Haydee Peimbert gained her education and early career experience in her home country of Mexico before Diageo offered her the opportunity of a lifetime. Haydee was promoted to head of risk and compliance for Europe and started her new life over 5,500 miles from where she was born.
Early career
Born and raised in Mexico, Haydee has a degree in accountancy from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and an Executive MBA from the University of Barcelona.
Despite her accountancy education, Haydee’s first experience of the commercial world was in the consulting arena, with Big Four firm, Deloitte. Here she serviced several clients with implementation of control frameworks, internal control assessments, development of compliance policies, risk management and auditing. Through her experience with Deloitte, Haydee built an excellent career in controls and compliance in the corporate world with firms including Cadbury’s, Mead Johnson and Mondelez.
A five-thousand-mile relocation and a new life for Haydee
Joining Diageo in 2015, Haydee’s first role was to lead the controls, compliance and ethics function for Mexico and Zacapa. Her talents were almost immediately recognised and within two and a half years, Haydee was hand-picked for a position as head of risk and compliance for the European market.
“This was a big challenge in my career and a huge personal change,” says Haydee. “I moved to London and left my life in Mexico behind.”
Connecting with company values
Haydee comments how she realised that Diageo was “a great place to work” after her first interview with the finance director and the general manager.
“There were two huge differences from the companies I’d worked for before,” explains Haydee. “The first was the level of commitment on ‘doing the right thing’, not just from a finance/accounting perspective but in every single process and activity performed by the company.” This ethos falls in line with Diageo’s purpose to be the most trusted and respected company in the industry.
“Secondly,” continues Haydee, “is the importance Diageo places on attracting people that connect with the company values and supporting them to achieve their personal goals and ambitions.”
There are lots of global career opportunities with Diageo, and the potential for all employees to experience and leverage their personal capabilities in several departments across the company.
Haydee is always encouraged to explore new ideas
Diageo thrives on an environment of constant innovation and change. They are a company that is always challenging the way they operate in order to offer the best products, the best quality, and execute the most effective and efficient processes to serve a global purpose.
‘You’re never bored,” comments Haydee. “You’re always pushed to be out from your comfort zone, exploring new ideas and ways to do things, always learning something new.”
But, it’s the collaborative and open environment that inspires Haydee the most. “Diversity of thinking is highly appreciated, so collaboration across functions or regions is always a must.”
This type of environment, of course, offers a high level of complexity, especially in terms of the risk and compliance function where the main role is to partner with the business to ensure Diageo are responding with agility to the changing global market.
“I need to push myself every day to develop better communication, listening, collaboration and management skills,” says Haydee. “These skills will allow me to effectively interact with my internal stakeholders, be empathetic to their needs, to respond quickly to any requirement and learn how to always make things better.”
What attracts Haydee to a finance career with Diageo?
Haydee’s early career and her accountancy-based education have perfectly prepared her for her finance career with Diageo. Her knowledge and skills have empowered her personal growth, and, along the way, she’s gained an enormous associated skill set in related areas such as accounting, tax, audit, and commercial awareness.
“Controls and compliance is normally an ‘unexplored’ area within the finance function,” explains Haydee, “so in my opinion, people tend to underestimate the value it has to develop key skills to be successful, not only in a finance career path but other types of functions. The level of exposure you constantly have with people across the business, and the business knowledge you gain in a short time period, are just a couple of things that make this area exciting.”
Does Haydee have a favourite career moment?
“I can mention two memorable moments,” says Haydee. “The first was just six months into my Diageo career. The general manager in Mexico invited me to be part of the Local Executive Leadership team. He recognised the contributions I had made in the controls and compliance team and the importance of my work to link the company’s Mexican agenda in every single aspect of the business, not just finance topics.”
And the second…?
“When I was appointed to take a role outside of Mexico. It was a great honour and I was proud to be recognised for the work I’d performed.”
Career advice from an inspirational female finance leader
“Never be afraid to take new challenges and to fail. The attitude, the energy and the effort you put into everything will be the key to achieve any goal.”
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