Numbers tell stories. Meet Business Controller, Praneetha.
Every business needs a plan. For Praneetha, the key to this lies in the numbers. As a Business Controller, the story they tell enables her to keep us on track. But, as she’s discovered, even data has time to play.
So… where shall we begin?
“Well, my journey at LEGO® Education only began in August last year. But I’ve worked for the LEGO Group since 2019. I have a masters in Economics and Management from Aarhus University and started here as a student worker in Western Europe Market Finance. When I finished my studies, I got a full-time role in Global Cost Management. Then I moved to LEGO Education Finance, where I am now.
“I work in the Financial Planning & Analysis team. Essentially, this focuses financial planning, budgeting and forecasting. We’re responsible for everything from tracking and analyzing financial data to developing financial plans and forecasts. The insights we provide support decision-making within LEGO Education.”
It always comes down to the numbers, right? Does this leave room to have fun?
“Oh sure, of course. It may not seem obvious, but we have to be creative in our storytelling. Numbers aren’t completely boring, you know. How we interpret the data and understand what it’s saying can be incredibly absorbing. Besides, we still have time to play and have fun beyond this.
“We’re very collaborative. It’s important that we communicate cross-functionally. That way, we get to ensure that financial considerations are integrated in our strategic and operational planning. We’re often heavily involved in process-optimizing initiatives. We try to understand how to support our colleagues in their day-to-day work to enable them to focus on how we reach children.
“Beyond this, play connects us all in our team meetings. We get to learn about one another and the wider organization. Sometimes we have initiatives where we can test new LEGO Education products. They’re amazing. It’s so interesting to see how they unlock creativity and innovation. This helps us to understand how detailed our products actually are, and what impact they have on children.”
And what, we ask, does Praneetha see as the key challenges of her role:
“In our business, we have to respond to rapidly changing market conditions. But as we become more automatized, this gives us more room for manoeuvre and the ability to support colleagues in making their own tasks more automatized. We’re constantly evolving.
“And, you know what, the idea that our work is helping to inspire children by creating better learning experiences is incredibly motivating. It does make a difference. We’re playing our part in making a positive impact on education by leveraging the versatility and creativity inherent in LEGO products. We’re helping to make fun learning through play a reality by making education enjoyable and interactive.
“For me, it’s a joy to come into campus every morning. I love the fact that by optimizing processes, our team is doing its bit so that LEGO bricks can be integrated into school curricula. We’re part of a crucial transformation in education. That’s got to be worth getting out of bed for every day.”