these diverse experiences and willingness to accept some uncertainty that prepared me for the CFO role today at SGT.