Veronica Shehata

Veronia Shehata

Bachelor of Commerce (2014)

Veronica has over eight years of experience across chartered firms as well as the major Utility Joint Venture in the ACT. She is currently the Manager of Financial Reporting and Compliance at ActewAGL. Veronica leads and mentors a team of accountants and helps them develop sound technical and networking skills, which she believes are some of the key attributes to a successful career.

Having started her career whilst studying at ANU, Veronica understands the importance of mentorship and has a passion for supporting and developing the finance professionals of tomorrow. Veronica has played a key role in delivering the ActewAGL vacation program over recent years, providing students  an opportunity to gain practical experience in a large commercial business, while completing their studies and helping shape their future career paths.

What do you like  most about the area of commercial accounting?

Commercial accounting provides opportunities to work across a business, partnering with key stakeholders to influence decision making and drive the strategic direction of the organisation. 

You are able to develop a strong understanding of key business drivers and educate managers on the financial impacts of key operational decisions. Commercial finance plays a key role in supporting business case development for major projects and strategic initiatives. Increasingly, executive teams and company boards look to finance professionals to provide their finance expertise across a range of strategic issues. 

What are some common interview questions that you might ask when recruiting for staff in your team?

In today’s modern workplace, cultural fit and shared values are key in developing a well-balanced and coherent team. 

Questions around individuals’ workplace values, working styles and how they feel they can best contribute to a strong team culture are common. During the interview process, it is important that you provide the interviewer a clear understanding of how you feel you align with the organisation’s values, what your personal contribution will be in developing a strong culture within your own team and how you will assist your colleagues in achieving team goals.