Thursday’s introductions - Agnieszka Paluszewska

Who does what at Norian and what kind of people are we? In our Thursday’s Introductions- series, you get a peek into our day-to-day activities and the stories behind our employees. Today it’s time to meet another colleague.

My name is Agnieszka Paluszewska, though almost nobody calls me that – to everyone, I’m simply Aga (to this day I wonder what possessed my parents to pick such a tricky name).

BACKGROUND — How I got here

I’ve been with ECIT Norian for over 15 years, starting back in 2011 as one of the accountants who helped build our onshoring operating model from the ground up. From day one, I’ve worked mostly with Finnish entities, though I’ve also had a few “flings” with Norwegian and Swedish accounting along the way.

As a natural-born adventurer, and I need challenges in my work environment too, so over the years I’ve been working with different processes – handling both small entities and larger groups requiring a consolidated accounting approach. I’ve led several transitions, built up my knowledge across different accounting systems, managed teams in a matrix environment, and more recently took on a new responsibility in Service Management.

MY ROLE — What does my work actually look like?

Beyond being a Team Leader and Service Manager, I’m also an active General Ledger accountant, so a good part of my work follows the monthly closing rhythm. I handle Group reporting and controlling for one of our BPO customers, support my team members, and try to keep the wheels turning at the right speed and in the right direction. I spend a lot of time with our customers discussing their business needs and helping shape their finance functions, so it genuinely supports business decisions. I’m a firm believer in the LEAN philosophy, so as a manager I focus on advising and supporting accountants while giving them enough room for creativity, ownership, and independence.

I get real satisfaction from process improvement and consulting. I’m a strong advocate of continuous improvement and I like to challenge the “as-is” way of working to arrive at something better, smoother, and more suited to specific business needs. Right now, my team is heavily focused on rolling out new technologies – AI- and RPA-driven solutions – shifting the finance approach from manually approving every single invoice to smart automation, paired with even smarter oversight of the data that gets processed automatically. I feel real pride looking back at how far we’ve come – not just in accounting skills, but in the way we think about finance services altogether.

COLLABORATION AND CULTURE — What makes a great team?

For me, it comes down to one phrase: all for one, one for all. I don’t know if it’s just my personal luck or the ECIT Norian atmosphere, but throughout my whole career here, leading different teams and working with many different people, I’ve always found open, engaged, honest, and genuinely fun colleagues! I love our direct style of communication and how sharing feedback is simply part of everyday work. Our flat organizational structure means there are no real barriers between management and accountants, and that’s simply great. I know I’d miss Norian’s work culture if I ever had to switch jobs and go back to formal titles again. In my view, workplace atmosphere plays a huge role in our lives – and even with all our Teams meetings, nothing replaces having lunch together or just chatting over a cup of coffee now and then. It’s a good habit that keeps our team close, not just during month-end closing or tax calculations.

THE PERSON BEHIND THE WORK → What brings me energy in my free time

I was born in Poland and have lived here almost my whole life, but there’s a Scandinavian soul inside me: what I love the most is being outdoors, in nature, with the people I love. I’m even on the hunt for a summer cottage right now! I love hiking, camping, paddleboarding, kayaking, or just taking an afternoon walk. Every summer, my family packs our car with a tent and a thousand-and-one other things, and we hit the road for three weeks, worrying only about whether the diesel will last to the next gas station and hoping it won’t rain right when we need to pitch the tent. It’s the best way for me to recharge – and even my kids manage to forget about their phones for a while.

TO THE END → When to contact me

If you’re looking for someone who’ll roll up her sleeves, clear the blockers, and leave your processes better than she found them – let’s talk.