the CFO at the heart of operations: from numbers to strategic partnership.

The modern Chief Financial Officer is no longer just a "number cruncher". They are a strategist who must understand every cog in the organisational machine. Anna Nowak, Finance and Administration Director at Lohmann Polska, has spent nine years transitioning from managing a two-person team at a local branch to leading financial support for global production structures. 

How does one navigate a maze of shifting regulations, manage complex factory relocations, and bridge the generational divide? The answer lies in empathy, deep operational knowledge, and the courage to move beyond rigid industry frameworks.

the evolving role: bringing finance closer to production.

Dominika: You have been the CFO at Lohmann for nearly nine years. How much change can really occur in that span?

Anna: When I joined Lohmann, there were only three of us in the finance department, and the company had perhaps 50 employees in total. How have we changed in nine years? Today, we are fully integrated into global structures, and our scope of responsibility has expanded dramatically. We have evolved from a simple facility converting semi-finished goods into a full-scale manufacturing enterprise.

For me, this change meant breaking away from established patterns; my role became about much more than just managing Excel spreadsheets. Today, my department works hand-in-hand with operations, we analyze product margins and material compositions. The data we generate within the SAP system is an invaluable asset for our operational teams. That is why I believe a modern CFO must be able to navigate fluidly between various areas, such as sales and production.

Dominika: In your opinion, what is key to making a finance department a true business partner?

Anna: First and foremost, a complete understanding of processes. I cannot imagine anyone in my team not knowing exactly what we manufacture and how that process works. That is why every new hire, even in accounting, completes their onboarding on the production floor. Synergy within the company is much stronger today than it used to be.

Dominika: You were involved in a massive undertaking: relocating machinery from Germany to Poland. What was your role in that?

Anna: That was a challenge that extended far beyond traditional finance. I was responsible for the formal aspects, from finding a new facility in Gdańsk to negotiating hundreds of pages of lease agreements. While the Operations Director focused on the shop floor and the machinery, my team and I managed the office space, social areas, and administration. It was then that I realised the CFO's role is to manage multiple business support areas simultaneously.

Dominika: How do you assess the Polish financial market compared to other European countries where Lohmann operates?

Anna: The interpretation of EU regulations in Poland is exceptionally rigorous. I have the impression that our authorities take a very literal approach to directives, which imposes much more work on Polish companies than on their foreign counterparts.

A perfect example from recent weeks is the implementation of KSeF (the National e-Invoicing System). My team is supported by our German IT department, but they lack a full understanding of our specific requirements because such a solution does not exist in Germany. In Poland, the pace of legislative change is dizzying - JPK, KSeF, new reporting standards. This is a huge burden, especially for mid-sized companies that do not always have extensive IT resources.

Dominika: Is there a way to survive this workload? Could process automation be the solution?

Anna: Definitely. Implementing an automated document workflow system was a real game-changer for us. We utilise self-learning algorithms that suggest invoice coding based on historical data. This relieves our staff from technical document handling, allowing them to focus on the substantive analysis of cost justification.

Dominika: How does a manufacturing company like Lohmann approach the collection of non-financial data and ESG reporting?

Anna: We aren’t starting from scratch. We have ISO standards implemented, including ISO 14001 for environmental management, and we operate using specific KPIs. We also participate in the global Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), where our score recently improved from B- to A-.

For me, ESG is not just an administrative duty; it is primarily a valuable tool for building business trust. Customers increasingly require us to confirm shared values - from environmental care to hiring ethics. This has a real impact on relationships within the supply chain.

human capital: managing gen z.

Dominika: Returning to your team: what challenges do you see for younger employees, the so-called "Gen Z"?

Anna: I really value this generation for their fresh perspective and creativity. However, they require a different approach - great flexibility and clear communication. The challenge for a manager is to reconcile their expectations with the realities of a manufacturing company. A good example is remote work, which is not an option for employees on the production floor. In my opinion, the key to engaging the younger generation is authenticity. If a young person sees that we treat them with attention and can explain why certain solutions are impossible, we build an entirely different work culture.

Dominika: When you are expanding your team, what do you look for during recruitment? Is it technical knowledge or cultural fit?

Anna: Definitely cultural fit. We provide new employees with the time and support to acquire the necessary technical knowledge. However, values, commitment, and openness cannot be taught through training - that has to come from within. Therefore, we look for people who genuinely want to "befriend" us as an organization.

advice for CFOs: how to survive in a world of change?

Dominika: One final question: how do you see the future of the financial industry in Poland?

Anna: The biggest pain point is the lack of legislative stability. To succeed, a CFO must possess enormous flexibility and the ability to adapt quickly. The implementation successes for which we receive accolades are always the result of the entire team’s effort, which often requires almost acrobatic agility to meet the demands of the law. My advice? You must understand the entire organisation and not be afraid to step outside established frameworks.