Marie-Louise Coetzee, Accountant
Accountant
Current Experience:Accountant/Financial Management Pumpkin Patch Foods · Full-time Jun 2023 - Present · (2 yrs 1 mos)
PAST EXPERIENCES:Accountant Cape Five Export SA · Full-time Dec 2018 - Jul 2022 · (3 yrs 8 mos)
Bookkeeper at Agrisa Commodities (Pty) Ltd · Full-time Jan 2017 - Nov 2018 · (1 yr 11 mos)
Bookkeeper/Credit Controller at Life Healthcare · Full-time Nov 2013 - Jul 2016 · (2 yrs 9 mos)
Qualifications:Bachelor of Accounting Sciences in Management Accounting
Country of Residence:South Africa
LinkedIn Profile: Meet Marié Coetzee, an accountant at Pumpkin Patch Foods with over a decade of experience and a track record of learning by doing. From tackling finance tasks solo to mentoring junior professionals, she’s built her career step-by-step, without a degree but with unwavering drive.
What time do you usually wake up on weekends?
5:30 AM
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Early bird
How do you spend the first hour of your day?
Getting the children ready for their school day
What sparked your interest in accounting or finance?
I got into finance after assisting a friend and realising how much I enjoyed it.
Can you share some key career milestones or defining moments?
Reaching each new level without a degree was a major personal milestone.
What is your role within your company’s finance department?
I'm currently handling the finance function on my own, managing everything up to trial balance.
How do you contribute to the overall financial strategy of the business?
I’m in charge of costing products, so I need to be very detail-oriented since a single error could cost the company financially.
What is one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your role? How did you overcome it?
I had to resolve enquiries that were over five years old, tackling them one step at a time and moving on to the next department once each case was closed.
What tools or strategies do you use to manage the financial operations of the company effectively?
I’ve learned the importance of prioritizing tasks, and staying organized has been key to managing my work more efficiently.
Share your strategies for staying balanced, especially during busy periods.
I make a point to switch off after hours. If a task isn’t time sensitive, I leave it for the next working day.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
I enjoy spending time with my family and baking regularly.
Do you mentor or support other team members in the finance department?
Not officially within the company, but there are a few people in more junior roles who often come to me for help or advice. I make an effort to explain things as simply as possible and encourage them to ask questions, so they feel comfortable and fully understand what we’re discussing.
What advice would you give to someone aspiring to work in a finance department?
Take things one small step at a time. If you can, see if there’s anyone you can help, even on a voluntary basis, to gain experience and grow from there.
What’s your favourite quote or mantra that motivates you?
“If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.”
Share a leadership lesson or a piece of advice that’s been valuable to you in your career.
What follows might resonate with some more than others: Don’t immediately assume the worst when you're called into a meeting with your superior.
What’s something surprising about you that isn’t in your professional bio?
When I was young, one of my biggest dreams was to play ice hockey.
If you could have any superpower to help you in your job, what would it be?
To quickly analyze and solve complex problems at a glance.
What’s your go-to strategy for staying productive during long workdays?
Make sure the daily to-do list is finished before tackling unresolved enquiries and other tasks. Even resolving one enquiry counts as progress.
If you could relive one day from your career, which day would it be and why?
The day I arrived in Cape Town 10 years ago marked a turning point, and since then my career has grown significantly.
Marié’s story is a reminder that consistency, problem-solving, and humility go a long way. She’s proof that experience, curiosity, and heart can carve a powerful path in finance.
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