ALEJANDRO ROLDAN DÍAZ

Alejandro Roldan Díaz, the Financial Controller at Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea, works within the Management Oversight department and his role is largely focused on financial analysis.

What has it been like to develop your professional career at Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea over the past few years? How did you begin?

I joined the Treasury Department two and a half years ago and my main functions were focused on short- and medium-term estimation of the company's liquidity projections. After six months, I was offered the option to work in the Management Oversight department. I already knew how it worked due to previous experience and it was an area I’d wanted to develop in professionally, so I decided to accept the challenge without hesitation.

The department is being updated, reorganised and rebuilt bit by bit according to the needs of the company. It has been two difficult years full of challenges, directly related to the major structural changes implemented by the group over this period.

What is your day-to-day life like? What do you enjoy most about your work?

Versatility is definitely a key feature of the department. You have the chance to learn and understand how all the business areas of the company work, which gives you a pretty global view of everything. In most companies, as I see it, the Management Oversight Department is the nexus between accounting and management. The information produced by this department is used to make strategic data-based decisions.

As the main tasks we have in the department are based on report financial results, they depend on whether we are at different stages, such as monthly accounting closures, weekly liquidity reports or building the annual group budget.

From your position as Controller, what professional challenges do you face in your department?

Improving the company's analysis and understanding processes is a constant challenge given the size and logistical complexity of the business. One of the initiatives we implemented, together with the accounting team and Power BI, was to develop a tool that allows us to improve the analysis of the company's profitability by vessel and route. This was a stimulating challenge.

Another fundamental and important challenge we face is to make sure that all departments are aware of the impact of their functions on the company's profit and loss account.

The Oversight Department is a key part of the company at a strategic level. What are some of the skills you believe a good controller should have?

Aside from accounting and financial expertise, they should be able to work in a team and with different professional profiles, and should have a fairly analytical and global view of the company. Communication of information is also something to consider. It must be presented in an organised, concise and orderly manner, highlighting the main conclusions from each analysis and the process behind it.

What do you most appreciate about working for Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea?

My colleagues, both in my team and in the other departments that I work with on a daily basis, are fantastic professionals and always find time to deal with issues, so I see my personal relationships and professional development as fundamental.

I also appreciate the fact that Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea have given me the opportunity to return to Las Palmas, where I’m from, after my studies in Madrid, and to join a company with such a long history. I will always have a personal connection with the shipping line as I have many fond memories of travelling on their ships to other islands with my family when I was little.