June 2018 Member and Sponsor Spotlights

Member Spotlight: Anders Forsell
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Company: Ottlite Technologies, Inc
Title: Chief Financial Officer
Length of FEI membership: 6 months
Work email: [email protected]
Work phone number: (813) 621 0058 ext. 307
Tell us a little bit about your career, educational/professional background and how you got to where you are today.

My Finance/Accounting career commenced in 1997 when I began a 20-year-long adventure with Cott Beverages. While I have since moved on to become the CFO of Ottlite Technologies. Cott Beverages was where it all started and the experienced I gained truly formed the person and the executive I am today.
I was very fortunate to join an employer where hard work and dedication was rewarded. I was promoted early on and positioned for an immediate fast-track to become an executive of Cott Beverages. Within 5 years, I was promoted to Director of Finance and within 10 years promoted to CFO of North America.

It’s interesting when I look back in an attempt to provide an explanation to my success.  First, I never pushed for a promotion, it came naturally… that can be explained by the fact that I quickly understood the important role that finance should play in an organization and I worked early on to insert finance into the management decision making process. I was also surrounded by a strong team of successful people that shared similar attributes and traits and had mentors, role models and senior executives that I admired and looked up to.

Have you ever done anything out of the ordinary to apply for and/or get a job?

Not really, but I do have an interesting fact to share. It’s kind of funny, looking back to the 90’s, the fact that all major job postings were still “paper” ads posted in the newspaper. Today, no one would go to a major newspaper to look for a job ad. I still have the paper copy of the quarter page ad from 1997 when Cott Beverages announced that they were recruiting for a Financial Analyst for the South-East Division.

What do you love most about working as a financial executive?
 
The fact that we as finance professionals are particularly well positioned to have a tremendous positive impact on any organization. This is everything from ensuring that the organization makes the right financial decisions on a daily basis, to ensuring that the company has developed a solid strategic plan. 

A good example is the rewarding feeling you have as a CFO when you see the positive impact from a well implemented strategic plan. Strategic planning requires comprehensive analysis and begins with having a well-defined process in place. It is crucial for any successful company to go thru this process. It is very rewarding to experience and witness the success of a well implemented strategic plan!
 
Do you think it takes a certain kind of personality to thrive in finance? What traits are most important?
 
You have to be driven and highly motivated. It would be hard to succeed without focus and a competitive edge. You need to have that drive to continue to learn and grow. Other key traits include intellectual curiosity, a sense of urgency, a passion for what you do, honesty and integrity and a good understanding of the importance of team work.
 
How did you discover your passion for finance?
 
I have always had it easy with numbers and mathematics, so it came natural for me to pick finance as my major. I guess it really hit me when I was studying Corporate Finance and we were assigned case studies on various corporations to understand their relative success. That was when I discovered my ability to analyze financial statements with ease compared to my classmates. During this time, I quickly came to the realization the importance for any corporation to have a strong finance team. This is critical to the success of the company.
 
What are some of your personal hobbies outside of finance?
 
I’m a golfer. I love to play and I have been fortunate to have played some of the greatest golf courses in the world – Pebble Beach, Spy Glass, Torrey Pines and Half Moon Bay Ocean Course.  I love the challenge of golf and the effort and dedication that is required to master the game. Other than golf, I love to travel the world, spend quality time with friends and family.
Sponsor Spotlight: Lila A. Jaber
 
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Company: Gunster Law Firm
Title: Regional Managing Shareholder
Work email: [email protected]
Work phone number: (850) 521-1980

Tell us a little bit about your career, educational/professional background and how you got to where you are today.
 
Today, I have the privilege of leading Gunster’s government affairs practice, as well as serving as the firm’s regional managing shareholder, demonstrating our commitment to the I-4 corridor and Tampa Bay. Having grown up in Sanford, Florida, my education and career roots began in Central Florida. I am a double Stetson University grad (Deland and St. Petersburg). Upon graduation from Stetson Law, I joined the legal staff of the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC), the state agency that afforded me the knowledge and opportunity to launch my professional career.
 
From the staff of the PSC, Governor Jeb Bush appointed me to the Commission itself where I served two terms including as Chairman, overseeing the state’s implementation of economic regulatory policy and procedure for the energy, natural gas, water and telecommunications industries.
 
What is one piece of information you wish someone had told you when you first started your career?
 
If you are in a position to assist in the growth of someone else’s career, you should do it. If you are in a position to volunteer more, you should do it. If you are in a position to inspire others to contribute in a positive way to make Florida a better place to live and prosper, you should do it.
 
Why does your company sponsor FEI Tampa Bay Chapter?
 
We believe in Tampa Bay! We have an office in Tampa and have invested in the region through the talented professionals that lead our office and the clients we collectively represent. As a statewide firm, we recognize that Tampa is a critical growth area of the state.
 
To partner with equally committed organizations like FEI Tampa Bay is important to our business strategy of investing in the communities we serve. The strategic alliance has afforded each of our organizations access, networking, and thought leadership into issues of mutual concern.
 
What are some activities you participate in to advance the profession or your career?
 
In 2015, in conjunction with Gunster, I launched Florida’s Women in Energy Leadership Forum to highlight the workforce and economic development contributions that Florida electric and natural gas industries make every day in betterment of Florida’s future. We have been able to bring attention to the careers available in these sectors that lead to high paying, sustainable jobs. I’m thrilled that the Tampa Electric/Emera companies are supporters of this initiative as further linkage to our Tampa Bay connectivity and focus, as well as theirs.
 
Civic engagement is important to me. In my opinion, we each have a responsibility to use our voices, hands, and expertise to do our part to better our regions and therefore our state. Fundamentally, I believe that civic engagement means good business too. We all see that productive successful companies are committed to volunteerism and civic engagement. We all should see that civic engagement is good for business. In furtherance of my support, I am also involved in the formation and support of the Big Bend Minority Chamber of Commerce and I continue to be involved in Leadership Florida where I am a former Chair.
 
Why is FEI Tampa Bay important to Gunster?
 
FEI allows us the opportunity to enhance our leadership and staff via professional development through peer networking, career management services, conferences, research and publications. Most importantly it allows us to exchange ideas with company CFOs and other financial teams of companies in every major industry.