Meet Tina Huang: Senior Manager, Finance (Taipei)

I am Tina Huang. I have been with Parexel since 2015, and I am a Senior Manager in the Project Finance Excellence Group located in the Taipei office.

What does a day as a Finance Manager look like?

I manage a team of Project Financial Analysts, who primarily work on Enterprise projects. What I do daily changes depending on where we are in the month. I support my team and help them deal with any issues on projects (i.e., sponsor requests, invoicing errors, project margin maintenance, etc.).

As a people manager, another key part of my role is to help my team members gain experience and develop skills that further advance their careers.

You’ve been at Parexel for over a decade! What do you think makes managers want to stay and grow here?

Parexel's dynamic environment means there are usually new developments, system updates or other improvements being rolled out. As a line manager, I am always looking for new or different work assignments that can help my team members achieve their work goals. For me personally, I have had experiences with being on SME teams rolling out programs, participating in system enhancements and various training initiatives. These types of opportunities contribute to continued engagement of employees, even long tenured members.

In addition, there is a big emphasis on knowledge sharing within the team. Since Financial Analysts mostly work independently on studies, this type of collaboration establishes a culture of openness where team members can comfortably pose questions or discussion points to peers and line managers. 

How would you describe what it’s like to work at Parexel?

Parexel is a great place to work. There is a culture of respect and openness. The Taipei team is able to maintain a positive and collaborative work environment due to balanced flexibility in our work structure and the efforts of our regional director in keeping the team connected. The team works in office twice a week to maintain the team bond on a personal and social level, generally taking lunch breaks as a group, while working from home the rest of the week to promote flexibility.

I am Tina Huang. I have been with Parexel since 2015, and I am a Senior Manager in the Project Finance Excellence Group located in the Taipei office.

What does a day as a Finance Manager look like?

I manage a team of five Project Financial Analysts, who primarily work on Enterprise projects. What I do daily changes depending on where we are in the month.

• One of the Financial Analysts’ core responsibilities is monthly revenue recognition and forecasting. During that period, I will work with my team to ensure that revenue is properly recognized at the project level, all necessary controls and checks are completed, and any variance anomalies are analyzed and explained. Project revenue is key, as these numbers are reported each month to upper management and compared to our forecasted targets.
• During other times in the month, I will support my team and help them deal with any issues on projects (i.e., sponsor requests, invoicing errors, project margin maintenance, etc.)
• As a people manager, another key part of my role is to help my team members gain experience and develop skills that further advance their careers.

When did you join Parexel, and why did you choose Parexel above our competitors?

I joined Parexel in mid-2015. I previously worked in Public Accounting in the US and returned to Taiwan after 10 years in the US. I did not know much about the CRO or the Pharma Industry. But I had a family member already working in Parexel, and she recommended Parexel to me. She thought it would be a good fit, since I was looking for a company that had an international presence and a good work culture.

What skills are needed to be successful in a Finance role at Parexel?

Being a problem solver, analytical thinker and good communicator are key to success as a manager of a project financial analyst team.

How do you support your team members to be successful?

I optimize the opportunities available for my team members to help them develop their careers in the direction they would like to go. Whether it is finding new challenging projects or initiatives for them to work on, or helping them get the career advancement they are working for.

How would you describe what it’s like to work at Parexel?

Parexel is a great place to work. There is a culture of respect and openness. The people make Parexel a great place to work. I really enjoy collaborating with my team members in project finance, as well as the project leaders with whom I have had a chance to partner.

Share a moment where you have gained a real sense of job satisfaction?

As a member of the Finance team, I sometimes get the opportunity to provide training to colleagues in other departments. One of the trainings I recently facilitated was the Business Acumen training for Project Leaders. It was great to engage with non-finance colleagues and work together to help Parexel achieve its financial goals. I was very encouraged by the level of interest and commitment of the participants to increasing their financial knowledge.

How have you mentored team members to advance their careers?

I want to understand what my team members own goals are. I am a big proponent of supporting team members who actively invest in their own careers; their own motivation is key.  I can provide guidance and an external perspective to highlight strengths and reveal potential they may not be fully aware of yet. I had an experience with guiding the advancement of a team member by recognizing their strengths, especially in the aspect of training and working on finding high visibility assignments that highlighted those strengths. Through these opportunities we were able to showcase their technical, communication and leadership skills that supported their promotion and career progression.

What's your personal approach to line management that also reflect Parexel’s values?

I work to enhance team performance by tailoring my approach to each team member based on their work styles and needs. By being adaptive and flexible, I can concentrate my efforts on the team members that may require more structure and instruction, while being more of a sounding-board to team members that thrive working independently.

This approach maximizes each member's potential and development opportunities, which ties into Parexel's values of Empowerment and Accountability.