Meet the multitalented multicultural team

Andrea

Before joining JTI my career had progressed within a very different sector to my current role in accountancy. I started my career within the banking sector working my way up from Customer Service Advisor to Area Sales Manager over a period of 17 years. I have always had an interest in finance and after looking into the ACCA course, a change of career into accountancy appealed to me.

I joined JTI in June 2008 as a General Ledger Associate. This new role allowed me to progress my new career in accountancy and put in to practice the theory I had been learning from my ACCA course. After just 7 months I was promoted to Team Leader, and then Process Lead within 16months. More recently I have been appointed to R2R lead, responsible for General Ledger, Fixed Assets, Intercompany, Treasury and VAT Compliance.

JTI has supported and funded my study from the start of my employment with the company and after 4.5 years I have just completed my final exam.

Working for JTI allows me to utilise my previous customer service skills. Every day brings new challenges, and it also offers an opportunity to continually learn new things within a development focused environment.

Dagmara

I have worked for JTI in their Treasury department since February 2009 and what I really like about working at JTI is the multicultural environment and the diversity of working styles which this provides. My role is very varied and there are always new challenges from small changes to big projects like the one in January 2010 when new entities were implemented into SAP. This has been an exciting project for the Treasury department as we have new tasks, more responsibility and a larger team.

We enjoy a wide range of social activities at JTI, from summer parties to go-karting and the annual Christmas party which provides an ideal opportunity to get to know each other better and also to celebrate all our hard work and successes.

I am really enjoying working here. I feel that the company has given me the opportunity to grow professionally and in the future I am planning to study for my Treasury qualifications, which the company will fully support and fund for me. In March 2010 I received my first promotion to Treasury Expert which was a great way to end my first year. In May 2011 I received my second promotion to Treasury Team Leader, which has allowed me to develop my people management skills.

Jacques

I arrived in the UK from South Africa in June 2008; the very first interview I was invited for was for a 3 month contract with JTI in their Treasury Back Office. Having never worked in Treasury or a Global Multinational, I was very excited but also a little nervous about my very first job in the UK ever.

Upon starting at JTI I was warmly welcomed and accepted by everyone around me. For the first time in my life I was sharing an office with a huge range of different cultures and accents.

Although I had never worked in Treasury before, all the people in my team were extremely helpful and assisted me with every query and learning that I needed.

After the first 2 months of my contract I was made a permanent staff member and 4 months after that I was promoted to Team Leader. This would not have been possible without the help of my co-workers and managers. In May 2011 I accepted a fantastic opportunity to move to our headquarters in Geneva to become Global Cash Management Manager.

JTI has taught me to work closely with people from all over the world and the staff and management are always willing and ready to assist.

Katarzyna

I joined JTI Manchester in October 2008 as Receptionist and Administration Associate and I worked in this role for 12 months. This role helped me to understand the company and get to know everybody. I also developed my skills and got a better idea of what I want to do in my life.

Working in the Business Service Centre I developed an interest in finance and when the opportunity arose in the Travel & Expenses team in December 2009, I thought this is my chance to prove myself. JTI have since provided me with the opportunities to continue my development and in June 2011 I moved to the Treasury team to widen my skills and knowledge further.

What I like best about this job is the multicultural and multilingual environment. As I am originally from Poland I am very pleased that I can use my native language from time to time and that the company accepts me for who I am.

Mike

I first joined JTI in June 2007 after applying for the role of Accounts Receivable Associate. I worked in the AR department for 4 months before deciding to go travelling for a year with my partner. I left in October 2007 and travelled for 10 months round the world.

Whilst I was in Thailand (my last destination) I was still in contact with a work colleague who mentioned to the management team I was coming back to the UK and was looking for a job. I spoke to my manager on the phone and agreed to come back and work at JTI. I was happy as I knew the team and still had friends working in other departments. I am happy working at JTI as I know it offers opportunities if you want to take them and the staff are all friendly to get along with. The office is very multi-cultural with people from all kinds of backgrounds who all speak several languages. As I am interested in travel it is very interesting to learn about different cultures and gain a career at the same time .I have since received a promotion to Accounts Receivable Expert and most recently to Master Data Team Leader, which for me are steps in the right direction as I look to build a career here.