Andreia from Finance

Finance

Andreia Neil Claire

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"Everyone at AZ is really understanding and supportive during CIMA exam time" Andreia

I joined AstraZeneca on the CIMA Graduate Finance Scheme after graduating from King’s College London with a BSc in Molecular Genetics. During this ‘in between’ time I had the opportunity, amongst other things, to volunteer and travel in Southern Africa.

My first placement at AstraZeneca was within their Shared European Business centre (EBS) ,located in Didsbury, South Manchester. EBS allowed me to work across the whole range of Finance areas spending 3 months in Accounting and Control and 9 months in Transactions. EBS is an AstraZeneca support function that provides shared finance and accounting related services to marketing companies in 15 Western European countries.

My first role was within the French team of Sales Order to Cash. I worked with both Sales Order Processing and Credit Control and I was involved in the month end report.

During my time there, I was exposed to customer’s orders and queries and on the credit control side I saw how sales transactions flow to open debtor balances, followed up invoices, saw the effects of credit notes on accounting and account reconciliation. In addition I allocated cash and electronic payments to customers accounts and grasp the effect of credit checking and blocking.  

My second role was with the Spain and Portugal team of Accounts Payable. In AP I processed both FI invoices (direct to accounting) and MM invoices (matching to a PO) and I processed reversals and credit notes and did payment runs. I found really helpful being exposed to the corporate tax rules and processing invoices gave me a great inside to how AZ depends and follows tax rules.

After AP I will go briefly to Travel and Expenses and then I will spend the summer in General Accounting.   I enjoy working with young Europeans. There is a great vibe in the building and loads happening, such as language clubs run by native speakers and table football championships.

I am still at the early stages of my CIMA studies, as I am sitting my first intermediate exams this May but I am already finding that keeping on top of things needs motivation and commitment. Fortunately everyone at AZ is really understanding and supportive during exam time.