Cristiana Bocchi: Chief Financial Officer of Errecom

1) We know that you play a key role at Errecom. What was the path that brought you to be CFO of the company?

In August 2017, I was looking for a job that would give me the chance to grow professionally. I had come from a very disappointing professional experience, that had left me with a strong desire for redemption and revenge. Thinking back to my first days at Errecom makes me smile: in thirty-two hours I had to learn the company’s accounting practices, quite a trauma! Joking aside, it was stressful but stimulating at the same time. Even though I had been working for seventeen years for an administrative office of a very successful company, I still had to get back into the game and roll my sleeves up because, after all, every company follows its practices and management style. Consider also that I’m a hard worker who tends to work behind the scenes, I don’t like to rise above others. And yet, despite it, my value and commitment have been recognised and appreciated, leading me to be today CFO of Errecom. When I look back and reflect on the difficulties I had to go through, I can’t believe I have made it this far: I got my dream job and I feel fulfilled and satisfied! It really is true that perseverance and commitment always pay off. Obviously, I know it’s not only about that. Many aspects in life lead to success: humility, the desire to constantly put yourself out there, the luck of being in the right place at the right time. However, I believe that, in the end, one prevails over all of them and that is resilience.

2) What do you love most about your job?

To be honest, there was a time when I strongly questioned my passions. That’s why driven by the desire to put my career on the line, I threw myself into the world of sales: a totally different reality from the administrative one but which, objectively speaking, has even given me some satisfaction. However, it was not my path: every job requires certain attitudes, and let’s be honest: I’m not a salesperson. So, I’ve started a career coaching program, and guess what? The first thing my coach said to me was: “You would make a great accountant!”. I decided to give my career in administration a second chance, trying, this time, to work from a different point of view, facing the challenges with more courage and self-confidence. Well, it worked: from that day on, I no longer had any doubts. I think that questioning myself has been fundamental in rediscovering the love and passion I have for my job. At Errecom I feel fulfilled, I feel that what I do has a very specific purpose and value. Here I am not a number, on the contrary. What I love about my job is the fact that every day is different, with new challenges. I feel like being part of a dynamic and constantly evolving company. Errecom’s adventure began twenty years ago and seeing the results it has achieved, knowing that I have also contributed in part to the growth of this company, is truly priceless satisfaction.

3) Numbers, balanced budget, precision: do these characteristics also distinguish you outside your profession?

I love numbers: it may seem that I am obsessed with them, at work, at home, during my free time! However, I must admit that I would not describe myself as a classic accountant, because although I love numbers, I think I also have a more creative side. At Errecom, I feel satisfied because my role is very varied and allows me to fully express myself and my attitudes. So, to answer your question: yes, I am a precise person, but not too much. I like thinking outside the box, and I think it’s important, even for a job like mine.

4) We know that your job is not only about numbers, but it involves also interpersonal skills. Another key aspect of your role, in fact, is the management of relations with financial and insurance institutions. How do you succeed with that?

My secret is very simple: when I deal with external collaborators, I always consider that, first of all, they are human beings! I strongly believe that arrogance and conceit get you nowhere. Rather, I am convinced that, to build valuable relationships, all you need is humility and empathy: they are the foundations of mutual respect and trust. And to be honest, I believe that the results I’ve obtained until now speak for themselves! Obviously, if I notice that the party misunderstands this kindness of mine, perceiving it as a lack of expertise or knowledge, then I change approach because, in addition to what has been said so far, I believe that mutual respect is just as fundamental.

5) As human resources representative, you also deal with the health of employees, an aspect which, especially now, is particularly delicate because it inevitably relates to more emotional dynamics. Errecom has implemented prevention measures to reduce the risk of contagion. What does it mean for you in terms of HR Management?

Human Resources Management is perhaps the most difficult but also the most rewarding job. It is fundamental to mediate between the needs of individuals and those of the company, to put yourself in the shoes of employees, and to offer them your time when it is needed. The pandemic we are experiencing does not help, these are difficult times for everyone, but Errecom’s Staff knows that my door is always open for anyone who needs it. As far as it concerns the organisational aspects, I think the most exhausting moment was last year: there was a lot of confusion, every week a new decree was issued requiring new company protocols to be set up. The company moved immediately to provide employees with a safe workplace and from the moment it was possible, we implemented regular screening and prevention campaigns to protect their health. It has been an essential decision to keep the situation under control within the company and prevent any outbreaks. It’s a considerable job, not only on a human level but also on a practical and organisational one, but I’m happy to give my contribution.

6) You got sick from Covid-19. Has this experience changed your perception of life?

I got sick from Covid-19 last March: high fever, sore throat, loss of taste and smell. It was tough and, at times like that, you realise that life really is a matter of moments. You re-evaluate your priorities, rediscover the value of simple things you have always taken for granted. You realise that the statement “the important thing is to be healthy” is not so banal as it is full of meaning and awareness. I admit that, even in this case, there is the other side of the coin. For a while, you feel inclined to this new approach, until you get to the point where you are again overwhelmed by the system and the fast pace of a life that runs too fast between home, work, family, etc. I think it’s inevitable. We have to find a balance: accepting a lifestyle that we cannot totally change, by always remembering that beyond the frenzy there is real life, the meaning of everything. It is not always easy, and sometimes it becomes frustrating. However, I have learnt to carve out time for myself in which I completely disconnect and manage to give things their proper importance.

7) It’s pretty clear: your job is your passion! What other interests do you cultivate?

I love getting in touch with nature, spending my free time outdoors, pruning plants, or taking care of my flowers. And then I love animals, especially dogs. I have always had at least one, I could never live without their love. I think of them as children, members of the family: with their deep, unconditional way of loving, they have so much to teach us, humans. My daughter Aurora also shares my same love for animals and nature: she has a mare with which she competes, even at a national level, and I’ve always supported her in following her passion. Talking about it out loud makes me reflect on the fact that perhaps my greatest passion is precisely this: taking care. Of people, of my family, of our animals, of my plants. Thinking about it, I can’t deny that sometimes it is really tiring. I have so many people who love me immensely but at the same time, they constantly need my presence. And yet, at the end of the day, despite the tiredness and fatigue, I feel grateful because perhaps this is my mission in life: to be a point of reference for those I love.

8) Career woman, mother, wife: we are talking about 3 different worlds. Do you think they interconnected somehow?

Yes, I believe so. It’s like a fire that makes them tough yet satisfying at the same time. I am talking about the passion that always makes the difference, no matter if you’re at home with your family or at work.
Of course, it’s thanks to time and experience that I found a balance, learning how to live consciously each moment. And maybe, that’s the true secret of success!