March Employee Spotlight: Annette Engel

We are so excited to feature Annette Engel as our Employee Spotlight for the month of March. Read below to discover more about Annette, her professional journey, and what makes her successful.

Q: What do you believe are your key strengths?

A: It has always come naturally to me to strategically understand the overall picture and pieces of the puzzle while seeing all the granular details, which has been largely beneficial in consulting clients with unique complexities. I am also an excellent active listener and focus my efforts on delivering exactly what our clients are describing. I am solution-oriented, results-driven, and I very much enjoy completing complex projects.

Q: How do you keep track of the things you need to do? 

A: Staying highly organized is a critical component to my daily routine. I keep my calendar up to date, I maintain meticulous task lists, and I prioritize email management. I track client notes methodically and leverage checklists for routine work where it makes sense.

Q: What makes you happy in a job?

A: Interesting and challenging work plays a pivotal role in my happiness at work. Contributing meaningful, valuable work and keeping my clients highly satisfied rank high on my list for overall happiness.

Q: Why do you feel you have work/life balance? Do you have any tips/tricks for others to improve their work/life balance?

A: As a working mother, I focus on spending quality time at work and diligently completing my tasks so that I can be present for my family and my personal time. I routinely log off at the end of my work day to spend the evening with my family. It’s incredible how quickly kids grow up and I prioritize spending dinner and the evening focused on my family. After my children go to sleep, I may log on and finish a few tasks for work if necessary but I’m very protective of that time with them. The best way I have found to have great work/life balance is to be fully present and engaged at work during the workday and fully present and engaged at home during off-hours. I also prioritize automation and efficient processes wherever possible both at work and in my personal life.

Q: Think about a good manager you’ve had. What did they do that made them a good manager?

A: I have been so fortunate to have many amazing mentors and managers over the years that have inspired me to be the kind of manager that I am today. The qualities that I appreciate most in a leader is to provide support and engagement in my endeavors. I appreciate a manager who is an effective communicator, knowledgeable, direct, and transparent.

Q: What do you like about the work environment or culture here?

A: I truly value a positive, collaborative atmosphere where we aim to do the best by our clients. I appreciate our flexibility as well. My team and I are willing to roll up our sleeves and work late nights on an urgent issue and then when we’re less busy, we can head out early for a school event or an appointment during the work week. It’s definitely a balance, and I find that we are more committed because we have flexibility.

Q: Who are some of your biggest inspirations at GTreasury?

A: Although recently retired, Helen Kane has been my long-time mentor. I’ve always appreciated her willingness to challenge the status quo and think critically to devise brilliant, outside the box solutions. I appreciated her passion for derivatives and hedging, and how her passion certainly resonated with our clients. It was really the extraordinary people at Hedge Trackers who inspired me to join the company– specifically Helen, Sandra Koch, and Rebecca Judge. I enjoyed working with them so much on the client side that one day I had an aha moment and could see myself switching gears and moving into the consulting space. I’m glad I took that different direction with my career – it has been incredibly rewarding and positive.

Q: How have you grown professionally at GTreasury?

A: In consulting, you learn to be very quick on your feet and to pivot easily at the drop of a hat. Client meetings and consulting engagements can quickly go in different directions than what you originally expected. I certainly have become significantly more agile, nimble, and adaptable.

Q: What’s the best advice you can give to someone who just started their career?

A: Never stop learning! Look for the next project or exciting goal within the company to continue expanding your skills. Never quench your thirst for knowledge.

Q: What’s something you are passionate about outside of the workplace?

A: My family and I are part of an amazing rescue in which we foster dogs in need. We’ve saved dogs from unnecessary euthanasia and kept them out of the shelters. It is incredibly rewarding and has made a tremendously positive impact on my children. We’ve met so many wonderful people who are dog lovers and it feels great to find the right home for a dog in need.