Finance Guys In Tech - Ep004 Staying Close To The Business w.Karl Brenner Román

Ep004 Staying Close To The Business w.Karl Brenner Román

09/30/19 • 33 min

“For the first 90 days here I would try to sit as much as I can, or literally just move your desk to where your business partners are.”

Today we have an interview with Karl Brenner Roman, Sid’s and my ‘cousin’ (by the org chart) here in AWS infrastructure finance. Karl is an energy guy and he’s got some great insights on how he has found success adding value in finance at Amazon.

1:00 When do you stop counting your Amazon tenure in months?

3:00 Karl’s gig before b-school included energy retrofitting sugar factories, mmm

5:45 The albums that were on replay in Cost Rica as a kid

8:33 Favorite music venues in Berkley & Seattle

12:00 What attracted Karl to Amazon – promoting renewable energy

14:20 Considerations for FinTech campus recruiting at business school – company focus vs. product/team focus

17:45 Visa considerations in business school recruiting – discover early which companies have sponsorship for international students

20:00 On finding your balance at Amazon

21:35 Karl’s advice for first 90 days at Amazon – spending time with the business team

22:45 How to add value in finance

23:50 The difference in perspective of finance vs. the business

25:55 Finance's obligation for long term thinking

27:40 Thoughts on career path, staying close enough to the business to ask good questions

29:10 Lighting round word association with Sid

30:00 Parting words for anyone interested in a career in tech finance – can you map your story and skills to the business’s need

32:20 What’s Karl doing this weekend?
Connect with Karl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-brenner-rom%C3%A1n-6a963152/
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Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

Here's where you can find us online: https://www.charleskunken.com/podcast or contact the show with any questions, comments, requests for guests: [email protected]

Subscribe to the ‘Art & Work’ weekly Newsletter: charleskunken.com/subscribe

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“For the first 90 days here I would try to sit as much as I can, or literally just move your desk to where your business partners are.”

1:00 When do you stop counting your Amazon tenure in months?

3:00 Karl’s gig before b-school included energy retrofitting sugar factories, mmm

5:45 The albums that were on replay in Cost Rica as a kid

8:33 Favorite music venues in Berkley & Seattle

12:00 What attracted Karl to Amazon – promoting renewable energy

14:20 Considerations for FinTech campus recruiting at business school – company focus vs. product/team focus

17:45 Visa considerations in business school recruiting – discover early which companies have sponsorship for international students

20:00 On finding your balance at Amazon

21:35 Karl’s advice for first 90 days at Amazon – spending time with the business team

22:45 How to add value in finance

23:50 The difference in perspective of finance vs. the business

25:55 Finance's obligation for long term thinking

27:40 Thoughts on career path, staying close enough to the business to ask good questions

29:10 Lighting round word association with Sid

30:00 Parting words for anyone interested in a career in tech finance – can you map your story and skills to the business’s need

32:20 What’s Karl doing this weekend?
Connect with Karl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-brenner-rom%C3%A1n-6a963152/
--

Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

Here's where you can find us online: https://www.charleskunken.com/podcast or contact the show with any questions, comments, requests for guests: [email protected]

Subscribe to the ‘Art & Work’ weekly Newsletter: charleskunken.com/subscribe

Other socials:
https://www.instagram.com/cbkunk/
https://www.facebook.com/cbkunk

Previous Episode

Ep003 From India To AWS Finance w.Sid Dhodi

The opinions on this show are my own. The voices in my head...still figuring that out.
Today we have an interview with Sid Dhodi, my homie and teammate here in AWS finance. Sid brings the funny, we'll definitely be hearing from him again.
1:00 Sid’s origin story

3:05 Never try this...Sid & family land in NYC for business school

7:20 Flunking every 1st round interview

9:55 How Sid prepared for Amazon interviews

13:35 The biggest learning curve the first year – communication

16:10 Amazon’s data culture

19:16 Sid’s superpower that isn’t a leadership principle: hardwork

19:55 Using mental math in negotiations

21:50 What’s the culture really like?...it’s been great, there’s pockets at all big companies

24:00 The sales pitch – why Amazon is great and some last advice for interviews

25:00 Sid on Seattle, hobbies & value investing
Connect with Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
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Here's where you can find us online and subscribe to the weekly blog, where all the ideas start: charleskunken.com/subscribe.
And you can always hit me up with questions: [email protected]
Lets connect:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken
https://www.instagram.com/cbkunk/
https://www.facebook.com/cbkunk

Next Episode

Ep005 Two Decades of Finance Wisdom w.Mona Leung - Being Mindful & Relaxed On The Journey

“You walk in with your idea, people are going to engage with you. They’re going to get into your data, they’re going to get into your thought process and they’re going to challenge you, and they’ll also build on it. So you’re going to walk out with a different product...a better product.”

Today our guest is finance gal Mona Leung, a Director here in AWS Finance. Mona draws on her 2 decades of finance experience before joining Amazon in 2014. She tells us what was different about Amazon, what advice she would give herself if starting out again, and oh yes we can't forget, Mona’s motto aka the 'Mona Leadership Principles'. We hope you enjoy!

2:15 Pizza Hut Finance

3:38 What Mona was like as a kid...an athlete

6:20 What was different when joining Amazon? - Taking risks & big ideas.

7:06 Mona’s Amazon origin story

10:01 Leadership style – be bold, be vocal, take risks, embrace mistakes

11:11 Advice to new hires – unlearning, don’t just default to old habits

11:51 What Mona unlearned – wanting people to like your idea vs. wanting them to help with your idea

14:57 What qualities do you look for in a new hire? The spark & The genuineness.

17:51 Something about Amazon – it’s fun.

20:31 MONA’s MOTTO aka the Mona Leadership Principles

23:21 What advice Mona would give herself starting out

26:19 The worst advice Mona ever received – you should aim to be in the CFO pipeline by ‘this’ age

27:56 on Diversity – how Amazon is like the U.N., in culture & work experience

30:41 The 3 people Mona would most want to have dinner with

31:11 Active listening

32:11 What Mona learns from her children (and how they help her with work)

36:41 Parting words for those just starting out – be mindful but relax, it’s a journey

Mona on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monasleung/

Sid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhodi/
Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskunken

To find us online: charleskunken.com/podcast or email the show with any questions, comments, requests for guests, etc: [email protected]

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Music by Good Baby. ‘Rose Colored’ (instrumental version), goodbaby.band/musicvideos