Altenar now employs more than 500 staff members with a wide variety of skills and expertise.
As a global company, the Altenar team is made up of many different nationalities, backgrounds, and languages. Each individual contributes to our success in different ways, and their paths to get here vary too.
In the latest of a series of interviews with our team, we learn more about Chief Financial Officer John Quaye.
How long have you been part of the Altenar team and what made you want to join the company?
I joined the company in July 2022 after working in financial services for most of my career. Moving to a new industry was really appealing, and when I met with the leadership, the opportunity to be part of such a fast-growing and exciting company was compelling.
What are your main roles and responsibilities here at Altenar?
As CFO, I lead the finance function and also oversee the Isle of Man office. Obviously, there is a large focus on the numbers, but there’s also a lot of overlap with legal and compliance as we handle due diligence sign-offs and new contracts, for example.
What do you think makes you good at your job/what you do?
I think one of the most important skills to have in a leadership role is being a good listener. It’s impossible to be an expert in every area, so being able to listen, understand problems quickly, and engage in thoughtful—but sometimes challenging—discussions is key.
I really like the Steve Jobs quote:
"It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do."
How does your department help the company reach its overall targets and goals?
In finance, we are the gatekeepers of company funds. This is a delicate balancing act in a dynamic business because we need to create and enforce policies while also not restricting the company’s ability to grow.
Integral to managing the group’s cash flow are the relationships that go with it: working with banks, ensuring suppliers are paid on time, and making sure invoices are collected promptly.
To use a sports analogy, if the business were a soccer team, we’d be the goalkeeper with good feet and great distribution (hopefully!).
What are the key skills you need to succeed in your team/department?
Strong numeracy is obviously vital, but so is being a strong communicator with a desire to learn. Finance interacts with every other department in some way, and it’s important to understand the wider business as we assess daily transactions or future needs.
How do you expect your role in this industry to change and develop in the future?
I don’t necessarily expect my role to change, but I think the function of a CFO has generally shifted in recent years. Traditionally, the focus was heavily on financial reporting and accounting, whereas now it’s more strategic, with an emphasis on risk management—especially in a geographically diverse business in a global marketplace.
Tell us about your career before joining Altenar.
I trained and completed my Certified Public Accountancy exams with PricewaterhouseCoopers, auditing various companies in the Isle of Man, before a short time with the Ryanair PLC group as my first role in the industry. The next 12 or so years were spent managing trust and corporate structures with a particular focus on investment markets.
What’s one thing you’d love to change about your role/industry?
More broadly as an accountant, I’d like to move further away from the image of accountancy as a grey and boring profession. While it’s easy to fall into that stereotype, I think most accountants today need to be much more well-rounded and less rigid, contributing ideas based on their broad knowledge of all aspects of a business.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I don’t think I ever really knew—I fell into the profession because I was good with numbers. But if I could rewrite the script, being a Premier League soccer player or an F1 driver would come a close second to being Altenar’s CFO!
Outside of work, do you have any hidden talents?
I enjoy running and have completed quite a few marathons, but it’s probably not so hidden anymore with Altenar sponsoring the Isle of Man Marathon.
What is your biggest achievement outside of your career?
Definitely my kids. I’ve somehow managed to raise little humans who are well-behaved, funny, and kind 51% of the time. It’s like running a circus, but I can’t decide whether I’m the ringmaster or the clown!
