Name: Leillah Sekalala
Title: Financial Controller Europe & Operational Readiness
Region: Europe
Time with company: Since September 2011
What do you do at Energy Resourcing?
I am the Financial Controller Europe and Operational Readiness. My role is to ensure we are ready to operate in different countries, working on the budgets, bank, supplier and intercompany relationships and all things finance.
Are you working on any specific projects at the moment?
We are currently in the process of opening various offices/entities in various locations: The Netherlands, Germany and Sweden to start.
How did you get into your current career?
I did accounting at university and got into finance when I finished. I joined Energy Resourcing 10 years ago, when the Europe branch was beginning. I assisted with opening the Energy Resourcing Europe entity back then and I am now assisting with opening the new offices in The Netherlands and Sweden.
What’s the best part of your job?
Mentoring. I have been able to mentor various members of my team as they progress through their careers. I have recently also got a few mentors who are helping me advance in my own career and it’s priceless.
What challenges have you had to overcome to get to where you are today?
As a black woman, I have had to deal with a number of biases and micro aggressions in and out of the workplace. There has been a lot of work done recently to educate people on diversity and inclusion within the workplace and steps are being taken towards change.
Any words of wisdom you live by?
Be kind. Nothing beats kindness, whether it is at work, or out of work. Take time to be kind to everyone, especially after the last couple of years! It costs nothing.
What keeps you at Energy Resourcing?
Change. No 2 months at Energy Resourcing are the same. There is always something different going on, with new opportunities, risks or challenges interchangeably. This has created many opportunities for learning.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I play table tennis. I have gained a new love for cooking during the pandemic and I love to try a simple recipe. Key word, simple
If you hadn’t got into your current career… what would you have become?
A life/career coach. I like to help people clarify their goals and how to get to them. I have been lucky to get a chance to do that with mentoring various members of my team and also have a few people within the business who respect my opinions and ask for my advice on various issues.
What was the last book you read?
That Moment When by Mo Gilligan
Film you watched?
The Tender Bar. It’s on Amazon Prime and it’s a heartwarming tale.
The last music you listened to?
I have been listening to my Spotify wrapped playlist which has a vast selection of soca, dancehall and afrobeats.
Driven by the desire to grow?
Leillah Sekalala is strongly driven by the desire for growth. The growth of the business in different parts of the world, the growth of the team in their professional careers and the growth of our contractors.
During her time with Energy Resourcing, Leillah has had the opportunity to manage the contractor process from onboarding, contracts, payroll, queries and then offboarding. This has enabled her to understand the full contractor experience as well as getting to know some of the contractors really well.
This knowledge has helped Leillah better understand the contractors needs and expectations from Energy Resourcing and has made her better placed to assist them.
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